MANILA, Philippines–The newest predominantly English 24-hour free-to-air news channel and website was launched at 6 a.m. Sunday with the rebranding of 9TV as CNN Philippines, linking together CNN International and Nine Media Corp.
“We are thrilled to welcome CNN Philippines to the CNN family. Both CNN and Nine Media have worked exceptionally hard to make this a reality. We are confident the Filipino audience is going to embrace CNN Philippines and the unmatched news and information it delivers,” CNN Worldwide president Jeff Zucker said in a news release.
Nine Media Corp. chair Ambassador Antonio Cabangon-Chua called the launch a “significant milestone not only for Nine Media but for Filipinos everywhere. This is a news service they have never had before. We aspire to be the trusted name in news in the Philippines. We are proud to tell the story of the Filipino through the unique content we provide.”
CNN Philippines will operate from studios in Manila to deliver local and international news as well as current affairs, feature programming and documentaries. The accompanying website, CNNPhilippines.com, will offer the latest news, business, science and technology, entertainment and sports, as well as opinion and analysis, special reports, exclusive interviews, and videos.
Gerhard Zeiler, president of Turner Broadcasting International, said, “The Philippines is such an important market for us and we couldn’t be happier to find a like-minded partner in Nine Media. We have so many exciting developments planned for the Asia-Pacific region. This is just the beginning.”
Nine Media president Reggie Galura said, “CNN is a company we have long admired and we share its vision, mission and values. To be an official part of the CNN family is an honor and a privilege. We look forward to delivering a world-class product to our local Filipino audience.”
The launch of CNN Philippines is part of the strategy of CNN International Commercial’s Content Sales and Partnerships Group, a division of Turner Broadcasting System International, to explore ways CNN could reach more consumers internationally by partnering with other leading media organizations. CNN Philippines is the latest addition to the CNN family which includes CNN Turk, CNN IBN, CNN Chile and CNN Indonesia.
CNN Philippines is available on free TV on Manila RPN-TV9, Cebu RPN-TV9, Davao RPN-TV9, Zamboanga RPN-TV5, Baguio RPN-TV12 and Bacolod RPN-TV8; and on cable on Sky Cable Channel 14 (Metro Manila), Sky Cable Channel 6 (Cebu, Davao, Bacolod, Iloilo and Baguio), Destiny Cable Channel 14, Cablelink Channel 14 and Cignal Channel 10, and over 200 cable affiliates nationwide.
CNN International will continue to be available on pay TV in the Philippines.