Nine Media Corporation

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Nine Media Corporation
FormerlySolar Television Network, Inc. (2010–2014)
Company type Private
Industry Mass media
Broadcasting
Entertainment
FoundedJanuary 5, 2010 (2010-01-05)
Founder
  • Wilson Y. Tieng
  • Willy Y. Tieng
  • William Y. Tieng
Headquarters
Ground Floor Worldwide Corporate Center, EDSA corner Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong, Metro Manila
,
Philippines
Area served
Nationwide
Key people
  • Benjamin Ramos (President)
  • D. Edgard A. Cabangon (Chairman)
Products Television program
Web portal
Digital media
Brands RPTV
Services Broadcasting
TV production
Cable television
Internet
Streaming service
Satellite television
Revenue PHP169.6 million (FY 2015) [1]
PHP-651.85 million (FY 2015) [1]
OwnerBroadreach Media Holdings, Inc. (through JRLT-JHI Corporation)
Number of employees
328 (FY 2015) [1]
Parent ALC Group of Companies
Subsidiaries Radio Philippines Network (34%)

Nine Media Corporation (NMC, formerly known as Solar Television Network, Inc. or STVNI) is a Philippine-based media company. Formerly a wholly owned subsidiary of Solar Entertainment Corporation (SEC), a multimedia television and film company owned by the Tieng family, it is now solely owned by the ALC Group of Companies of the late Amb. Antonio Cabangon-Chua through its indirect grandparent Broadreach Media Holdings, Inc. [2] Its headquarters are located at the ground floor of the Worldwide Corporate Center, Epifanio de los Santos Avenue corner Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong, which it shares with its former parent Solar Entertainment.

Contents

It owns and operates its sole television property, RPTV (joint venture with TV5 Network), as well as a 34% controlling share in the Radio Philippines Network (RPN). [2] The company is named after its flagship television station in Metro Manila.

History

TV channel

Solar Entertainment launched Solar TV in the early 2000s, which was later renamed to Solar USA and then to USA. In 2005, USA was split into two channels, Jack TV and Crime/Suspense.

Solar TV was relaunched on November 29, 2009, on Radio Philippines Network (RPN), then owned by the Philippine Government Communications Group, at 11:00 a.m. (Solar Entertainment had already entered into an airtime lease agreement with RPN in 2007). Its programming grid primarily includes American programs, as well as local sports and lifestyle content. On October 31, 2010, it changed some of its programming content to English andTagalog.

Broadcast company

Solar TV was rebranded as Solar Television Network, Inc. (STVNI) on January 5, 2010, becoming the corporate television arm of Solar Entertainment Corporation. it served as the blocktimer for Solar Entertainment's channels to free-to-air broadcasting networks. STVNI later represented Solar Entertainment in acquiring a 34% stake in RPN from the Philippine government as part of RPN/IBC privatization in 2011. The new company launched an all-talk/news channel, Talk TV, on March 2, 2011, co-owned by Solar TV itself and SBN, while ETC replaced Solar TV on RPN. Talk TV would later change its name to Solar News Channel on October 30, 2012.

In the last quarter of 2011, Solar TV launched its own news division Solar News. The programs produced by the new division were staffed by former ANC personalities including Jing Magsaysay, Pia Hontiveros, Nancy Irlanda, Claire Celdran and Mai Rodriguez. [3]

In November 2013, San Miguel Corp. President and COO Ramon S. Ang personally tried to acquire the majority stake of STVNI from Tieng family. Despite the new development, he would settle for a minority share of STVNI in September 2014. [4]

In the third quarter of 2014, Solar Entertainment chair Wilson Tieng announced that the ALC Group of Companies, owned by former Ambassador Antonio Cabangon-Chua, had taken over STVNI, as well as its majority stake on RPN. Tieng and (RPN president) Robert Rivera were both resigned from their respective positions as chairman and president. [5] The sale of STVNI was also caused by Solar Entertainment's revenue losses after its investment in RPN. [6] [7] Solar TV reflected the change in ownership by reverting all non-SNC channels and assets back to Solar Entertainment, followed by removal of the Solar branding from all SNC programs. The transfer was completed when SNC (which was transferred to RPN in December 2013) was finally rebranded as 9TV on August 23, 2014. [8] [9]

On October 14, 2014, Solar TV Network was renamed Nine Media Corporation, following the agreement between the latter and the Turner Broadcasting System to use the CNN brand for RPN's free TV assets under the name CNN Philippines, replacing 9TV, which was considered as a transitional brand. CNN Philippines was launched on March 16, 2015.

