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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?

Now let’s talk about News5. But before that, lets talk about ABC first. If you have read the book Kapitan, you may have known it already, but for those who don’t know… this fact might startle you. The root of TV5 started way before, even before you thought they were actually in 1991 (the 1991 was actually a RELAUNCH).

ABC was founded by The Manila Times, one of the most influential papers of the 60′s and the Philippine Daily Inquirer of that era, of Chino Roces. They were poised to be as the station for news with esteemed anchors such as Jose Mari Velez, Bong Lapira, and even Former Senator Ninoy Aquino, Who hosted his own public affairs show. ABC was one of the stations that was closed during the Marcos Era. And, as we already said, was relaunched during the Cory Aquino era and they were positioned to be “the Fastest Growing Network” and a “SuperSTATION”.

During that time, their News division was also first-rate and, at some ways, unparalleled. Remember Tina Monzon-Palma? Chichi Fajardo-Robles? TJ Kintanar, even Eric Eloriaga, and Thelma Dumpit-Murillo? They were the former anchors of ABC’s newscasts “Balitang-Balita” and “The Big News” respectively .Some of its Notable alumni includes Gene Orejana, Tony Velasquez (now of ANC), and Ed Lingao (now of Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism).

When ABC was bought by businessman, and former PLDT Head Tonyboy Cojuangco, ABC wanted to become a player and by being “a player”, we mean strengthening all divisions of the network, including the news division. That’s why during the Cojuangco period, you may have watched Sentro, first with John Susi (now of CLTV 36) and Ali Sotto, and later by Martin Andanar (with  change of timeslot and language, from Filipino to English), and Big News with Ex-ABS-CBN reporter Cheri Mercado. At one point, they were the home of The Probe Team and even Inquirer produced a 30-minute show hosted by Chino Trinidad.

Video from Jove Francisco’s YouTube Account

Despite all the hardship of the division, which included inadequate equipment, limited live capabilities, and the dismissal of some 70 employees in 2007, which hampered their capability to cover the midterm elections of that year, they manage to survive until Primedia came and changed ABC into TV5.

Enter TV5. When news broke out of ABC entering a content-management deal and a blocktime deal with MPB Primedia (a Philippine Affiliate backed by Media Prima Bhd), everybody was skeptical. The biggest during the announcement was “What will happen to the crippled news division?”

The solution was ABC would still take the reins of the News division without any interferences from Primedia (in translation, Primedia would not interfere with the news division). The result…

Apart from the very obvious title, the newscast is at bare minimum. The reason for TV5 to have TEN is number one, to comply with the KBP requirement of having a 30-minute newscast from Mondays to Fridays. And number two, to provide jobs to those who remain loyal to the station.

The newscast, though very simple in presentation, became a cult favourite because of the simple, relaxed, laidback and informal style of deliveing the news. They were  proving to the other networks that they are different to the mainstream newscasts and pioneered the use of social media to voice the opinion of the people, a practice now emulated by almost all newscast in the country. Miraculously, TEN has survived for more than a year until the news that hit Philippine media like a bombshell.

The News? MVP buys Associated Broadcasting Company and Primedia. The PLDT Group, through its Mediaquest Holdings, Inc. bought the network and this signaled the entry of the group’s future investment through the world of broadcasting, after many years of trying to buy GMA-7 and even securing either RPN-9 or IBC-13. But before buying into TV5, they have already owned Nation Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), a Radio and TV Network founded by the Yabuts and was once controlled by Senator Manny Villar.

When it was bought by Mediaquest, NBC’s Channel 41 became MTV Philippines. It ran six (6) years on Terrestrial TV. Then much later, their sister company Mediascape (also known as 360 Media) used Channel 41 as the frequency for their Smart MyTV (DVB-H) service. When the service folded, it became silent.

Then there is NBC’s 92.3 FM. The station first became an MRS (Most Requested Song) format. After Mediaquest bought NBC, it became Joey 92.3, playing Jazz, then later turned into X FM, playing Party mixes. In 2009, Another Mediaquest affiliate, All Youth Channels, “bought” the airtime of 92.3 FM, and turned it into Contemporary Hit Radio (CHR) Top 40 station aimed to the youth market… they named it U 92.

A year later, the station where DJs like KC Montero, Vicky Herrera & Sarah Meier, Joshua Yu, and The BrewRATS closed down on September 30, 2010 at 12:00mn. Rumours arose from the closedown of the station, but the biggest speculation about U 92′s demise was it was going to be a News/Talk Radio station. powered by News5.

And on November 08, 2010 at 04:00am MNL, Radyo Singko 92.3 NewsFM was born.

We will now link TV5, Channel 41, and 92.3 NewsFM into AKSYONtv. When 92.3 NewsFM is having their test broadcast, which is all-music, Channel 41 suddenly appeared, fuelling speculation that NewsFM will have its own “teleradyo” simulcast.

And then, in a report by BusinessWorld, TV5 confirmed that they will indeed re-open Channel 41. Earlier reports said that the channel will focus on News and Lifestyle programmes. But as the months go by, and several technical upgrades on Radyo Singko, that they will, indeed, have a “teleradyo” format on the said channel.

When New Year 2011 came, and the plans are now revealing to show-up. On January 04, News5 Head Luchi Cruz-Valdes had revealed on her programme Relasyon that Channel 41 will be branded as AKSYONtv. Its format was what believed to be an all-news channel, which will include some programmes from of 92.3 NewsFM.

Then before the month ended, another surprise was revealed. When boxer Ana Julaton arrived in the Philippines for her upcoming match, Raul De la Cruz, the network’s pointman for Provincial Operations confirmed that aside from news, AKSYONtv will also carry sports content, and the Julaton match will also be aired on the channel.

Additional sports programming, to be added on the channel, may include MMA, Billards, Football, and (hopeful) some basketball programming. Right now, one rumoued personality who is going to host a show on AKSYONtv is former ABS-CBN News head Atty. Dong Puno. There might be more, but we will just wait for further announcements.

Part 3 of “Will ANC finally have its match?” series… The strategy.

WRITER’S NOTE: Thank’s to Red for helping, and All images are from Google… so no one complains!