Nine Media Corporation

Nine Media Corporation

Type	Subsidiary
Traded as	Nine Media Corporation
Industry	Media company
Predecessor	Solar Television Network, Inc. (2010 -2014)
Founded	January 5, 2010
Founder	Wilson Y. Tieng Willy Y. Tieng William Y. Tieng
Headquarters	Ground Floor Worldwide Corporate Center, EDSA corner Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City, Philippines
Area served	Nationwide Worldwide
Key people	Armie Jarin-Bennett (President) Benjamin Ramos (Vice President)
Products	CNN Philippines
Services	Free-to-air TV and radio broadcasting, Cable television, publishing, news, websites
Revenue	PHP169.6 million (FY 2015)[1]
Operating income	PHP-651.85 million (FY 2015)[1]
Owner	ALC Group of Companies
Number of employees	328 (FY 2015)[1]
Parent	ALC Group of Companies (Aliw Broadcasting Corporation)
Divisions	CNN Philippines News and Current Affairs
Subsidiaries	Radio Philippines Network (34%)

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

It owns and operates television network CNN Philippines, as well as the 34% minority share of former state-owned media giant Radio Philippines Network (RPN).^[2]

History

As a TV channel

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

Solar TV launched last November 28, 2009 on RPN at 11:00am with a slogan It's A Bright New World. In October 31, 2010, it changed some of its programming content to English/Tagalog with a new slogan Kung Saan Lahat Panalo!.

As a broadcast company

After Solar Entertainment Corporation acquired 34% of RPN's shares from the Philippine government as part of RPN/IBC privatization in 2011, Solar TV was morphed into a corporate television arm of Solar Entertainment and the Radio Philippines Network (RPN) brand will remain unchanged. The new company launched an all talk/news channel Talk TV in 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 manned by former ANC personalities including Jing Magsaysay, Pia Hontiveros, Nancy Irlanda, Claire Celdran and Mai Rodriguez. Several of its hired reporters include some from RPN's NewsWatch.^[3]

On May 22, 2013, Solar Entertainment appointed two officers to manage its broadcasting and cable businesses - Manuel “Meckoy” Quiogue as Chief Commercial Officer and Maria Theresa “Mitos” Borromeo as Chief Operating Officer.^[4] However, Quiogue suddenly died on May 31, a few days prior to assuming his position.^[5]

In November 2013, San Miguel Corp. President and COO Ramon S. Ang personally tried to acquire the majority stake of STVNI from the Tiengs. Despite the new development, he would settle instead for a minority share of STVNI in September 2014.^[6]

In the third quarter of 2014, Solar Entertainment chair Wilson Tieng announced that the ALC Group of Companies of former Ambassador Antonio Cabangon-Chua, took over STVNI, as well as its majority stake on RPN. Tieng resigned as the chairman of the network due to health reasons. The selloff of STVNI was also caused by Solar Entertainment's revenue downfall after investing RPN.^[7][8] Solar TV reflected the change of ownership by reverting all non-SNC channels and assets back to Solar Entertainment, followed by shedding off the Solar branding in all SNC's programs. The transfer was completed when SNC (which was transferred to RPN in December 2013) was finally rebranded into 9TV on August 23, 2014.^[9][10]

On October 14, 2014, Solar TV Network was renamed as Nine Media Corporation, following the agreement between the latter and the Turner Broadcasting System to use the branding of CNN into its free TV assets of RPN as 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 was stepped down from his position. He was replaced by Jorge San Agustin as Officer in Charge of the network temporary, One year later on October 9, 2016, CNN Philippines Managing Editor Armie Jarin-Bennett was appointed as President and CEO of Nine Media Corporation replacing Agustin.

Divisions

• CNN Philippines News and Current Affairs

Subsidiary

• Radio Philippines Network (34%)

Broadcast assets

• CNN Philippines - (34% joint venture with RPN: March 16, 2015 – present)^{[11] [12]}

Former divisions, and broadcast assets

• 2nd Avenue - (affiliate with RJTV 29: January 1, 2008 – present; reverted to Solar Entertainment)
• ETC - (affiliate with SBN 21: January 1, 2008 – March 1, 2011, November 30, 2013 – present / RPN 9: March 2, 2011 – November 29, 2013; reverted to Solar Entertainment)
• ETC Productions

Previous or changed ownership television channels

• 9TV - (RPN 9: August 23, 2014 – March 15, 2015)
• CHASE - (BEAM TV 31: December 24, 2011 – October 19, 2012)
• C/S - (RPN 9: January 1, 2008 – October 2009)
• C/S 9 - (RPN 9: October 4, 2009 – November 28, 2009)
• Jack City - (BEAM TV 31: October 20, 2012 – August 31, 2014 / Cable TV: September 1, 2014 – March 21, 2015; owner of Solar Entertainment)
• Solar News Channel - (34% joint venture with RPN 9: December 1, 2013 – August 22, 2014) / (former owned by Southern Broadcasting Network: October 30, 2012 – November 29, 2013)
• Solar TV - (RPN 9: November 29, 2009 – February 25, 2011)
• Talk TV - (SBN 21: March 2, 2011 – October 29, 2012)

See also

• Radio Philippines Network
• CNN

References

1. "Media Ownership Monitor Philippines - Nine Media Corporation". VERA Files. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
2. "Solar Entertainment FAQ's http://www.solarentertainmentcorp.com/about/page/faq" (Press release). External link in |title= (help);
3. Tiengs move into news Manila Standard Today. 02-25-2011. Retrieved 02-25-2011.
4. Solar Entertainment Corp. appoints 2 new officers retrieved May 22, 2013 9News
5. http://www.bworldonline.com/weekender/content.php?id=73221
6. "MVP-Ang rivalry set to spill over into television with San Miguel acquisition of Solar stake". November 9, 2013. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
7. Cabangon-Chua acquires RPN-9 retrieved August 21, 2014
8. Cabangon-Chua group set to take over RPN-9 retrieved August 21, 2014
9. - Solar News to be renamed News9? (Media Newser Philippines) retrieved August 18, 2014
10. - Is RPN-9 Destined to Return? retrieved August 18, 2014
11. - Solar News Channel turns into 9TV retrieved August 13, 2014
12. Angela Casauay (October 14, 2014). "CNN Philippines to start airing 1st quarter 2015". Rappler. Retrieved November 19, 2014.