In September 2015, Nine Media Corporation President and CEO Reggie Galura stepped down from his position and was replaced by Jorge San Agustin as Officer-in-Charge of the network. On October 9, 2016, CNN Philippines Managing Editor Armie Jarin-Bennett was appointed as president and CEO of Nine Media Corporation, replacing San Agustin.

On January 25, 2024, Media Newser Philippines reported that Nine Media Corporation and CNN had agreed to shut down CNN Philippines by mutual agreement due to financial losses as well as poor ratings of the network, and loss of advertisers' support. The Radio Philippines Network branding is expected to return to its stations for some point in the future while CNN weighs its future options. [10]

On January 29, 2024, CNN Philippines confirmed that it had ceased live news productions effective immediately, and to be dissolved entirely on January 31, citing financial losses. [11] [12]

On January 31, 2024, TV5 Network partnered with Nine Media and RPN to carry selected programming (including Eat Bulaga! and PBA games) alongside classic RPN shows under the channel's new branding, RPTV, which was slated to launch the following day. Selected programs from One PH and Radyo5 also began airing on RPTV, marking its return to analog free-to-air television after five years since the closer of AksyonTV. [13]

Corporate structure

As Solar TV Network

Prior to its acquisition by the ALC Group of Companies in 2014, Solar Entertainment Corporation (SEC) and Solar TV (STV) were two separate business entities:

As Nine Media

Since 2014, Nine Media Corporation has been owned by ALC Group of Companies through its investment unit, JRLT-JHI Corporation by way of an intermediary holding company Broadreach Media Holdings, Inc. [14] . While Antonio Cabangon-Chua served as its chairman until his passing in 2016, JRLT-JHI is owned by his children and relatives: Ferdinand Chua (20%), Rowena Lumague (20%), Candy Co (20%), Jose Wingkee Jr (20%), and Aida Anora (20%). While businessman Ramon Ang reportedly owns a minority share in Nine Media, SEC documents does not show any shares registered under his name. Instead, Ang makes investments through advertisements and paid programming from the San Miguel Group to Nine Media's sole property, CNN Philippines. [15]

It was reported by Vera Files that Broadreach Media Holdings owns JRLT-JHI, the parent company of Nine Media. Broadreach Media took over the assets and properties of the embattled CNN Philippines following its closure on January 31, 2024, and is also responsible for launching the digital news media service NewsWatch Plus, which is independently managed by the remaining staff of CNN Philippines. [16]

Broadcast assets

TV channels

Former divisions, and broadcast assets

Previous or changed ownership television channels

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Media Ownership Monitor Philippines - Nine Media Corporation". VERA Files. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Solar Entertainment FAQ's" (Press release). Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  3. ↑ Tiengs move into news Archived July 14, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Manila Standard Today. Feb 25, 2011. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
  4. ↑ "MVP-Ang rivalry set to spill over into television with San Miguel acquisition of Solar stake". November 9, 2013. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Cabangon-Chua buys Solar TV Network". BusinessWorld . August 22, 2014.
  6. ↑ Cabangon-Chua acquires RPN-9 retrieved August 21, 2014
  7. ↑ Cabangon-Chua group set to take over RPN-9 retrieved August 21, 2014
  8. ↑ - Solar News to be renamed News9? (Media Newser Philippines) [ usurped ] retrieved August 18, 2014
  9. ↑ - Is RPN-9 Destined to Return? retrieved August 18, 2014
  10. ↑ "CNN Philippines is shutting down after 9 years". medianewser.ph. January 25, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  11. ↑ Amojelar, Darwin G. (January 26, 2024). "Nine Media owner confirms CNN Philippines shutdown". Manila Standard. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  12. ↑ Rivas, Ralf (January 29, 2024). "CNN Philippines shuts down as losses mount". Rappler. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  13. ↑ "From CNN Philippines to RPTV: MVP's TV5 to provide content to Channel 9, possibly including a prime time newscast". Bilyonaryo. January 31, 2024. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Nine Media Corporation | Media Ownership Monitor". philippines.mom-gmr.org. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
  15. ↑ Ramon Ang and his media interests Accessed on December 1, 2018.
  16. ↑ "Nine Media Corporation". Media Ownership Monitor. VERA Files. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Solar News Channel turns into 9TV". Solar News. Archived from the original on August 13, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  18. ↑ Angela Casauay (October 14, 2014). "CNN Philippines to start airing 1st quarter 2015". Rappler . Retrieved November 19, 2014.
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