Radio Philippines Network

Radio Philippines Network, Inc. (RPN) is a Filipino-owned media company co-owned by the Presidential Communications Operations Office, 9Media Corporation, Far East Managers and Investors Inc., and private sectors. This station studios are located at RPN Media Center in Broadcast City, Capitol Hills, Diliam, Quezon City. with transmitters at #97 Panay Avenue, Brgy. South Triangle, Quezon City.

Founded by Roberto Benedicto and prior to the privatization, the TV network is the sister network of current government owned and controlled Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation.

Among its assets are the broadcast television networks RPN and the AM radio network DZKB Radyo Ronda 1422 and the FM radio 99.5 Play FM as well as the international channel RPN USA. RPN is currently the proud member of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP).

As the Kanlaon Broadcasting System (1960-1975)
RPN was launched and granting the first broadcasting franchise on June 29, 1960 as the Kanlaon Broadcasting System (KBS). Kanlaon is a volcano on the Philippine island of Negros, the home of Benedicto. Once granted, KBS first became a radio network with its first radio station in Manila, DZBI. In 1967, KBS had grown into a full network, with seven radio stations all over the country namely, DZRR and DZAX in Manila, DZAH and DZBS in Baguio, DZTG in Tuguegarao, DZRL in Laoag, and DXDX in General Santos.

In 1969, KBS turned to television as KBS Television was launched with KBS-9 Manila and KBS-12 Baguio as its first stations. Help and funding for the new TV network partly came from ABS-CBN in the form of its old headquarters along Roxas Boulevard and equipment from Toshiba enabling them to broadcast in color. As a result, on its launch it was named Accucolor 9 ("Accucolor" is the name of the color technology used) as the first Philippine television network to launch in full color. In 1970, KBS also acquired an Color-ready Outside Broadcast Van for the remote broadcasts of major news events and sports coverages.

As the Radio Philippines Network, early successes (1975-1986)
In 1974, KBS formally re-launched as RPN, the Radio Philippines Network (the RPN name was first used in the provincial stations before the RPN brand would later be used for the Manila station as well). It aired special coverages of the Olympics, Thrilla in Manila (in 1975) and the Miss Universe; and programs such as John en Marsha, Flordeluna, Superstar. RPN became the first home of the daytime variety show Eat Bulaga! (premiering in 1979). RPN became also a popular and most watched longest running Game show on Philippine television Family Kwarta o Kahon hosted by Pepe Pimentel originaly aired on ABS-CBN then BBC-2 the show is run for almost 3 decades until ended in the year 2000. RPN also pioneered the TV newscasting as they launched the first ever newspaper-format nightly newscast titled NewsWatch. The network also pioneered the use of computer graphics for their program plugs and station IDs.

RPN became one of the first Philippine television stations also aired anime programming (making them one of the first to do so in the country), including Macross, Voltes V, Astroboy and Starblazers and imported and syndicated programs from the United States. RPN-9 is the first network to cover the Philippine Basketball Association games live in 1976, before the broadcasts moved on to BBC-2.

In 1980, RPN-9 began to broadcast primetime programs and Eat Bulaga (when it was still with the network) through its new domestic satellite (DOMSAT) technology in which the 1980s logo resembles a satellite antenna. The network also became home to, from 1978 up to the early 1980s, the Super Sentai series (making it the first in the Philippines to do so, becoming a pioneer in broadcasting tokusatsu and sentai programs in the country in the process).

These made it a reason for the network in 1982 to adopt The Leader as its official slogan, coupled with its Number 9 and the red corporate logos, due to its massive successes as the nation's number one network.

Government sequestration and New Vision 9 (1986-1994)
Although by the 1980s RPN was the country's premier TV network, the late 1980s saw RPN's fortunes taking a turn for the worse. After the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution, the stock and assets of RPN, IBC and Banahaw Broadcasting Corporation were sequestered by the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG). President Corazon Aquino awarded BBC's Channel 2 frequency and its affiliates, through an executive order, to ABS-CBN, and RPN's and IBC's assets were turned over to the Government Communications Group. During this period, RPN's saw a ratings nosedive after GMA Radio-Television Arts, which had rose as the leader in 1986, and PTV, another government-owned network, performed strongly after playing a vital role in the EDSA Revolution, causing its ratings to slump, thus tarnishing RPN's popularity.

