CHICAGO (JGL) – Turner Broadcasting does not have any investment in CNN Philippines. CNN Philippines is wholly owned by Nine Media Corporation, a 100% Filipino-own company, block-timing 24/7 on RPN 9.
This was the clarification Monday (March 16) by Yell A. Villareal, corporate affairs manager of Nine Media Corporation, when asked by the Journal GlobaLinks if Turner Broadcasting has investment or capital in CNN Philippines that went on the air Monday.
Villareal said, “The relationship with Turner and CNN is a brand and licensing agreement which was signed in October to launch CNN Philippines in 2015.”
CNN Philippines was asked by this reporter of its investment sharing in the light of Section 11 of the Article XVI, GENERAL PROVISIONS of the Philippine Constitution, which says, “(1) The ownership and management of mass media (in the Philippines) shall be limited to citizens of the Philippines, or to corporations, cooperatives or associations, wholly-owned and managed by such citizens.
“The Congress shall regulate or prohibit monopolies in commercial mass media when the public interest so requires. No combinations in restraint of trade or unfair competition therein shall be allowed.”
“Our Chairman is Ambassador Antonio Cabangon-Chua and our President is Mr. Reggie D. Galura,” who are both Filipino citizens, Ms. Villareal added. “Turner will not have a stake or share in the advertising revenues.”
In a handout Monday, CNN Philippines said as the country’s highly-anticipated brand new predominantly English 24-hour free-to-air news channel and website, CNN Philippines started its telecast Monday at 6 a.m. Philippine time, 9TV officially rebranded to become CNN Philippines, marking a historic day for Filipinos, as well as CNN International and Nine Media Corporation.
CNN Worldwide’s President Jeff Zucker said: “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 – something not seen in this country before.”
Ambassador Cabangon-Chua, Chairman of Nine Media Corporation, said: “This is such 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 operates from studio facilities in Manila and offers a dynamic combination of local and international news as well as current affairs, feature programming and documentaries. The accompanying website, CNNPhilippines.com, offers 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.”
Reggie Galura, President of Nine Media Corporation, said: “CNN is a company we have long admired and 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 a strategic effort by CNN International Commercial’s Content Sales and Partnerships Group, a division of Turner Broadcasting System International. The core business is to explore ways in which CNN can reach more consumers locally, regionally and internationally by partnering with other leading media organizations. CNN Philippines is the latest addition to the CNN family that includes CNN Turk, CNN IBN (India), CNN Chile and CNN Indonesia.
CNN Philippines will be available in 2015 on free-to-air television in Manila RPN-TV9, Cebu RPN-TV9, Davao RPN-TV9, Zamboanga RPN-TV5, Baguio RPN-TV12, and Bacolod RPN-TV8; and also on cable TV thru 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.
At the launching of the Brand and Content agreement last October of CNN Philippines, it said the partnership will be a combination of a “world class digital component with the CNN Philippines TV channel being complemented by CNNPhilippines.com. It will be a ground-breaking channel and website that will be the first of its kind in the Philippines.”