TV5 (Philippine TV network)
TV5 is a Filipino free-to-air commercial television and radio network based in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, with additional studios and transmitter facilities in Novaliches, Quezon City. TV5 Network Inc is the parent company of TV5, which is a subsidiary of MediaQuest Holdings, the de facto multimedia arm of telecommunications company PLDT, Inc.
TV5's main television station, DWET-TV, broadcasts on VHF Channel 5 for analogue broadcasting, UHF Channel 18 for digital, and UHF Channel 51 for digital test transmission. The latter is licensed to its sister company, Mediascape/Cignal TV. The network owns and operates seven TV stations and has 14 selected affiliate stations across the Philippines.
TV5's programming is available throughout the Philippines, and its content can be accessed internationally via satellite through Kapatid Channel International, AksyonTV International, and PBA Rush.
History
Early years (1960–1986)
On June 19th, 1960, Joaquin "Chino" Roces, owner of the Manila Times, obtained a radio-TV franchise through Republic Act 2945. He established the Associated Broadcasting Corporation, with the initial studios located along Pasong Tamo in Makati, Rizal. ABC's first radio stations were DZMT, DZTM, and DZWS. Established in July 1962 as DZTM-TV Channel 5, ABC became the seventh television network to operate in the Philippines. From July 1962 to September 1972, ABC operated radio and television services.On September 23rd, 1972, President Ferdinand E. Marcos declared martial law, resulting in the forced shutdown of ABC and the Manila Times.
Return and growth (1986–2003)
After the People Power Revolution in 1986, Chino Roces advocated for the network's reinstatement with President Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino. Following Roces' death in 1988, his son Edgardo Roces took over efforts to revive the network. Edward Tan and Edgardo Roces secured approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission to increase capitalization. Soon after, they received a permit to operate from the National Telecommunications Commission. In 1990, ABC completed construction of its studio complex and transmitter tower in Barangay San Bartolome, Novaliches, Quezon City. Test broadcasts began later that year, featuring Japanese documentaries.On February 21, 1992, the network returned to the air. The flagship station adopted the call sign DWET-TV and the corporate name became Associated Broadcasting Company—using the initial 'C' instead of 'Corporation' to reflect the new management.
Early in the network's revival, it expanded to Cebu, Davao, Baguio, Naga, Bacolod, Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro, and General Santos. By the end of 1993, the network ranked third in ratings, with two more stations planned in 1994 ahead of its satellite broadcast launch.
On February 4, 1994, ABC launched nationwide satellite broadcasting. The network experienced rapid growth under the network's Chief Operating Officer Tina Monzon-Palma. On December 9, 1994, ABC obtained a 25-year legislative franchise through Republic Act No. 7831, which authorized the network to establish and operate television and radio stations countrywide.
In 2001, ABC started producing local versions of popular game shows, including The Price Is Right, Wheel of Fortune, and Family Feud. The move came during a period of game show popularity among Philippine networks, influenced by the success of Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation's Philippine editions of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and The Weakest Link.
Cojuangco era (2003–2008)
In June 2003, the joint consortium of Tan and Roces sold ABC TV and radio stations to a group led by businessman Antonio "Tony Boy" Cojuangco Jr. Cojuangco, the former chairman of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company and owner of Dream Satellite TV and Bank of Commerce, formally acquired the assets in October of the same year. Cojuangco became the president and CEO of ABC, with Jose T. Pardo, a former secretary of the Department of [Trade and Industry (Philippines)|Department of Trade and Industry], serving as the Network's board chairman.Under the new management, significant changes were introduced, including strengthening the news and public affairs division, modernizing broadcast equipment, and acquiring broadcast rights for Philippine Basketball Association games. The network executives, led by Roberto Barreiro, also coined a new slogan, "Iba Tayo!". With the last slogan, "Come home to ABC!", ABC aimed to differentiate itself by offering fresh and distinct programming formats, targeting the growing middle to upper-class youth market. While implementing these changes, ABC continued to support the Family Rosary Crusade. It featured the religious pre-identification campaign "Please Pray the Rosary" before its programs, although this was gradually phased out during the network's programming revamp.
In 2005, ABC received the "Outstanding TV Station" award at the 2005 KBP Golden Dove Awards, and several programs on the Network also received awards in their respective categories.