Worse yet, one of its old rivals, ABS-CBN, which had a lackluster performance upon its reopening, experienced an unprecedented resurgence and consequently, clinched the number one spot in 1988, causing RPN to fall to 4th place. During the post-EDSA Revolution era, RPN launched the first Filipino-created animated series Ang Panday. By 1989, some of RPN's programming such as John en Marsha, Student Canteen, and Superstar were canceled, and TAPE's daytime programs Eat Bulaga!, Agila. and Coney Reyes on Camera (a co-production with Coney Reyes' CAN Television) moved under a co-production agreement to ABS-CBN, as they saw the resurgent network as a vital element in the sustaining of the three shows' success. During this period, it was already clear that RPN was losing its status as a premier broadcaster, resulting in its The Leader slogan to lose its purpose.

In 1989, the network relaunched as "New Vision 9" (but maintained "Radio Philippines Network" as the network's legal name), but the relaunch failed, as it later fell into another ratings slump due the continued resurgence and expansion of ABS-CBN and the recent re-launch of GMA Radio-Television Arts as GMA Network, Inc., but the reformatting positively resulted in another first for Philippine television as it became the first to go into 24-hour broadcasting.

Turnaround and second decline (1994-2007)
In 1994, New Vision 9 was reverted back to RPN and in the same year, RPN became the television channel to broadcast programs in full stereo. In 1996, though, the network quickly re-gained its footing when it began to broadcast a Tagalog dub of the Mexican telenovela Marimar, which quickly became a popular program for the network, and setting the trend for a few years. The two top networks ABS-CBN and GMA Network were forced to include telenovelas to programming lineup. Also, around this time, RPN introduced Dragon Ball Z to the Philippines. From then, RPN established itself as the Philippine home network for the best in English programming and telenovelas, coupled with blockbuster movies. By the mid-2000s, however, a massive network war between all networks and the meteoric rise of Asianovelas (which was started by ABS-CBN in 2003 with Meteor Garden) caused another era of decline for RPN.

Partnership with Solar
Hoping to reverse its fortunes, RPN sought a partner to help reverse its worsening status. On March 11, 2007, RPN began a partnership with the Solar Entertainment Corporation, an operator of a number of cable channels in the country. The company began co-producing new programming for the network, such as a local version of the Next Top Model franchise.

The network underwent management changes on December 24, 2007, as Tonypet Albano (undersecretary and executive director of Malacañang's Office of Political Coalition Affairs and Deputy Spokesperson of TEAM Unity) was appointed chairman of the network (replacing Education Undersecretary Mona Valisno, incumbent Presidential Assistant for Education). Undersecretary Robert Rivera was appointed director of the board, while the president and chief executive officer became former senator Orlando Mercado.

Mercado's first major move was to expand their partnerships with Solar Entertainment. Programming from Solar's cable network C/S was added to RPN's lineup at the beginning of the new year, and PBA basketball would also return to the network beginning in the 2008-09 season, as part of Solar Sports' new three-year deal with the league after an intense bidding war with ABS-CBN.

In October 2008, RPN's stations ultimately took on the C/S name as part of their permanent branding, and rebranded itself as C/S 9. The C/S 9 name would not last, on November 29, 2009, the network re-branded again under the new name Solar TV. In late 2010, it was revealed that RPN would no longer carry PBA games, due to planned re-launch to occur in 2011, with more "feminine" programming.

Privatization
In 2010, the Philippine government began to actively consider privatizing RPN and IBC. Ricardo Abcede, member of the Presidential Commission on Good Government, supported the plans, noting that the government should not need to subsidize three state broadcasters when most countries only have one, and could gain a significant profit if they were sold to a major company willing to invest in the stations.

In January 2011, reports confirmed that Solar Entertainment and Roberto Benedicto's daughter Kitchie Benedicto now owned a 34% minority share in RPN. Communications and Operation Office secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. also began to hold meetings with the network's employees union to discuss the financial state of RPN as part of the planned privatization. On February 22, 2011, RPN's employees filed a strike notice, protesting a rumored shutdown of RPN on February 25, and accusing the government of attempting to privatize RPN without actively consulting its employees.

