RPTV (TV channel)

Overview

RPTV

type	Free-to-air television network
country	Philippines
affiliates	TV5 RPN 9
tvstations	List of RPTV stations
headquarters	For TV5: TV5 Media Center, Reliance cor. Sheridan Sts., Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines For Nine Media/RPN: Upper Ground Floor Worldwide Corporate Center, Shaw Boulevard corner EDSA, Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines
key people	Benjamin Ramos (President, Nine Media Corporation, Broadreach Media Holdings and Aliw Broadcasting Corporation and President and CEO, RPN) Manuel V. Pangilinan (Chairman, TV5 Network, Inc.) Guido R. Zaballero (President and CEO, TV5 Network, Inc.)
owner	MediaQuest Holdings, Inc. (PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund) Nine Media Corporation (ALC Group of Companies)
parent	TV5 Network, Inc. (Programming and Broadcast Facilities) Radio Philippines Network (Broadcast Spectrum and License)
launch date	February 1, 2024 (soft launch) March 4, 2024 (official launch)
former names	C/S 9 (2008-09) Solar TV (2009-11) ETC (2011-13) Solar News Channel (2013-14) 9TV (2014-15) CNN Philippines (2015–24)
picture format	720p/1080i HDTV (downscaled to 16:9 480i for the SDTV feed)
sister channels	Through TV5: TV5 One Sports Kapatid Channel AksyonTV International PBA Rush Through NMC/ALC Group: Aliw Channel 23 DWIZ News TV
replaced	CNN Philippines (RPN channel space) One PH (TV5 DTT sub-channel space) One Sports (UHF 29 Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, and Davao channel space) ETC (Cignal TV channel renumbering space) One Screen (Cignal TV channel space)
replaced by	Cine Mo! (Cablelink channel space) WilTV (Cignal TV channel space)
terr serv 1	Analog VHF/UHF
terr chan 1	Listings may vary
terr serv 2	Digital UHF
terr chan 2	Channel 18.2 (TV5 DTT) Channel 19.1 (RPN DTT)
terr serv 3	Sulit TV
terr chan 3	Channel 2
terr serv 4	Sky Cable
terr chan 4	Channel 14 (Mega Manila) Channel 6 (Regional)
terr serv 5	Converge Vision / SkyTV (Metro Manila)
terr chan 5	Channel 9
terr serv 6	Sky Direct (Nationwide)
terr chan 6	Channel 6
terr serv 7	Cignal TV (Nationwide)
terr chan 7	Channel 9 (SD) Channel 259 (HD)
terr serv 8	SatLite (Nationwide)
terr chan 8	Channel 9
terr serv 9	G Sat (Nationwide)
terr chan 9	Channel 3
terr serv 10	Cablelink (Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan, Tarlac)
terr chan 10	Channel 107
language	Filipino (main) English (secondary)
online serv 1	Cignal Play
online chan 1	Available on the Cignal Play website or via mobile application

RPTV is a Philippine commercial free-to-air television network. It is jointly owned and operated by TV5 Network, Inc., and Nine Media Corporation, with Radio Philippines Network (RPN) serving as its free-to-air broadcaster. RPTV was established through a content distribution, sales, and marketing agreement between TV5 (under its parent company MediaQuest Holdings) and Nine Media. Under this arrangement, TV5 provides programming and related services to Nine Media through its existing airtime lease agreement with RPN.[1]

RPTV officially launched on 1 February 2024, replacing CNN Philippines on its flagship station, DZKB-TV. This followed the termination of the brand licensing agreement between Nine Media and CNN (under its parent company Warner Bros. Discovery), resulting in CNN Philippines' closure on 31 January 2024.

History

Background

Prior to the launch, on December 22, 2023, TV5 Network entered into a blocktime agreement with Nine Media Corporation to air Eat Bulaga!—the Philippines' longest-running noontime variety and entertainment show—along with select games from the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) every Saturday and Sunday on CNN Philippines starting January 6, 2024. This marked the return of these programs to RPN, where they had aired previously (with the Eat Bulaga! cases also marking the return of the Mondays to Saturdays noontime programming timeslot on Channel 9 to its origin as ABS-CBN roots, dating back from the premiere of Student Canteen in 1958 on the timeslot and frequency).[2][3][4][5][6]

This blocktime partnership lasted until January 25, 2024 when Nine Media and CNN mutually agreed to terminate their brand licensing agreement amid financial difficulties and loss of advertising support. CNN Philippines announced later that month that it would shut down on January 31, citing financial losses.[7][8]

Launch

On January 31, 2024, after CNN Philippines signed off at 10:00 pm (after airing its last program, Building Bridges), TV5 Network took over the entire RPN-9 airtime. This included a test broadcast unveiling RPTV as its replacement (with RPTV's looping logo played after CNN Philippines signed off).[9] The takeover was later confirmed during TV5's late-night newscast, Frontline Tonight.[10] However, it was not until February 6, 2024, at the TV5 Media Center, that MediaQuest, TV5, and Nine Media formalized a content distribution, sales, and marketing services agreement for the new channel. RPN retains the license and transmission operations for the network, as current ownership restrictions limit the number of stations a franchise holder can own in a specific media market.[1]

RPTV's first commercial broadcast commenced on February 1, 2024, at 6:00 am with Ted Failon at DJ Chacha sa Radyo5 as its inaugural program. At the same time, RPTV replaced One PH on DTT subchannels across TV5-owned and Mediascape-affiliated stations, with One PH reverting its availability via Cignal TV and other cable and satellite platforms.

RPTV (TV channel)

History

Background

Launch

Programming

Technical facilities

Availability

See also

External links

References