Nine Media News and Current Affairs

Nine Media News and Current Affairs
Division of	Nine Media Corporation
Former names	Solar News and Current Affairs/Solar News; 9News and Current Affairs/9News
Country	Philippines
Area served	Defunct
Key people	Pal Marquez (Senior Vice President for Operations); Benjamin Ramos (President, Nine Media Corporation and President and CEO, Radio Philippines Network); Pia Hontiveros (Chief Correspondent); Rico Hizon (Senior Anchor, and Director for News Content Development)
Headquarters	Worldwide Corporate Center, EDSA cor. Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City, Philippines
Language	English (main); Filipino (secondary);
Formed	March 2, 2011; 13 years ago
Defunct	January 31, 2024; 9 months ago
Replaced by	News5; NewsWatch Plus
Fate	Most of the operations and assets were sold and folded to MediaQuest/TV5 Network's News5; remaining spin-off into NewsWatch Plus

Nine Media News and Current Affairs (formerly known as Solar News and Current Affairs/Solar News and 9News and Current Affairs/9News) was the news and public affairs production arm and sole division of the media company Nine Media Corporation, leasing airtime from Southern Broadcasting Network (2011–2013) and Radio Philippines Network (2012–2024). The division produced the local news and content of Nine Media's television brands Talk TV, Solar News Channel, 9TV, and CNN Philippines. 9News stopped using this brand when the channel was launched as CNN Philippines on March 16, 2015, and the division was finally dissolved following the closure of the channel on January 31, 2024 due to financial losses.

History

As Solar News (2012-2014)

After Solar Entertainment Corporation acquired 34 percent of Radio Philippines Network from the Philippine government as part of the RPN/IBC privatization in 2011, Solar TV ventured into news at the end of 2011.^[1] On July 16, 2012, Solar News launched its first local newscasts, including Solar Network News, Solar Newsday, Solar Daybreak and Solar Nightly News.

As 9News (2014-2015)

In November 2013, San Miguel Corporation President and COO Ramon S. Ang acquired a majority stake in Solar Television Network as well as its stake on RPN. The Tiengs were the majority stockholders then of STVNI.^[2] On August 20, 2014, Solar Entertainment Corporation chief Wilson Tieng announced that he had sold his entire share of Solar TV Network, Inc., including its 34% majority share of RPN, to Antonio Cabangon-Chua, owner of business newspaper BusinessMirror and Aliw Broadcasting Corporation. The Tiengs were losing money after they invested in RPN, and the group focused on the cable channels of the Solar Entertainment Corporation.^[3]^[4] To reflect the change of ownership, and upon announcement of the rebranding of Solar News Channel into 9TV by August 23, Solar News also rebranded to 9News, retaining its news and current affairs programming as 9TV expanded its weekend programming.^[5]^[6]^[7]

As CNN Philippines (2015-2024)

CNN Philippines logo from March 15, 2015 until January 31, 2024.

9News underwent a major overhaul in 2015, as parent Nine Media Corporation signed a five-year brand licensing agreement (later extended until the end of 2024) with Turner Broadcasting System/Warner Bros. Discovery to share resources with CNN to integrate the latter's content and 9News's reporting as CNN Philippines, which launched on March 16, 2015.

Closure

On January 25, 2024, Media Newser Philippines reported that Nine Media Corporation and CNN were closing down CNN Philippines by mutual agreement due to financial losses, as well as poor ratings of the network and loss of advertisers' support.^[8]

Nine Media News and Current Affairs was dissolved a week late, on January 31, 2024. The division's live news operations had ceased on January 29, citing financial losses and a shift in focus to the operations of their sister channel, Aliw Channel 23.^[9]^[10]

On February 1, 2024, Nine Media Corporation formed a partnership with TV5 Network and launched CNN Philippines' replacement channel RPTV. Its news programs are now outsourced from TV5's news division News5 which was acquiring most of former assets of Nine Media News and Current Affairs, though selected CNN Philippines' current affairs programs are carried over to RPTV as reruns. According to reports by Rappler on May 15, 2024, RPN's in-house newscast NewsWatch will be revived as NewsWatch Plus after a 12-year hiatus under the production of Nine Media Corporation, and featuring former CNN Philippines staff and correspondents laid off following the closure of the channel and its news department on January 31, 2024. The show will be seen initially on online and digital platform starting from July 1, 2024 and later on TV (via RPTV and Aliw Channel 23).^[11]

References

^ "Tiengs move into news". Manila Standard Today. February 25, 2011. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
^ Badua, Snow (November 9, 2013). "MVP-Ang rivalry set to spill over into television with San Miguel acquisition of Solar stake". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
^ Amojelar, Darwin G. (August 20, 2014). "BusinessMirror owner acquires majority stake in RPN9". InterAksyon. Archived from the original on August 22, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
^ Agcaoili, Lawrence (August 21, 2014). "Cabangon-Chua acquires RPN-9". PhilStar Global. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
^ "Solar News Channel turns into 9TV". Solar News Channel. August 13, 2014. Archived from the original on August 13, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
^ "Solar News to be renamed News9?". Media Newser Philippines. Archived from the original on September 10, 2014. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
^ Ralphierce (August 4, 2014). "Is RPN-9 Destined to Return?". From the Tube. WordPress. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
^ "CNN Philippines is shutting down after 9 years". medianewser.ph. January 25, 2024. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
^ Amojelar, Darwin G. (January 26, 2024). "Nine Media owner confirms CNN Philippines shutdown". Manila Standard. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
^ Rivas, Ralf (January 29, 2024). "CNN Philippines shuts down as losses mount". Rappler. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
^ Rivas, Ralf (May 15, 2024). "RPN 9's NewsWatch to be revived". Rappler. Retrieved May 16, 2024.

External links

[1] "Tiengs move into news". Manila Standard Today. February 25, 2011. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved February 25, 2011.

[owner-2] Badua, Snow (November 9, 2013). "MVP-Ang rivalry set to spill over into television with San Miguel acquisition of Solar stake". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved August 18, 2014.

[3] Amojelar, Darwin G. (August 20, 2014). "BusinessMirror owner acquires majority stake in RPN9". InterAksyon. Archived from the original on August 22, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2014.

[4] Agcaoili, Lawrence (August 21, 2014). "Cabangon-Chua acquires RPN-9". PhilStar Global. Retrieved August 21, 2014.

[5] "Solar News Channel turns into 9TV". Solar News Channel. August 13, 2014. Archived from the original on August 13, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2014.

[6] "Solar News to be renamed News9?". Media Newser Philippines. Archived from the original on September 10, 2014. Retrieved August 18, 2014.

[7] Ralphierce (August 4, 2014). "Is RPN-9 Destined to Return?". From the Tube. WordPress. Retrieved August 18, 2014.

[8] "CNN Philippines is shutting down after 9 years". medianewser.ph. January 25, 2024. Retrieved February 1, 2024.

[9] Amojelar, Darwin G. (January 26, 2024). "Nine Media owner confirms CNN Philippines shutdown". Manila Standard. Retrieved January 26, 2024.

[10] Rivas, Ralf (January 29, 2024). "CNN Philippines shuts down as losses mount". Rappler. Retrieved February 1, 2024.

[11] Rivas, Ralf (May 15, 2024). "RPN 9's NewsWatch to be revived". Rappler. Retrieved May 16, 2024.

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