FBNNational

FBNNational, formerly known as FBN Corporation, is a Filipino media and entertainment group based in Quezon City. It is the Philippines' largest media conglomerate in terms of revenue, operating income, assets, equity, market capitalization, and number of employees. FBN was formed by the merger of FBN Corporation and Radio Corporation of the Philippines. The common shares of FBN was traded on the Philippine Stock Exchange in July 2010 under the ticker symbol FBN.

The group owns and operates the FBN and FBN Sports TV national television networks as well as the DZNN Radyo Kabayan 558, DZCA Special Radio 1170, StaRadio and Bida FM regional radio networks. The FBN television network in particular is the largest contributor to the group's revenue, generating about 50 percent of the group's total annual revenue mainly from selling airtime to advertisers. The remaining revenue is generated from consumer sales, mainly from FBN Global Ltd. which distributes international television channels such as FBN World and from pay TV and broadband internet provider Sky. Other companies under the FBN group are motion picture company National Pictures, music recording label National Records, publishing firm National Publishing, pay TV content provider and distributor National Cable Networks, and talent agency National Agency. Pay TV networks and channels under the FBN group are FBN HD, Bayan News Channel, FBN Sports TV HD and Time Machine TV. In recent years, FBN has ventured and diversified into new businesses such as cellular telephony provider Sky Mobile, video on demand platform BayanFlix, digital terrestrial television service Sky TV Plus and family entertainment center Kidzania Manila. FBN is also the principal owner of National Orchestra.

History
The congress of the Philippines approved the franchise of Radio Philippine Network on June 19, 1960. Instead of using its franchise name, the network instead used Kanlaon Broadcasting System as its initial branding. Kanlaon is a volcano on the Philippine island of Negros, the home of its founder Roberto Benedicto. Kanlaon Broadcasting System started broadcasting as a radio network with its first station DZBI in Manila. By 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 (later moved to Batac), and DXDX in General Santos. Philippine radio veteran Ben Aniceto was the operations director at the time.

The broadcast network ventured into television broadcasting on October 15, 1969 with the launch of KBS-9 Manila as the network's flagship TV station. KBS-12 Baguio was also signed on the air on the same year. Properties 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 a Color-ready Outside Broadcast Van for the remote broadcasts of major news events and sports coverages.

On September 1972, KBS television and radio stations, and its sister publication Daily Express under the Benedicto group were allowed to operate during the Martial Law period, where most of the media outfits were closed down.



In 1975, Kanlaon Broadcasting System became Philippine Broadcasting Company, a division of the Philippine Media Corporation. The commercial channel was first headed by Robert Benedicto and later by the then-Chairman during the Marcos administration, who. It was first headquartered in Pasay City, and later relocated to the PBC Building in Diliman, Quezon City (now currently FBN Building).

It was renamed Maharlika Broadcasting System in 1980 under the leadership of NMPC Minister Gregorio Cendana, at the same time the network began broadcasting in full color, thus it was the last national network to transition to color broadcasting. By then, it began expanding with the opening of provincial stations nationwide, including 2 stations in Cebu and Bacolod who once owned by pre-martial law ABS-CBN.

Following the People Power Revolution in 1986 on which it was taken over by pro-Corazon Aquino soldiers and supporters, it was, during that very historic event in national history, officially rebranded as Filipino Broadcasting Network (FBN) at the same time. Broadcasters were tapped by President Corazon Aquino to handle the newly-rebranded station for a few months, before they were taken back to GMA 7. It later became the national network for the broadcasts of the 1988 Summer Olympics along with PTV.

On March 26, 1992, President Cory Aquino signed Republic Act 7306 turning FBN into a media conglomerate known formally as FBN Corporation.

Shortly after he took over the mantle of government in June 1992, President Fidel V. Ramos appointed FBN's first board of directors. The Network was given a one-time equity funding for capital outlay. Since 1992, FBN has been operating on revenues it generates on its own. Republic Act 7306 stipulates that the government shall not appropriate funds for the operations of the Network.

FBNC is on full satellite transmission nationwide since 1992 using PALAPA C2. Its flagship station FBN-9, which is based in Quezon City, boasts of a 40-kilowatt brand-new transmitter sitting on a 500 ft tower. With its 32 provincial stations across the country, the network has extended its reach and coverage to approximately 85 percent of the television viewing public nationwide.