In early 2007, ABC implemented budget cuts that mainly affected its news department, resulting in significant layoffs and a diminished capacity for coverage before the 2007 general elections.
In November 2007, ABC launched new sports programming, including NBA basketball, professional boxing, and WWE events, as part of a five-year deal with Solar Entertainment. Due to high costs and poor ratings, the programs were dropped throughout 2008. The NBA review show "House of Hoops" was cut back and eventually cancelled by April 2008. The PBA, which was previously aired on ABC, did not have its contract renewed and instead found a new home on RPN through a partnership with Solar Entertainment, leading to RPN's privatization by Solar in 2011.
First TV5 era (2008–2018)
ABC-MPB Primedia partnership (2008–2010)
In March 2008, "Tony Boy" Cojuangco announced a partnership between ABC and MPB Primedia Inc., a local company backed by Media Prima Berhad of Malaysia. The partnership was a long-term strategy to enhance ABC's competitiveness in the network wars between ABS-CBN and GMA. MPB Primedia Inc. was established as an asset for Media Prima's proposed private equity fund to invest in media companies in Southeast Asia. Under the agreement, MPB Primedia Inc. produced and sourced entertainment programs, while ABC would continue to be responsible for news programming and station operations. MPB Primedia was granted rights to schedule and manage sales of ABC-5's airtime. Christopher Sy was appointed CEO of MPB Primedia, Inc., but resigned in January 2009 due to reported differences in management style.ABC aired its final broadcast at around 22:00 PST on August 8, 2008, with its late-night newscast Sentro as the last program. A countdown to the Network's relaunch followed until 19:00 PST the next day when it officially rebranded as TV5. The Network retained its alternative programming line-up but aimed to cater to "Progressive Pinoys, including those 'young at heart to market classes C and D. TV5 unveiled its upgraded 120-kilowatt state-of-the-art stereo TV transmitter. Some ABC programs, such as Shall We Dance, Nick on TV5, Kerygma TV, Light Talk, and Sunday TV Mass, were carried over to TV5's line-up. The TV5 Ani''MEGA, a programming block focused on Japanese anime series, was launched on the network.
Under the new management, TV5's audience share increased from 1.9% in the second quarter of 2008 to 11.1% in September 2009. That same month, TV5 began airing two hours of Singaporean contents produced by MediaCorp's studios division, mainly its Mandarin dramas and English sitcoms, dubbed in the Filipino language, such as The Little Nyonya starring Jeanette Aw, Under One Roof starring Vernetta Lopez and Moses Lim, and Phua Chu Kang Pte Ltd'' starring Gurmit Singh.
Acquisition by PLDT, the Kapatid Network years (2010–2018)
On October 20, 2009, Media Prima announced its intention to divest its share in MPB Primedia / TV5, along with its affiliated ABC TV stations, and sell it to MediaQuest Holdings, the broadcasting division of PLDT. The decision was driven by the company's losses during the year. The acquisition was officially announced by Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan on March 2, 2010; he had previously intended to acquire ABC as early as 1999. New programming was introduced through a trade launch at the World Trade Center and on April 4, 2010, the network rebranded itself as the "Kapatid" network to compete with ABS-CBN and GMA Network.On October 1, 2010, TV5 took over the management of MediaQuest's Nation Broadcasting Corporation stations. DWFM was relaunched as Radyo5 92.3 News FM, a TV5-branded news radio station, on November 8, 2010. DWNB-TV was rebranded as AksyonTV, a news channel based on TV5's newscast Aksyon, on February 21, 2011. TV5 experienced success and outranked GMA Network to become the second most-watched network in key cities in the Visayas and Mindanao regions, including Iloilo, Cebu, Bacolod, Davao, and Cagayan de Oro. The Network shared the top spot with ABS-CBN in General Santos.
On December 23, 2013, TV5 began broadcasting from its new headquarters, the TV5 Media Center located in Reliance, Mandaluyong.
In 2014, TV5 acquired the Filipino broadcast rights to the 2014 Winter Olympics, the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics, and the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Despite financial struggles, TV5 remained operational, with a strong following among male and younger viewers. The network's programming, such as the PBA via Sports5 and the TV5 Kids block, contributed to its popularity. TV5 celebrated its fifth anniversary under the management of Manny V. Pangilinan with a trade launch of 2015 shows at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza on November 26, 2014.