On February 25, 2011, RPN signed off. However, the sign-off was only in preparation for a relaunch as ETC on March 2, 2011. Additional shares in RPN were sold to Far East Managers and Investors Inc. (FEMI), an organization company affiliated with Ambassador Roberto Benedicto (founder of RPN), and the San Miguel Corporation. The government would retain the People's Television Network to serve as the sole state broadcaster of the country. RPN is forced to 200 employees on October 29, 2012 as Solar TV takes over the entire RPN's airtime. In November 2013, San Miguel Corporation President and COO Ramon S. Ang declares interest in acquiring Solar Television Network and its stake on RPN but instead acquire a minority stake on GMA Network. .

The 9TV Network
A public advisory was plugged, informing that ETC on RPN aired its final sign-off on March 31, 2013 will return to Southern Broadcasting Network (SBN) while Solar News Channel turned into UHF channel 43 in DWBM-TV.

By March 30, 2013 on the test broadcast until resumed the operation as the commercial operation television started at 7:00pm by switching on its 100-killowatt transmitter and a big welcome party by the big stars of the network. ETC was ceased commercial operations with ETC going to a cable TV channel when RPN-9 returned to the air on Mach 30, 2013 will become part of Media ng Bayan. Cash and resources stretched to the limit, with offices being made to double as dressing rooms and basics such as chairs, tables and phones in short supply while RPN stars, personalities and employees start to return to RPN. Hence, RPN employees as president and CEO Robert Rivera was brought in to rework the station's programming.

At the time, money had been scarce while resources were limited; offices were used as dressing rooms and other equipment such as chairs, tables, and phones were in more supply. The network was forced to share space in the building that was rightfully their own with the sequesterd TV station Channel 13.

RPN acquired a new franchise to operate under Republic Act 7831 signed by President Noynoy Aquino III on nationwide satellite broadcasting in over 34 regional TV stations nationwide and creating with RPN's Radyo Ronda in the radio broadcasts for the AM radio stations DZKB Radyo Ronda 1422. The radio counterpart 99.5 Play FM, RPN's FM radio station entered a partnership with Real Radio Network Inc. launched at the same time of the network. RPN took over the management of Real Radio Network, Inc. stations; relaunched as the FM radio station on April 1, 2013 as 99.5 Play FM.

In a surge of phenomenal growth, RPN earned a reputation as The Kasama Network among the ranks of the strong number 3 in the overall TV network rating challenge the dominance of the broadcast industry leaders with a programming that combines the America's certified hits, hit telenovelas, asianovelas, animes and all station-produced local programs. Its creativity and innovation have resulted in numerous long-running program successes on the challenge of revolutionizing the broadcast landscape including a stronger of local news and public affairs programs, high-quality entertainment, the broadcast equipment, and the acquisition of broadcast rights of the two basketball leagues such as the Metropolitan Basketball Association games. Additionally, the network also launched a new advertising campaign and slogan, Kasama Ako!, which the new lineup as being more distinct being aired by its competitors at the time successfully regained its dominance of the intense competition ABS-CBN and GMA.

With the other TV networks focusing on other forms of entertainment, RPN made the animé series that including Dragon Ball Z, Yu-Gi-Oh! and K-On! in the surgence of anime on Philippine television. The network gained popularity with a hit telenovela Rosalinda and a Koreanovela Dream High. The top networks are ABS-CBN, GMA Network, IBC and TV5 forced to include telenovelas, animes and asianovelas to their programming lineup. In 2013, MTV begin in partnership with RPN to simulcast during 7:00am to 8:30am on weekdays and 12:30am to 1:30am on daily, with RPN programming in the daytime and primetime.

The new management priority is optimum coverage and TV signal reception. To achieve this, RPN will boost its transmission power and establish new sites in strategic parts of the country. The Kasama Network also aims to reach audiences in America via RPN USA, the world's international channel with the Dish Network. RPN won the Best TV Station award at the 2013 KBP Golden Dove Awards, with several other TV programs on the network also earning awards in their respective categories to widen its telecast.

As of December 2, 2013, the network is launched with a new format of tele-radyo programming with feed from DZKB Radyo Ronda 1422 for their own TeleRadyo during the weekday slots. The apparent behind the simulcast of Radyo Rodna programs is to compensate for the lack of original programming, the broadcast of its cable music channel MTV Asia during 7:00am to 8:30am and 12:30am to 1:30am and came up with intensified programming led by the popular TV reality shows American Idol, Survivor and America's Next Top Model, and several top rate US shows like Glee, 2 Broke Girls, New Girl, The Vampire Diaries, Community, The Carrie Diaries, MacGyver, The Neighbors, NCIS and The Walking Dead introduced more home-grown programming servicing an upscale market with foreign broadcast companies.

