GMA at 65: Amazing growth (Second of two parts)

Entering into the new millennium, GMA Network proved to be a force to reckon with in the local media industry.

With its expansion efforts and significant achievements in the local and international arena, GMA Network grew from a start-up radio station into one of the broadcast industry’s strongest players.

2001 — GMA-NMI launches www.igma.tv, GMA’s official entertainment website, which wins the Best Media Website Award in the fourth Philippine Web Awards.

GMA pioneers the comprehensive election coverage in the Philippines with Eleksyon 2001.

2002 -— GMA assumes a new corporate equity, Kapuso Mo Anumang Kulay ng Buhay, with its now widely-recognized logo — the Rainbow-Heart.

Saksi earns the World Gold Medal for Best Newscast in the New York Film Festivals, which is a first for any Philippine news program.

GMA-NMI creates TxTube, the first fully interactive show that features voting, chat and gaming; PLDT Playtym, the first interactive TV game show; and TXTERS V, the first all-texting game show, effectively popularizing SMS-TV interactivity.

2003 -— GMA surpasses its nearest competitor in Mega Manila TV ratings.

In its Resolution No. 787, the House of Representatives commends GMA for uplifting the standards of the country’s broadcast industry by giving the Philippines its first George Foster Peabody Award and making the Philippines the first and only Asian country to win the Gold Medal for television news in the New York Festivals.

Conquering new ground, GMA ventures into reality TV with the introduction of the first reality-based talent search program StarStruck and the first Filipino reality TV series Extra Challenge.

GMA-NMI launches its category-breaking mobile subscription service FANATXT featuring GMA’s hottest stars.

2004 -— GMA Network becomes No. 1 in both ratings and revenues, with shows 24 Oras, Mulawin and Extra Challenge driving the network’s strong performance.

2005 -— GMA parlays its success into the international stage with the launch of its flagship international channel GMA Pinoy TV in Japan, Guam and the US.

GMA’s second local channel QTV instantly becomes the No. 3 TV station in the country upon its launch.

GMA marks another first in the Philippine broadcast industry, winning the coveted Asian TV Award for Terrestrial Channel of the Year.

2006 -— GMA becomes the first Philippine network to broadcast live via satellite at 21,000 feet above sea level, the highest altitude ever tested for broadcast via satphone, as it covers the Filipino’s first attempt to climb the Mt. Everest summit.

GMA-NMI’s Itaktak Mo O Tatakbo Home Partner Promo, the highly-successful SMS-TV promotion in partnership with Eat Bulaga and Globe Telecom is launched, generating 47.8 million in SMS traffic.

2007 -— GMA undertakes its Initial Public Offering (IPO) at the Philippine Stock Exchange.

GMA garners a Gold World Medal for Social Issues and Current Events at the 50th New York Festivals for I-Witness’ Boy Pusit.

GMA-NMI launches www.gmanews.tv, GMA’s news portal which wins the Best Website in the Media category in the ninth Philippine Web Awards.

GMA-NMI expands into online publishing through www.pep.ph, the first showbiz-only portal in the country, in partnership with Summit Media and X-Play, NMI’s venture into online gaming in partnership with IP E-Game Ventures, Inc.

2008 -— GMA inaugurates GMA Network Studios, which houses the most-sophisticated production facility in the country. GMA’s Studio 7 remains the largest television studio in the country.

DWLS-FM is given a new image and name, Barangay LS.

GMA launches its second international channel, GMA Life TV.

GMA-NMI launches its Internet TV, www.myGMA.com.ph, providing global viewers the flexibility to watch GMA shows and movies online.

2009 -— GMA completes its key market transmission facility upgrade program, launching four new satellite stations in Naga, Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro and General Santos.

GMANews.tv achieves record-breaking web traffic averaging 37 million monthly pageviews. Integration into social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter allowed for real-time video streaming and provided an ideal venue for interactivity between users around the world.

2010 -— GMA celebrates 60 years of Touching Hearts. Enriching Lives.

GMA wins its second George Foster Peabody Award for the I-Witness documentary Ambulansyang de Paa.

2011 — GMA 7 conquers nationwide TV ratings and sustains its advantage over competitors throughout the year.

GMA launches a free-to-air news station, GMA News TV Channel 11, which immediately establishes itself as the No. 1 news and public affairs channel in the country.

GMA’s third international channel, GMA News TV International, is launched in Guam, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the UAE and Madagascar.

The network portal www.gmanetwork.com, the umbrella site of all GMA platforms, is launched, enhancing GMA’s connection with its audience online by providing news, entertainment, information, community and public service at their fingertips.

GMA-NMI incorporates “Digify,” a new digital agency that covers digital branding, interaction design, social media communications and multimedia content production.

2012 -— GMA celebrates its fifth year of listing at the Philippine Stock Exchange in July.

Julie Anne San Jose’s self-titled album under GMA Records receives a Platinum Digital Award after selling almost 38,000 units from August 2012 to January 2013. Her album’s carrier single I’ll Be There earned over 245,000 downloads, receiving a Platinum Digital Single Award and making her the first-ever recipient of the award given by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI).

2013 -— GMA News TV’s Reel Time wins for the network and the country its third George Foster Peabody Award for the documentarySalat. The recognition marks the first Peabody Award for GMA News TV.

2014 -— GMA wins its fourth George Foster Peabody Award for its coverage of Typhoon Yolanda with entries from 24 Oras, 24 Oras Weekend, Saksi, State of the Nation with Jessica Soho and Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho.

GMA wins seven World Medals at the New York Festivals, including a Gold World Medal in the Community Portraits Category for the Tunay na Buhay episode Sanggol at Langaw.

GMA’s groundbreaking series My Husband’s Lover is the only Philippine drama series to be nominated in the telenovela category of the 42nd International Emmy Awards.

GMA Kapuso Foundation turns over the first 172 houses in the Kapuso Village Tacloban, which will be composed of 403 housing units in total. This is the first permanent concrete housing project in the area for survivors of Supertyphoon Yolanda.

The road to broadcast excellence has been both challenging and rewarding, with the network owing its success to the management, workforce and most especially, its viewers.

Now on its 65th year, the network continues to push the boundaries of creativity, while embodying truth and integrity in the company’s mission to uplift the lives of Filipinos.

True to its logo, GMA remains the station with a heart — keeping its finger on the pulse of the Filipino people as it strives to enrich their lives with superior news and entertainment content.

Over the years, GMA has undoubtedly shown heart in providing Serbisyong Totoo, a passion which has been instilled into its corporate identity.

The Kapuso journey, however, is far from the finish line as the network looks forward to reaching even greater heights in the years to come.

Happy 65th anniversary, GMA! And thank you, mga Kapuso!