TV5 started each year with a New Year's Eve countdown called "Happy sa " at the Quezon Memorial Circle, a tradition that continued until 2017.
In 2015, the Network changed its corporate name from ABC Development Corporation to TV5 Network, Inc.
TV5 experienced growing financial difficulties, including losses and debt, primarily due to a reduction in advertisers and the effects of digitalization. This situation led to employee layoffs in September 2015. The network's in-house entertainment division was disbanded, and its Chief Entertainment Content Officer, Wilma Galvante, ended her consultancy agreement. Consequently, TV5's workforce significantly decreased from around 4,000 employees in 2013–2014 to approximately 900 by late 2021.
Unable to produce original content until 2020, TV5 appointed Vicente "Vic" Del Rosario, CEO of Viva Entertainment, as the Network's Chief Entertainment Strategist. Changes were implemented in TV5's entertainment programming, including the formation of the Viva-TV5 joint venture Sari-Sari Channel and the outsourcing of Viva Television for entertainment shows. The partnership was announced at a trade launch in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig on November 25, 2015. However, several new shows were cancelled due to a lack of advertising support and poor ratings. TV5 renewed its partnership with Viva Entertainment in October 2020, focusing on local versions of foreign programming and TV remakes of Viva classic films.
From January 2016 until December 31, 2018, TV5 and Cignal, through Hyper, served as the official free-to-air and pay television partners, respectively, for the Ultimate Fighting Championship in the Philippines.
In July 2016, TV5 started airing selected programs from MTV and MTV International as part of a deal with Viacom International Media Networks. The new MTV on TV5 block included shows like Catfish, Ridiculousness, and Ex on the Beach.
On September 8, 2016, TV5 cancelled its locally produced programs Aksyon Bisaya and Aksyon Dabaw due to cost-cutting measures. The personnel remained employed to continue filing reports for the national edition of Aksyon.
TV5 President and CEO Emmanuel "Noel" C. Lorenzana stepped down on September 30, 2016, and was replaced by basketball coach and Sports5/D5 Studio head Vicente "Chot" Reyes. Following Reyes' appointment, the Network announced a retrenchment of approximately 200 employees as part of TV5's digitalization efforts.
In April 2017, TV5 acquired the rights to air WWE programming after Fox Philippines decided not to renew its contract with the WWE.
On October 12, 2017, TV5 Network announced its partnership with ESPN, obtaining the licensing rights for PBA, UFC, PSL, and the NFL, as well as access to ESPN programs and content. The partnership led to the formation of the ESPN5 brand, which aired on TV5 and AksyonTV. The move was part of TV5's temporary shift from a general entertainment station to a sports and news channel.
The 5 Network era and reverting to TV5 (2018–2020)
On February 17, 2018, TV5 underwent a rebranding and was relaunched as the 5 Network or simply 5. The new logo featured the removal of the word "TV" and was designed to be more flexible for other divisions to use it as part of TV5's identity. The programming grid was divided into three blocks – ESPN5 for sports, News5 for news programs, and 'On 5' for other content. Additionally, D5 Studio focused on digital content, while Studio 5 produced Filipino productions for various platforms. The "Kapatid" moniker was de-emphasized during the period and was mainly used by News5 and ESPN5 for some programs. The network phased out Filipino-dubbed movies and foreign-acquired programming, which had been a practice since 2008, while Disney programs and movies aired in their original audio until 2019.On January 13, 2019, TV5 introduced a variation of its 2018 logo, which included the respective websites of the division producing the program as part of their on-screen graphics following the launch of 5 Plus.
On April 22, 2019, TV5's legislative franchise was renewed for another 25 years under Republic Act No. 11320.
On June 3, 2019, Chot Reyes retired as TV5 President and CEO and was succeeded by Jane Basas, who led Pay TV provider and radio company Cignal TV/Mediascape. Under Basas' leadership, the network outsourced news and sports programming from its co-owned Cignal channels, phased out daytime ESPN5 programs, focused on archived entertainment programs, and expanded movie blocks on 5 Plus. Plans for the network included retaining existing news programs and sports content in prime time and reintroducing original entertainment programming through outsourcing. Perci Interlan returned as the head of programming in November.
