For the past 14 years, the ABS-CBN News Channel has been there alone, on top. It has been there throughout all the national events that we have experienced during the time the channel has been on-air. ANC has witnessed the Inauguration of three presidents, countless typhoons & natural disasters, tragedies & victories, an impeachment trial and a Second People Power. But Starting 2011, Will ANC finally have its match?

If you haven’t heard the news lately, you may not heard that after 14 years… ANC, the ABS-CBN News Channel, will finally have not just one… but TWO COMPETITORS! And yes, they were GMA News and TV5 News and Information. But will these new channels strong enough to beat ANC?

First, let’s talk about GMA. There are rumours circulating that GMA News plans to launch a news channel since 2009. But here’s a forgotten fact, Fourth-quarter of 2000, during the Impeachment trial of the Former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada, GMA-7 has a cable channel. CGMA (Court GMA), a cable channel dedicated for to air round-the-clock coverage of the impeachment trial, which is exclusively available to Home Cable (now a part of SkyCable, became the “SkyCable Silver” package). I have seen the channel myself, since I’m a Home Cable Subscriber subscriber from 1999 to 2003.

When I first saw CGMA, I thought… “This channel has the potential to beat Sarimanok News Network’s ass.” And I believed that GMA wants to make it a full-pledged news channel as well, but then Home Cable was forced to be taken-over by SkyCable because they know that Home Cable will lose money after SkyCable made some exclusivity pact with STAR TV (now known as FOX International Channels) and SPE Asia (the owners of AXN, ANIMAX).

Last Year, they have hinted that they will create a news channel. Here is a report from 24 Oras aired last October 28.

And January 20, they have aired a teaser during American Idol – Season 10 premiere that they will make a “big announcement” on February 07 on Q Channel 11′s Primetime News programme News on Q.

Next issue will be about News5′s AKSYONtv Channel 41.