CONFERENCE BACKGROUND

One of the oldest in the world and probably the oldest in Asia, radio broadcasting in the Philippines began in 1922 during the American colonial era. Through that period and the periods that followed – World War II, postwar years, martial rule, post-Marcos years, and until the present – and amid the challenges of television and the Internet, Philippine radio has survived, grown, and evolved. On the other hand, television broadcasting started in 1953, following the war and the declaration of Philippine Independence, and during the early years of American-style democracy.

Crossing geographic and cultural borders, both radio and television have followed our fellow Filipinos in diaspora. The voices and images have touched our political and social lives; their songs have brought Filipino music and musical talent to a global stage; their narratives of our lives have made us imagine ourselves as a nation, even if dispersed across physical and other boundaries.

Broadcasting in the Philippines has endured many turning points in our history and has now expanded its reach via online media. Despite the challenges broadcasting faces today, we in the Department are planning to hold activities that will not only celebrate broadcasting’s centenary in the Philippines but also produce cultural products and learning materials that will highlight its relevance in Filipino lives in the country and elsewhere.

We see this celebration extending beyond the year of its centenary (2022). Marking the first 100 years is also a threshold upon which the Department wishes to build projects that aim to enrich the future study of broadcasting as an industry and as an academic discipline. As a site for experimentation with forms, messages, and critical thinking, the celebration underscores our aim to extend to other disciplines, and to explore the ways in which broadcasting can contribute to transformative discourses on identity, ethics, gender, and social justice.