On January 3, 2014, RPN and Aliw Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) (operators of DWIZ and Home Radio) recently signed a memorandum of agreement for the expanded coverage of the both TV and radio networks nationwide. Selected DWIZ programs will be simulcast on the Radyo Ronda Network.

Meanwhile, Westside's theater studio in Broadway Centrum located at New Manila, Quezon City was given to RPN that producing Showbiz Ka!, Boses Tinig Pinoy and Superstar are the top-rated hits.

As of April 2014, RPN has now expanded into programming would be 60% sporting events debuted an array of new sports programming indluding MBA and KBL basketball, pro boxing and UFC-MMA events, as part of a deal with the partnership of managed by Solar Sports, the cable sports channel and the sports content division started developing the concept of a sports channel of free television for a year, 50% foreign canned programs in the US and Hollywood movies, 45% local entertainment, 30% Asian dramas from Korea and taiwan, and Mexcan telenovelas, 25% local news and public affairs shows and 15% children's programs, animes and cartoons. The network is introducing the TV's most fun, fashionable, young, freshest and hottest teen stars like Ingrid dela Paz, Arron Villaflor, Christine Serrano and Errol Abalayan were also introduced as the channel's VJs came into the spotlight as The Kasma Network's newest batch of VJs (video jocks) in the classiest network.

The event also provided a glimpse of its program lineup which includes sports coverage of the MBA and KBL, Manny Pacquiao boxing bouts and UFC explosive matches events. Solar Broadcasting Corporation renewed the agreement for the primetime programming to RPN provincial television stations nationwide.

On June 25-26, 2014, the network celebrated their 54th anniversary in the broadcasting industry. For the anniversary program, free concert featuring OPM artists was held. RPN-9 was commenced the ground-breaking of the soon-to-build RPN Building in Panay Avenue, Quezon City (near the current building in Broadcast City) and the launching of their FM radio station, possibly on those 99.5 MHz called 99.5 Play FM. Angeline Quinto rendered the newest theme song of the network, entitled Kasama Ako.

From then, RPN as the country's leader network, which established itself as the Philippine home network for the best in English programming through World-Class US Primetime, telenovelas, animes and the meteoric rise of Asianovelas, coupled the blockbuster movies and now with more locally-produced shows on the massive networks. The station is now the No.3 in the ratings survey behind ABS-CBN and GMA Network, together with TV5 and IBC also currently rule to the number 3 spot.

Cabangon-Chua Era and re-launch as 9TV
On August 20, 2014, Solar Entertainment Corporation chief Wilson Tieng announced that he ceded his entire share on Solar TV Network, Inc., including its 34% majority share on RPN, to Antonio Cabangon-Chua, owner of business daily BusinessMirror and Aliw Broadcasting Corporation. Tieng sold Solar TV in favor of the acquisition of Thunderbird Resorts group and he will be focusing on the remaining television channels he personally owned through Solar Entertainment.

To reflect the change of ownership, on August 13, 2014, Solar Television Network and RPN announces the rebranding of RPN into 9TV Network by August 23 on the test broadcast until resumed the operation aired a countdown to the re-launch until 7:00 pm (PST) when the new lineup began under their new branding of 9TV by switching on its 100-killowatt transmitter and a big welcome party by the big stars of the network.

9TV expanding its primetime weeknights and weekend programming to cater more audiences which was started by the launching of Kids Weekend. Also, the ALC Group of Companies appointed Benjamin Ramos as RPN's new President, replacing Undersecretary Robert T. Rivera. The network will produce and source most of the network's more entertainment programs while RPN would continue to be responsible for news and public affairs programming and operation of the stations.

9TV will be launched on August 23, 2014. The newscasts, current affairs programs and public service programs carried from the format and the personnel will be retained, sports and entertainment programming for the stars and talents and RPN now showing animes, telenovelas, foreign canned shows in the US on primetime and blockbuster movies from Hollywood and Pinoy movie. It is also beefing up their weekend programming including children's, informative, and pre-school shows to cater more viewers, and the launch of responsive, innovative, excellent and creative programming mechanism.

