Another year is about to end. But before the calendar flips to 2015, here is a look back at the year that was in television and radio. This article will focus on the minor TV networks in the Philippines.
Highlights
A transitional period from the Solar News Channel to CNN Philippines got underway in August. Temporarily known as 9TV, the network was launched on August 23 after Antonio Cabangon-Chua purchased the network from Solar Entertainment’s Wilson Tieng; CNN later signed an agreement with Nine Media Corporation to rename the station as CNN Philippines early next year.
Net 25 also unveiled a new look, featuring a logo inspired from an eagle’s wing (in reference to its parent Eagle Broadcasting Corporation). The station then joined forces with sister station INC-TV 49 to cover the events surrounding the centennial of the Iglesia ni Cristo, including the Grand Evangelical Mission at the Philippine Arena that opened the centennial celebrations.
And finally, UNTV broke ground on the new broadcast center that will open in two years. The groundbreaking ceremony kicked off the station’s 10th anniversary (13th if the rock music format of UNTV were to be included in its history).
Lowlights
In June, IBC-13 and Asian Television Content Corporation joined forces to launch the ATC @ IBC block, featuring a lineup consisting of telenovelas, lifestyle and travel programs, and sports events. Low ratings and loss of revenue caused the block to be cancelled, though ATC later returned to broadcast the PBA Developmental League’s Aspirants Cup on IBC-13 in late October.
Solar Entertainment’s problems continued after the loss of 9TV to the ALC Group. Weeks after the sale of Solar News to Chua’s group was announced, Solar lost another partner in RMN and BEAM Inc. after the latter ceased its affiliation agreement, resulting in the loss of Jack City from free TV 31 in favor of religious programming and O Shopping block.
PTV-4 also made some drastic steps to improve their programming. While ‘Oh Ja Ryong is Coming’ was launched as planned, ‘K-Pop Idol Search – Pinoy Edition’, a partnership between PTV and HBKOR Inc., remains in limbo, as its launch date remains uncertain.
Outlook
The transition to digital television in a few years represents numerous challenges for the minor networks, some of which involve budgetary concerns. Still this is an obstacle that can be overcome, especially now that Philippine television is headed into a new era.
Both the ATC-IBC and PTV-HBKOR deals are at a crossroads, while Nine Media’s new venture as CNN Philippines is about to get underway. This and more as 2015 begins in earnest.
From the Tube 
What will going to happened, we will changing the calendar to another year, but i hope not IBC 13 will be privatized by the goverment. Or else we will rely on one man’s slap and bully comments against the network (or so-called “Walang Kwentang TV Station”)
Meanwhile, another Free TV channel will be launched within next year by the El Shaddai Catholic charismatic group (Channel 35).
*i hope so
The talk starts now. I-privatize na ang IBC-13, or else isara na ‘to.
As for El Shaddai’s own channel, well, it’s more of a backup plan now with IBC-13’s troubles. It’s long overdue for them to have their own channel again.
ATC-IBC promised to return its Tagalized telenovelas and Hi 5 by next year as soon as it finds ads. We’ll see.
Hope they fulfill that. Otherwise we’ll be stuck to having a ‘walang kwentang’ station all over again.
True that. ATC is just starting out as a blocktimer but this early, it is facing a lot of problems.
Baka gagamitin na rin ang mga advertisement sa PBA D-League at ONE FC bilang commercials sa mga programa ng ATC block.
Let’s see.
I remember nung unang i launced s pilipinas ang marimar ng rpn9 at d starts halos wala rin adds ang telenovela.but a few weeks after biglang lumakas at naging talk of d philippines ang marimar.kulang n kulang lang kc s add & promos ang mga shows ng atc s ibc ngaun.kelangan lang i push talaga para nman makakuha cla ng audience.
Yes it’s true. Kailangan talaga ng ads and promos to keep it interesting.
For me, CNN Philippines will be the best bet for success among the other networks. If the Cabangon-Chua group handle the new station well, CNN Phil will surely set a trend in news gathering here in our country.
True that.
Hindi ko lang ma-gets kung bakit wala man lang slogan ang net25 this year. And this station seems to be an ASEAN channel dahil sa kanilang infomercials and programming lately. And besides, sana iwasan na nila ang pakikisalamuha in most celebrities sa ilang shows nila.
Mr. ALC seems to be the next MVP in media industry. Lumalaki na rin ang media empire niya with acquiring a company from Solar. And CNN-PH will be more exciting sa 2015.