So far, FBNC has come up with the kind of programs that have earned for itself the Hall of Fame Award for Best Station and for Most Balanced Programming in 1987 and two succeeding years thereafter, from the Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA). It has, to its name, several pioneering and award-winning educational, cultural and public service programs for their relevance and production excellence. In 1996, FBN won the award for Best TV Station ID ("Your Friendly Network") in the PMPC Star Awards for Television.

On July 16, 2001, under the new management appointed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, FBNC adopted the new image and name Radio Philippines Network (RPN) carrying a new slogan "Your Kind of TV." for a new image in line with its new programming thrusts, they continued the new name until the Aquino administration in 2010.

RPN expanded its broadcast reach with the launching of RPN World (now FBN World) in 2005 in cooperation with the Television and Radio Broadcasting Service (TARBS). This global expansion signals new directions for RPN as it becomes accessible to the rest of the world, particularly the millions of Filipinos overseas. RPN can be seen in Australia, North America and the Asia-Pacific.

Before the year 2010, RPN main studios in Quezon City and its regional stations in Baguio, Iriga, Bacolod, Cebu, Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro and Davao will be equipped with the most modern news gathering equipment for them to compete with the major television networks. Also, a new Harris Transmitter has been installed. RPN's transmitter power shall be increased from 40 kW to 60 kW (However, few years later, in 2013, the network was downgraded its transmitting power output from 60 kW to 50 kW later then back to 40 kW or 25 kW in June 2016 to control power costs). RPN's digital channel is now available on channel 19 (now moved to channel 47) using the Japanese digital TV standard.

In 2011, RPN continued to enhance its digital broadcasting capabilities with equipment donated from the Japanese government. This equipment will also allow RPN to begin broadcasting emergency alerts when necessary (similar to the Emergency Alert System in the United States, but it is more likely, due to the usage of the Japanese digital TV standard, that the system would be based on the Japanese J-Alert system).

Although the branding is officially known as the Radio Philippines Network, in August 2011, the "FBN" brand which was retired in 2001 was reintroduced as a secondary brand until a few months later, FBNC became a primary brand, and the branding Radio Philippines Network was retired.

On July 2, 2012, FBN launched its new logo and its new slogan "National Network" with a flag station ID.

On March 2013, FBN President Robert Rivera signed, superseding the old Charter, in which the management will be under reorganization and the government will infuse P15 billion to FBN to revitalize the station and make it "digital competitive" in spite of GMA Network's questionings of the law, fearing that it may enter competition. FBN has earned P10 billion generated revenues for the first and second quarter of 2014.

FBN has started their modernization program since 2012, including the acquisition of studio technical equipment, cameras, vehicles and high-powered transmitter for the main office in Diliman, Quezon City, together with few regional offices, included in their plans is the rehabilitation of FBN stations in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Despite being operated with little or no budget, the new FBN had still managed to cover the biggest events in the country including the 2013 National and Local Elections, 2013 Central Visayas earthquake, Typhoon Ketsana, the visits of US President Barack Obama and Pope Francis, the APEC Philippines 2015 and the 2016 National and Local Elections.

It should be noted that in 2005, several Radyo Ronda programs were also aired on then RPN with the Visayas Avenue studios used for some of them, under the slogan? banner. In 2014, the partnership between the two was revived with an all new morning news program, Good Morning Bayan, which is also heard in Radyo Ronda stations nationwide, broadcasting from its own studios and the Radyo Ronda radio booth. Before the launch, Radyo Ronda had already, since 2012, been simulcasting RM News on radio on all its stations.

Recent developments
In July 2013, FBNC started the development of KidZania Manila family entertainment center in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

Under the guidance of FBNC Chairman Eduardo Cojuangco Jr., the network will undertake a major revitalization plan to improve the station's programming and expand its nationwide presence, to be at par with state-media outfits ITV of United Kingdom, TV Asahi of Japan, NBC of United States of America, City (TV network) of Canada and Nine Network and to bring back its glorious years as one of the Top 5 television networks in the country in the 1970s and 1980s. Cojuangco noted that teams from commercial networks 9 Network and ITV will be sent to the Philippines to help with FBN's revitalization plan. He also tapped a former executive of SNC, to oversee the news division of FBN-9. However, SNC executive turned down the offer due to her strong opposition on key national issues.