On February 4, 2020, Robert P. Galang was appointed as the new president and CEO of TV5 Network and Cignal TV, replacing Basas, who in turn was appointed as the Chief Marketing Officer of Smart Communications.
On March 8, 2020, 5 Plus was relaunched as One Sports, and the ESPN5 division was renamed and merged into the brand. The sports programming on 5 no longer carried the ESPN5 banner. The ESPN5 partnership continued online, with ESPN5.com serving as the sports portal of One Sports and ESPN in the Philippines until October 13, 2021. TV5 Network announced on the same day that 5 would be rebranded as One TV on April 13, 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and disapproval from viewers and fans, the rebranding was postponed to July 20, until it was ultimately cancelled. The network returned to the TV5 brand on July 20, 2020, and introduced new Filipino-dubbed series.
On July 27, 2020, Cignal TV, TV5, and Smart Communications announced a multi-year deal with the National Basketball Association for the league's official broadcast rights in the Philippines, replacing Solar Entertainment Corporation. The games during the 2019–2020 season were aired live on free-to-air networks TV5 and One Sports. This marked the return of the NBA to TV5 since the partnership between the then-ABC and Solar Entertainment Corporation from 2007 to 2008.
Second TV5 era and collaboration with Cignal TV (2020–present)
On August 15, 2020, Channel 5 reverted to its former name, TV5, and announced a partnership with its sister company Cignal TV, which was tasked with handling its programming. The partnership with Cignal TV introduced a slate of new entertainment programs and collaborations with other networks, including GMA Network. TV5 unveiled its first wave of entertainment programs produced by companies such as Archangel Media/APT Entertainment, Content Cows Company Inc., Luminous Productions Inc., Regal Entertainment, Viva Television, and Brightlight Productions. Additionally, shows from ABS-CBN that were affected by the network's franchise non-renewal were transferred to TV5. In mid-September 2020, TV5 announced a second wave of programs for October, including shows produced by Regal, Viva, APT Entertainment, Brightlight Productions, and News5.From January 24, 2021 to January 1, 2026, TV5 aired selected programming produced by ABS-CBN Studios after the shutdown of its free-to-air network which are ASAP, Primetime Bida and Yes Weekend!, FPJ: Da King, It's Showtime, Kapamilya Gold and Magandang Buhay, and Sunday Blockbusters. Other show aired on TV5 that later became ABS-CBN production is Rated Korina. This arrangement lasted until January 1, 2026 as TV5 terminated its content partnership agreement due to financial disputes with ABS-CBN, with the latter's programming transferring to rival network All TV which had been simulcasting Kapamilya Channel since April 15, 2024.
TV5 introduced its revamped programming under the slogan "TV5 TodoMax," dividing programs into five blocks: TodoMax Kids, TodoMax Serbisyo, TodoMax Panalo, TodoMax Primetime Singko, and TodoMax Weekend.
Following the programming revamp, TV5 became the second most-watched TV network in prime-time TV ratings, according to the AGB Nielsen, which conducts audience measurements for television ratings in specific areas of the Philippines. The network's strengthened prime-time programs from ABS-CBN Studios and Cignal Entertainment contributed to the achievement.
On May 20, 2021, TV5 launched its new slogan "Iba sa 5" along with a new station jingle, station ID, and a revision of the 2010 logo with a darker red scheme. On July 1, 2022, the network introduced a new slogan, "Iba'ng Saya peg Sama-Sama", accompanied by another new station jingle and ID.
On January 31, 2023, Guido R. Zaballero was appointed as the president and CEO of TV5 Network, effective February 1, 2023. The appointment followed the retirement of Robert P. Galang, who had been leading Cignal TV and TV5 as of 2020. Jane J. Basas assumed the role of president and CEO of Cignal TV, while also serving as the president and CEO of MediaQuest, the holding company of TV5 and Cignal TV.
Transition to high definition (2023)
On March 21, 2023, TV5 announced the launch of its main channel in high-definition (HD) feed, presented in a full-screen format, on Cignal TV. The channel officially launched as TV5 HD on April 1, 2023.On April 16, 2023, TV5 began broadcasting in anamorphic 16:9 aspect ratio on free-to-air digital television.
