By Daniel P. Tapaoan, Jr. 

Communication and collaboration. 

To intensify the dissemination of government news nationwide, the People’s Television Network, Inc. (PTNI) is establishing a broadcast station at the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), City of Batac, Ilocos Norte. 

The government-owned network and the university are pooling their resources to install broadcast facilities, infrastructure, and other equipment to establish PTV Ilocos Norte which will primarily cater residents of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra and Apayao.

As an initial step, MMSU and PTNI are putting up a PTV transmitter in a 500 square meter university lot in Brgy. Quiling Sur. In a groundbreaking ceremony held today, PTNI General Manager Katherine Chloe S. De Castro and MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis unveiled their plans to install broadcast equipment within MMSU premises.

This is along a memorandum of agreement the two signed last May 12, 2021 at the MMSU Teatro Ilocandia. 

Taking effect for 25 years, the PTNI-MMSU partnership includes strengthening the broadcast station’s reach through the establishment of the network’s transmitters in the university’s premises. 

The university will also have a 30-minute weekly airtime in PTV to disseminate its news and development initiatives to the general public. This will be coordinated by the MMSU’s Office for Strategic Communication. Said TV program will be produced collaboratively with the Communication Faculty of the Department of Languages and Literature (College of Arts and Sciences), Department of Development Communication (College of Agriculture, Food and Sustainable Development) and the Department of Electronics Engineering (College of Engineering). 

Students of said departments and other related courses can also have their on-the-job training either at PTNI - Ilocos Norte station or in its main office. 

Moreover, MMSU may install information and communication technology equipment in the tower to advance its smart campus initiative.

The university may also use the broadcast tower for its free internet program and other communication needs. (HLY/JVBT, StratCom)