In June, FBNC President Ramon S. Ang stated that he will no longer conduct press conferences, and instead air announcements and press releases through FBN. Two months later, his promise was retracted, and the press interviews and conferences resumed on the channel.

On June 17, 2016, the FBN and Japan signed a 100 million yen worth of Cultural Grant Aid and acquisition of programs from TV Asahi to improve the network's overall programming. Within weeks, TV Asahi's Japan Video Topics returned to the channel after several years. However, 1 year later on July 11, 2017, FBN and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed an agreement on another cultural grant aid for the planned broadcast of reality and various programs from Japanese commercial broadcaster TV Asahi in the channel thru the ISDB-T digital TV standard.

On July 7, 2016, FBNC Chairman Eduardo Cojuangco Jr., FBNC Vice-Chairman Ramon S. Ang, Network General Manager, and Board Directors, all appointed, tendered their resignation to Ang through Cojuangco and followed by the "National Network" slogan was dropped from the logo, retaining its the 2012 FBN logo until April 2, 2017. 3 days later, former FBNC acting News and Administrative Division head takes over as Officer in Charge of the network temporary and while who retains as General Manager of the Network until November 24, 2016. Cojuangco also announced the appointment of former executive for Production Engineering of TV5 as the incoming Network General Manager. However, 4 months later, on November 25, 2016, it was officially announced that FBN named who 2 was appointed as the Network General Manager replacing who and he also assumed as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the network, while the network's board member was also appointed as Network Vice Chairperson.

On January 4, 2017, FBNC Chairman Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. announced that FBN's transmitter power output was increased from 25 kW to 60 kW for a clearer and better signal reception.

On January 12, 2017, FBN and Japan-based IT company NEC signed an agreement for the commissioning of new digital transmitters and head-end system for the network's transition to digital terrestrial television. The network is all set to roll-out its digital terrestrial television service initially on eighteen locations in the Philippines by introducing DTT transmitters and compression multiplexers in Manila, Baguio, Batac, Dagupan, Tuguegarao, Pampanga, Lucena, Palawan, Naga, Bacolod, Cebu, Tacloban, Catbalogan, Zamboanga, CDO, Butuan, Davao and General Santos in the Philippines by July 2017. 1 year later on January 10, 2018, Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan Seiko Noda and FBNC Chairman Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. together with FBNC officials visited at the FBN studios in Quezon City for the ceremonial Switch on of FBN’s Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcast.

A new logo of FBN, replacing its 2012 version, was previewed on the March 11, 2017 edition of FBN NewsBreak in the occasion of the inauguration of the stations in three (seven) cities. Along with the inauguration, the government turned over brand-new Outside Broadcast and Digital Satellite News Gathering Vans. The inauguration was led by FBNC President Ramon S. Ang and FBNC Chairman Eduardo Cojuangco Jr.. The transition to the new logo started on April 3 of the same year, when FBN released its wordmark logo, its corresponding station ID, and new graphics. Another logo, represents some elements of the three stars, is launched upon the station's sign-on on June 29, 2017. it also the network was relaunched as the new slogan "Bringing Filipinos Closer to Home", which was already used since July 2016 (prior to the re-branding).

On June 3, 2017, FBNC partially saled to The Walt Disney Company, part of its staff having visited its facilities earlier in the year as part of a number of training vists to state and private TV channels worldwide.

FBNC President Ramon S. Ang proposed the creation of a law that will merge and integrate the FBN Corporation and the Radio Corporation of the Philippines into a single entity, to be called the FBNNational (FBNN), similar to the NBCUniversal. The proposed FBNN will also launch the country's first Specialty channels for the sports channel (FBN Sports TV) and the Cebuano channel (Telenasud). FBNN will also put up TV broadcasting hubs in Visayas and Mindanao, aside from its main headquarters in Luzon and TV broadcast studios within its major cities. FBN Sports TV began test broadcasting on July 3, 2017.