Solar News Channel
Solar News Channel was a Philippine English-language free-to-air and pay-television news channel operated by Solar Entertainment and later associated with Nine Media.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Solar News Channel was a Philippine television news brand that operated from October 2012 until August 2014. It was developed by Solar Entertainment Corporation as the successor to Talk TV and positioned as an English-language, all-news and current-affairs service for Philippine audiences. The channel was notable for bringing a dedicated English-language news format to free-to-air television while also maintaining distribution through cable, satellite, and internet television providers. The network began broadcasting on October 30, 2012, at 5:45 a.m. Philippine time. At launch, its terrestrial signal used the facilities of Southern Broadcasting Network's flagship station DWCP-TV, commonly identified as SBN 21. This arrangement allowed Solar News Channel to inherit much of Talk TV's former terrestrial and pay-television distribution. On free television, the service generally operated for approximately 18 hours daily, from 6:00 a.m. to midnight. It was available around the clock on participating cable, satellite, and internet television platforms. Solar News Channel combined locally produced news and current-affairs programming with selected imported content. Its schedule included rolling news, headline and morning programs, public-service formats, sports coverage, medical programming, documentaries, talk shows, entertainment material, and children's programming. Foreign content was drawn principally from American television suppliers and included programs associated with NBC and CBS. The channel therefore operated as more than a continuous headline service: it was a general news and information network with a mixture of domestic reporting, public-affairs programming, acquired shows, and scheduled non-news blocks. A major distribution change occurred on November 30, 2013, when Solar News Channel moved its terrestrial affiliation from SBN to Radio Philippines Network. It was then carried on RPN's flagship DZKB-TV. The switch was intended to broaden national reach, while the ETC service returned to SBN. The channel continued to originate its local programming and master-control operations from the Worldwide Corporate Center in Mandaluyong. During this period, Solar News Channel also extended its service beyond conventional television by introducing a mobile application. The application offered live streaming, catch-up access to selected episodes, and news updates connected with the network's website. This represented an early effort by a Philippine television news outlet to combine broadcast distribution with mobile and web-based access. The channel's independent identity was short-lived. In 2014, the ALC Group of Companies, led by Ambassador Antonio Cabangon-Chua, acquired interests connected with Solar Television Network and Radio Philippines Network. Solar TV announced on August 13, 2014, that the channel would be rebranded as 9TV and that the Solar name would be removed from its on-air and related assets. Solar News Channel ceased broadcasting under its original name on August 22, 2014, and 9TV became its replacement. The later 9TV identity was subsequently part of the lineage that led to CNN Philippines, but Solar News Channel itself remained a short-lived predecessor brand rather than a continuing service.
History
Solar News Channel emerged from the Philippine television environment created by Solar Entertainment Corporation's expansion into news and current affairs. Its immediate predecessor was Talk TV, a service that had occupied the relevant distribution positions on Southern Broadcasting Network and on participating pay-television systems. Solar replaced that identity with a channel designed around English-language news, current affairs, and information programming. The new network began operations on October 30, 2012, at 5:45 a.m. Philippine time. It used SBN's flagship DWCP-TV, associated with channel 21, for its free-to-air terrestrial service from 2012 to 2013. This made Solar News Channel the first all-English news channel carried on Philippine free television according to the channel's published history, and also marked Solar Entertainment's first channel to operate across both free-to-air and cable distribution. On terrestrial television it generally broadcast for 18 hours each day, while cable, satellite, and internet television providers could carry it continuously. The channel's local identity was built around news and current affairs. Its schedule included headline coverage, morning news, public-service programming, sports news, medical discussion, documentaries, and talk formats. Programs such as Solar Daybreak, News.PH, Serbisyo All Access, Sports Desk, and MedTalk represented the network's principal local offerings. The schedule also included acquired programming from American television sources, particularly NBC and CBS, as well as entertainment, religious, infomercial, preschool, and children's blocks. Children's titles listed in the channel's programming included Sesame Street, Beware the Batman, Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Bitty Adventures, Young Justice, and Pokémon the Series: XY. Solar News Channel changed its terrestrial distribution strategy in late 2013. On November 30, it transferred its affiliation from SBN to Radio Philippines Network, using RPN's flagship DZKB-TV. The move was intended to increase nationwide availability. At the same time, ETC returned to SBN, reversing the principal terrestrial arrangement between the two services. The channel continued to produce local material and manage master control from the Worldwide Corporate Center in Mandaluyong. The network also pursued digital distribution. Its mobile application allowed users to watch a live stream, access catch-up episodes, and receive news connected to the Solar News website. This complemented its presence on cable, satellite, and internet television services and reflected the growing importance of on-demand access for broadcast news brands. In 2014, the ownership and operating environment surrounding the channel changed. The ALC Group of Companies, led by Ambassador Antonio Cabangon-Chua, acquired interests involving Solar Television Network and Radio Philippines Network. On August 13, Solar TV announced that Solar News Channel would be renamed 9TV and that the Solar branding would be removed from the channel's assets. The original service ended on August 22, 2014. The 9TV replacement preserved a degree of continuity in distribution and programming but represented a new brand identity. Solar News Channel consequently operated for less than two years and is best understood as a transitional Philippine news network between Talk TV and 9TV, rather than as a long-running independent broadcaster.
- 2014
Rebrand to 9TV announced
[1]Solar TV announced in August that the Solar News Channel brand would be replaced by 9TV following changes involving Solar Television Network and RPN.
- 2014
Original channel discontinued
[1]Solar News Channel ceased broadcasting on August 22, 2014, and was replaced by 9TV.
- 2013
Terrestrial affiliation transferred to RPN
[1]On November 30, 2013, the channel moved from SBN to Radio Philippines Network to expand its nationwide terrestrial coverage.
- 2013
Mobile application introduced
[1]Solar News Channel expanded its digital offering with a smartphone application supporting live streaming, catch-up viewing, and news updates.
- 2012
Launch as a replacement for Talk TV
[1]Solar News Channel began broadcasting on October 30, 2012, using SBN's DWCP-TV and continuing the former Talk TV distribution footprint.
Products and positioning
An English-language Philippine news and current-affairs television network combining locally produced journalism with acquired international programming and multi-platform distribution.
Broadcast television network · 2012
Solar News Channel television service
The core Solar News Channel service was an English-language Philippine television network offering rolling news, current affairs, public-service content, sports coverage, documentaries, talk programming, and selected acquired shows. It operated on free-to-air television for approximately 18 hours per day and was available continuously through participating cable, satellite, and internet television providers.
Mobile and streaming service · 2013
Solar News Channel mobile application
The network's smartphone application extended the television brand into digital distribution. Its listed functions included live streaming, catch-up access to episodes, and current news from the network's website. The application supported the channel's broader strategy of reaching viewers beyond scheduled terrestrial broadcasts.
Brand decisions
2014
Rebrand Solar News Channel as 9TVStrategyBackground
Changes involving Solar Television Network and Radio Philippines Network followed the acquisition of interests by the ALC Group of Companies.
Action taken
Solar TV announced that the channel would drop the Solar name and relaunch as 9TV.
Aftermath
Solar News Channel ended on August 22, 2014, with 9TV taking its place.
2013
Move terrestrial affiliation from SBN to RPNStrategyBackground
Solar News Channel sought broader nationwide terrestrial distribution after launching on SBN's flagship station.
Action taken
The channel transferred its terrestrial affiliation to Radio Philippines Network on November 30, 2013, and was carried on RPN's DZKB-TV.
Aftermath
The change expanded the channel's intended terrestrial reach, while ETC returned to SBN.
Sources1 sources
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