Branding
Network name changes
TV5, originally known as the Associated Broadcasting Corporation, has changed its name several times.TV5 has used several logos throughout its history. Notable variations include the pinwheel logo from 1992 to 2004, the ABC logo with a yellow circle introduced in 2004, and the shaking television logo adopted after the 2008 relaunch. In 2018, TV5 introduced the numerical 5 logo, which was redesigned from the 2010 logo, which dropped the "TV" word and incorporated the program title within the logo. A variation of this logo was unveiled in 2019, which featured a light red color, but changed to a darker red color in 2021.
Programming
TV5 was relaunched in 2008 and gained significant popularity, notably for its AniMEGA anime programming block. It introduced Filipino-dubbed Japanese anime series to Philippine television, including Code Geass, Azumanga Daioh and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. AniMEGA returned across several relaunches; it aired again in both 2015 and 2017 and partnered with Aniplus Asia to bring shows such as Sword Art Online, Attack on Titan: Junior High and Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?. The network also gained attention for its original horror drama series Midnight DJ and its broadcast of Filipino-dubbed Singaporean series The Little Nyonya, Under One Roof, and Phua Chu Kang Pte Ltd.TV5 also aired a number of tabloid talk shows that often featured heated on-air confrontations, such as Face to Face.
In 2013, TV5 introduced the Weekend Do It Better and Everyday All The Way programming blocks, but many programs were discontinued due to low ratings. In 2014, the network launched a new set of programs under the "Happy Ka Dito!" campaign.
In 2015, TV5 refocused on light entertainment and sports with the "Happy sa 2015" campaign, introducing over a dozen new programs. During this time, TV5's entertainment programming was produced by various content providers, including MQ Studios, Unitel Productions, Regal Entertainment, The IdeaFirst Company, and Content Cows Company Inc. In 2015, TV5 named Sari-Sari Channel its main entertainment production outfit after signing a deal with Viva Entertainment.
In 2016, the network aired The Walking Dead and La Reina del Sur, both dubbed in Filipino. The same year, director Brillante Mendoza collaborated with TV5 to produce made-for-TV movies under the Brillante Mendoza Presents umbrella. In 2018, he also premiered a crime drama series titled Amo.
In 2017, the network began to broadcast NFL games, which would continue until 2019. Selected local shows from the Sari-Sari Channel were also shown under the Sari-Sari sa Weekends banner. Brillante Mendoza's crime drama series Amo premiered in 2018 after a long delay.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, TV5 filled many vacant slots with new programs due to the lack of sporting events in 2020. Tierra de Reyes, Betty sa NY, Reina de Corazones, and La suerte de Loli were among the Spanish-language telenovelas dubbed in Filipino, along with the re-dubbed versions of Marimar, María Mercedes, and María la del Barrio. The network had also acquired the rights to broadcast NBA games. In August 2020, TV5 launched new local entertainment programs produced by Brightlight Productions, Luminus Productions Inc., and Archangel Media/APT Entertainment. Additional programs from Brightlight Productions were aired in October 2020.
In January 2021, TV5 and Cignal TV signed a deal with ABS-CBN Corporation to air more of its content on this station until January 1, 2026, and the next day the rest of ABS-CBN Studios' selected programming was transferred to ALLTV2 on January 2, extending Kapamilya Channel's broadcast feed airtime which had been on the channel since April 15, 2024 that marked the return of both analog channel 2 and DTT channel 16 Manila and regional stations that were previously used by ABS-CBN until its broadcast franchise expired after 4 hiatus years under the licensing agreement with Advanced Media Broadcasting System and using the former's new callsign, and replacing the other content partners Including the network's content provider MQ Studios. TV5 also broadcast its acquired cartoons and Japanese animated series
In June 2023, the trio of Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon signed a deal with MediaQuest. This move made TV5 their new home after leaving TAPE Inc. and GMA Network due to a dispute. On July 1, they launched their noontime show E.A.T., which was later renamed to Eat Bulaga!, the longest-running variety and entertainment show in the Philippines. It took the slot formerly occupied by a simulcast of ABS-CBN Studios' It's Showtime which later silently transferred to All TV in June 2024, as well as exchanged to GMA Network and sister channel, GTV, in April 2024 and July 2023, respectively.
In October 2023, TV5 President Guido Zaballero announced that the broadcast of the PBA games would be transferred to A2Z. Later to TV5's sister channel, RPTV in February 2024, with the change in TV5's programming to focus more on entertainment and news programs.