Because of this, the network will retain its imported foreign canned programs in the United States on weeknights while RPN's local primetime version expanded into 7 nights a week of all-Filipino programming on primetime, including telenovelas and Asian dramas on primetime slot will offer.



9TV Programs
RPN's program lineup includes news and current affairs shows, dramas, sitcoms, gag shows, variety shows, dubbed foreign serials, children's shows, foreign shows from the United States, anime shows, reality shows, and sports. The network also promotes upcoming movies and sponsors events, particularly parties around the Metro Manila area and provincial regional area.

Channel 9 as expanded into sports programming as RPN become the country's premier sports and action network, to complement of entertainment content. According to Sports Interactive Network Philippines, 60 percent of its contents will be about sports, with the remaining of it covering foreign canned programs in the United States, Hollywood movies and action films, local entertainment programs, Asian dramas, Mexican telenovelas, local news and public affairs, children's programming and animes.

RPN continued to diversify its programming format as it featured hit international TV series American Idol subsequently acquired its succeeding editions in the exclusive Philippine TV airing of the hit international series was such a great success that they imported.

Competition
On April 1, 2013, RPN has been reportedly on ranking number 3 based on the Kantar Media survey. It is the certified number 3 television network behind the competition with ABS-CBN and GMA Network along with the number 3 spots of IBC and TV5. It also gained its rating on their world-class quality primetime block. Most watched of the hit telenovela Rosalinda and a hit Koreanovela Dear My Sister along with the MBA basketball games with 10 regional stations operating, reaching 25% of all television-owning households in the country.

Digitalization
The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) ordered that all analog TV broadcast transmission will be terminated by 11:59 p.m. on December 31, 2015, requiring television service providers to migrate to DTT by that time. The management of 9TV is planning for digitalization.

With the station by simulcating of RPN's news programs Arangkada Balita and NewsWatch.

International broadcast
9TV programs are shown in the United States from Dish Network, Singapore, Sydney, London, Hong Kong, South Korea, Canada and Malaysia.

Controversies
In recent years, RPN has been involved in several controversies involving its subsidiaries and programming.

Burning the fire of Broadcast City hit the basement
The network's basement of Broadcast City was on fire around 9:00pm around Saturday evening at the date on February 22, 2014, temporarily knocking off powers in building and interrupting when the people is angry and mad at the killing of technical operation to broke out the privatization of the Philippine government.

We are currently assessing the damage that has temporarily affected our operations. We assure our viewers and the public that measures are being taken to restore normal operations and the planned privatization at the possible time affecting its operation and even its rumored TV reception, could this benefit rival networks in the Kantar Media ratings.

Several electrical panels were burned and firemen had to use breathing apparatus to put out the blaze in the second level parking basement, said Col. Samuel Tadeo, deputy district fire marshal in Quezon City in a power supply was cut off in the whole building are reported  toinjured but the fire caused power outage in the building in Capitol Hills, Diliman, Quezon City, as well as technical problem with the network's operation consider the fight of privatization of th sequestered broadcast firms like RPN and IBC are hitting.

Fire its the absement of RPN studios in Broadcast City was shoot in fire to fake RPN management and directors experiencing technical difficulties at the soonest possible time.

Police Rubout at Broadcast City
It later became famous after exposing a police rubout on March 21, 2014 at 11:00pm on the evening when it became the media company under the Media ng Bayan to cover a police rubout incident right in front of its broadcast building to shot the gun in Broadcast City, Old Balara, Capitol Hills, Diliman, Quezon City, an industrial section in the city of Mega Manila at which is the privatization them caught in the act of firing extra shots at car passengers murdered by the Philippine National Police.

The PNP claimed it was a shootout against carjackers. However, there was too much evidence to the contrary as it was in fact a broadcast rubout. This is substantiated by several eye-witnesses, including a video recording from RPN (a local sequestered TV station who happened to be filming at the time), to forensic reports, and the evidence that has yet to unfold.

The Kasama Network proved it was a rubout and also recorded the cops planting guns and stolen license plates in the trunk of the sedan, before calling the media. They shot to kill the privatization efforts of the studios and had no interest in saving their lives. RPN's footage became the vital evidence and accidents for a case filed on the Philippines' Commission on Human Rights.

Subsidiary

 * RPN/9TV News and Public Affairs
 * RPN Entertainment
 * Talent9
 * 9TV Licensing and Merchandising
 * 9TV International
 * CNN Philippines