| 47th | Top companies of the Philippines |
| Type | Broadcast television network |
|---|---|
| Country | Philippines |
| Availability | National |
| Owner | Radio Philippines Network, Inc. (Airtime leased by Solar Entertainment Corporation) |
| Key people | Roberto Benedicto, Founder |
| Launch date | June 29, 1960 |
| Former names | Kanlaon Broadcasting System (1960-1975) Radio Philippines Network (1975-2008) C/S9 (2008-2009) |
Solar TV is a broadcast television network in the Philippines owned by the Government Communications Group, with programming managed by the Solar Entertainment Corporation, a Filipino media company. The network was previously known as the Radio Philippines Network, which remains the legal name of the network.
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RPN was launched and granting the first broadcasting franchise on June 29, 1960 as the Kanlaon Broadcasting System (KBS). Kanlaon is a volcano on the Philippine island of Negros, the home of Benedicto and in 1969, KBS-9 was launched as the home of the first state-of-the art superior color transmission in the Philippines dubbed Accucolor.
In 1975, KBS renamed as RPN, During the first years of the new RPN, the network enjoyed popularity when its shows John En Marsha, Flordeluna (which starred the then-rising star Janice de Belen), and Superstar (featuring "Superstar" Nora Aunor) were hits. The station signed a contract with TAPE, Inc. in 1979, and the station became the first co-producer and gave popularity to Eat Bulaga (hosted by Tito, Vic and Joey), which is now the longest-running noontime variety TV show. The title of its nightly newscast, Since 1969, NewsWatch, became the generic name for any televised newscasts because it was the premiere newscast of its day; and its panel of newscasters, led by Ramon Imperial, Harry Gasser, Cathy Santillan, Coco Quisumbing and Frankie Abao, Jr. became household names.
During these glory years, RPN became one of the first Philippine television stations to broadcast anime, including Macross, Voltes V, Astroboy, Starblazers (predating ABC by a decade), and later airing Dragonball Z in the mid-90's. It also aired popular series from the United States, like Hunter, Airwolf, and MacGyver; as well as game shows like The Price is Right. However, when the network was held under sequestration after the EDSA Revolution in 1986 (along with IBC 13), it lost ratings supremacy and advertising shares to other networks (notably GMA-7 and ABS-CBN, in succession). By 1989, its local shows John en Marsha, Student Canteen Superstar ended broadcast while top-rating daytime programs Eat Bulaga!, Agila and Coney Reyes on Camera moved to ABS-CBN before the rebranding of RPN 9 to New Vision 9 from October 1989-October 1994.
After the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution, the stock and assets of RPN, IBC and Banahaw Broadcasting Corporation's BBC-2 were sequestered by the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG). President Corazon Aquino awarded BBC, through an executive order, to ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation headed by Eugenio Lopez, Jr. RPN's and IBC's assets were turned over to the Government Communications Group.
It fell into a slump with the resurrection of ABS-CBN and the reformatting of its one-time rival GMA Network. However, the network gained popularity once again in 1996 when it aired the Mexican soap opera Marimar and started a telenovela craze in the country.
On March 11, 2007, RPN began a partnership with the Solar Entertainment Corporation, which began co-producing new programming for the network, such as a local version of America's Next Top Model. The network underwent management changes on December 24, 2007, as Tonypet Albano (undersecretary and executive director of Malacañang's Office of Political Coalition Affairs and Deputy Spokesperson of TEAM Unity) was appointed chairman of the network (replacing Education Undersecretary Mona Valisno, incumbent Presidential Assistant for Education). Undersecretary Robert Rivera was appointed director of the board, while the president and chief executive officer became former senator Orlando Mercado.[1]
Mercado's first major move was to extend their partnership with Solar Entertainment, with programming from their cable network C/S premiering on RPN at the start of the new year. The PBA would also return to the network beginning in the 2008-09 season, as part of a three year contract with Solar Sports after an intense bidding war with ABS-CBN.[2][3]
In October 2008, RPN's stations ultimately took on the C/S name as part of their permanent branding, and rebranded itself as C/S 9. On November 29, 2009, the network re-branded again under the new name Solar TV.
| Branding | Slogan | Years Active |
|---|---|---|
| KBS 9 | Accucolor 9 | 1969-1971 |
| RPN 9 | The Leader | 1981-1989 |
| New Vision 9 | The Future | 1989-1994 |
| RPN | The Network | 1994-1995 |
| RPN | Your Friendly Network | 1995-1997 |
| RPN | Leading The Way | 1997-1998 |
| RPN | Quality Primetime Television | 1998-1999 |
| RPN | World-Class Quality, Family TV! | 2000-2001 |
| RPN | Your Kind of TV! | 2001-2003 |
| RPN | Moving Ahead | 2003-2007 |
| RPN | Prime Shift | 2005-2007 |
| RPN | Kasama Mo! Simple Ang Ligaya, Masarap Kasama! | March 11-July 15, 2007 |
| RPN | Pare! | July 16-December 16, 2007 |
| C/S on RPN | C/S First. C/S Free. | January 1-October 3, 2008 |
| C/S 9 | Right Here, Right Now | October 4, 2008-November 28, 2009 |
| Solar TV on RPN | It's A Bright New World | November 29, 2009-present |
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   | Official Site - www.rpn9.com - Official Website of Radio Philippines Network Inc. |
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