Napansin ko lang sa Solar, medyo naaadik na ulit sila in making promos for their loyal viewers after selling their News Channel. Lalo na ‘yung JACKtv MadFest. As for ETC & 2nd Ave., they really improved their free TV signal reception in most parts of Metro Manila & Rizal.
PTV, as a government channel, should stop airing/making such programs like those you’ve mentioned. They should focus instead on spreading infos about gov’t programs & public services.
Net25 is going back to the basics, hence no slogan. Yung pagiging unorthodox nila this year, it’s their decision. They’re just trying to make some improvements to their rather INC-dominated programming.
ALC and Solar are headed into different directions following the sale of RPN. And it is for the better, like you mentioned.
As for PTV, well, ayaw nilang maging boring ang kanilang channel. They need some entertainment para namang magising ng konti ang audience nila. Your suggestions seem to only yawn me even more.
Oh, yes. And besides, net25 seems to express their interest in ASEAN Integration, eh. They’re airing ASEAN infomercials many times sa loob ng isang araw. Pero naco-confuse ako sa kung ano’ng company kaya ang kanilang blocktimer ngayon, na nasa likod ng pagpo-produce ilang new programs nila about photography, fashion and even lifestyle. Lalo na ‘yung kay Shawn Yao.
As for BEAMtv, mukhang blangko pa rin ang sagot sa kung ano’ng magiging permanent programming nila in the near future. Blocktimers lang rin naman kasi ang O Shopping at TBN.
My close friend reporter from a major TV station said that next year, there will be two news networks to come here in the PH (either to tie up w/ some companies here or to build a sole company), due to ASEAN Integration daw, after what CNN & 9Media did.
We’ll wait and see what the next move of Net 25, Beam and other upcoming networks are next year.
PTV Sports, to be fair, gets a lot of viewers because many of them are PBA fans and Sports5 has no other sports program than the PBA games.
And Sports5, for some inexplicable reasons, only broadcasts their studio shows online, and with just one sport in mind. What’s the point of the name Sports360 when they only emphasize the PBA?
ABS-CBN presents its sports coverages much better. I’m sure they would do a good job with the PBA as long as the board members realize the value of Sports+Action. ABS-CBN needs to strengthen the signal of S+A in the provinces.
They can do that, since they have the finances to back it up and improve S+A’s reach.
So much agree. Eto lang yata ang show ng PTV which earns high ratings, that can compete with The Score & 9TV Sportsdesk. Dennis Principe, who works also at Radyo5, ay host din ng PTV Sports. At parang may sponsor rin yata sila, thru Amazing Playground shirts. But for me, sana medyo i-modernize pa nila ‘yung visual presence nila. But for now, thumbs up ako sa show na ‘yan.
Basta ang iniiwasan ko lang yung mga “tsismis at blind items” ni Snow Badua.
True that.
Indeed.
True that. All it takes is for the PBA board members to realize that. Some of them, sadly, are more of old school in the sense that they don’t realize how the tastes of viewers have changed through the years.
Yes.
Oo nga naman. Mukhang “Technical Foul” na agad ang Sports5 for their Sports360 online segment. It should be called as Hoops360.
Since they don’t even feature sports not named basketball. They should make that a full-fledged show on AksyonTV, if they have the money to produce it.
Aksyon TV is now airing the NCAA women’s volleyball Final 4. Anthony Suntay and Denise Tan did the coverage last Wednesday. Only the women’s games are being shown on that channel, pre-empting Relasyon and Wanted sa Radyo.
Cristy Ferminute follows after the NCAA volleyball games.
Going back to Sports360, if I were them, it’s best for them to rename the show into ‘Inside the PBA’ or ‘PBA Center’ since these studio shows focus too much on the PBA.
Snow Badua is no longer with PTV Sports. He got into an argument with PTV management. Dennis Principe has been the lead host since Monday.
Dennis also has a Sunday radio program on Radyo Singko with Ron de los Reyes and he is also heard every morning on DZSR from 6-8 am, as well as on DWBR on FM from 9-10 pm every Tuesday and Thursday.
DZSR and DWBR are also under the government like PTV.
In short, freelancer sila Dennis at Ron. Ron continues to host Auto Review on PTV, if I remember.
Auto Review still airs on PTV every Saturday at 1 pm. Ron was also with DZSR during its early years.
Just wondering about this NTC ruling that free-to-air TV should only have 18 hours of broadcasting. Why? Is there something detrimental or anti-competitive to going 24 hours? Meaningful Holy Week everyone
I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense at all.