Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation

Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) is a Philippine state broadcaster owned by the Government Communications Group under the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS).

The IBC, along with sister media companies People's Television Network and Philippine Broadcasting Service, form the media arm of the OPS and it is assigned as a secondary state broadcaster that broadcasts education, culture, arts and sports programming. Its studios, offices and broadcast facilities are located at the IBC TV Compound, Lot 3-B, Capitol Hills Drive cor. Zuzuarregui Street, Barangay Matandang Balara, Diliman, Quezon City.

History

The beginnings

Inter-Island Broadcasting Corporation was established in October 1959 when DZTV Channel 13 in Manila aired its test broadcast. On March 1, 1960, at 6:30pm, DZTV-TV 13 was finally launched and it became as the third television station in the country after the monopoly of DZAQ-TV of ABS and DZXL-TV of CBN owned by the Lopez family's Bolinao Electronics Corporation (now ABS-CBN Corporation). Its original location was at the corner of P. Guevara St. (formerly Little Baguio) in San Juan from 1960 to 1978. American businessman Dick Baldwin was the station's first owner and programming consisted of mostly foreign programs from American television network CBS and a few local shows.

Andrés Soriano, Sr. of San Miguel Corporation acquired the network in 1962. Soriano was also the majority owner of the Radio Mindanao Network (RMN) and ''The Philippine Herald'' newspaper. Soriano's combined media interests formed the first tri-media organization in the Philippines. As the television arm of the RMN, it partnered with the RMN radio stations for coverages of the general elections of 1969 and 1971. The station built relay transmitters to bring its programs to viewers in Cebu and Davao, with plans to open more in other cities.

Between 1970 and 1972, IBC launched its color transmission system, Vinta Color, named after the vintas from Zamboanga, becoming the third network in the Philippines to convert to all-color broadcasts, after ABS-CBN and KBS. In September 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law at the entire country, forcing all television and radio networks (except KBS which was owned by Roberto Benedicto) to be shut down by the government. A few months later, IBC was allowed by the government to return to the air.

ABS-CBN veteran Ben Aniceto became the station manager of DZTV Channel 13 from 1973 to 1976.

The Benedicto years

On February 1, 1975, the network was acquired by Roberto Benedicto (who also owned Radio Philippines Network and Banahaw Broadcasting Corporation) from the Soriano group due to a constitutional limitation prohibiting the ownership of media by non-Filipinos or by corporations not 100% Filipino owned. The company name was changed to Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation. IBC would launch an FM station DWKB-FM the same year. Marking the relaunch, the network debuted its vinta logo (which would be used until 1978 in two iterations). In 1976, IBC metamorphosed into one of the country's most-viewed TV networks with its primetime lineup and full-length local and foreign films aired on this channel. This catapulted IBC into the number one slot among the four rival networks and also emphasized it as the birthplace of the golden age of Philippine television, with many top series headlined by hit stars on radio, TV and film. Among its top-rated shows were Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film series of Tarzan that starred Johnny Weissmuller, showbiz talk shows ''See-True'' and ''Seeing Stars'' hosted by Inday Badiday and Joe Quirino respectively, and comedy shows ''Iskul Bukol'', '' Chicks to Chicks'', and '' T.O.D.A.S.: Television's Outrageously Delightful All-Star Show''.

Using the new income generated from its programs, the network built and finally moved to its present home at the modern Broadcast City, together with its sister networks RPN and BBC in July 1978. The complex was a tract located at Capitol Hills, Diliman, Quezon City. At the same time, IBC moved its transmitter to San Francisco del Monte, Quezon City to replace the old transmitter in San Juan. By 1985, however, IBC would become second to RPN, albeit with many local and foreign programs that were popular among viewers.

Post-EDSA Revolution, sequestration, E13, and ''Pusong Pinoy, Pusong Trese''

After the People Power Revolution (also known as the EDSA Revolution) which ousted the dictatorial president Ferdinand Marcos and installed Corazon Aquino as the new president of the Philippines, IBC, with 20 television stations that time, together with RPN and BBC, were sequestered by the Presidential Commission on Good Government for allegedly being part of the crony capitalism under the Marcos regime. A board of administrators was created to run the station.

When it became a state channel, a new logo debuted featuring IBC and 13 on separate circles, a revamp of an earlier logo which debuted in 1978–79. The new slogan "''Basta Pinoy sa Trese''" was in a circle to commemorate the People Power Revolution.

President Corazon Aquino turned over IBC and RPN to the Government Communications Group and awarded BBC's Channel 2 frequency through an executive order to ABS-CBN. When BBC closed down in March 20, both the IBC and RPN absorbed the majority of its displaced employees, which led to the doubling of the network's expenses, and a three-fold increase in the cost of programming. Line-produced shows and co-production ventures with some big film companies like Viva, Regal, and Seiko were favored, aside from their station-produced programs.

The top-rated shows of IBC were pirated by rival networks; however, it scored a victory when it acquired the then ABS-CBN program ''Loveli-Ness'' in 1988, starring Alma Moreno. The cost of programs, talent fees and TV rights increased. IBC could no longer afford to produce its own shows, save for its news and current affairs programming and special events. In 1987, IBC was renamed as E13 and adopted a new slogan, "''Life Begins at 13''", noted for the butterfly logo in the form of the letter E and the number 13. By then, IBC had struggled to cope with the increased competition from the other networks, particularly from ABS-CBN which skyrocketed to number 1 by 1988.

In 1989, the IBC brand returned after two years. The network adopted a new image in the same year, "''Pusong Pinoy, Pusong Trese''" (''Heart of Filipino, Heart of Thirteen''), to recapture the glory days it once had. Despite this, advertising support began to decrease, due to the sequestration, internal problems, and periodic management changes. However, the network once more made history when Nora Aunor's ''Superstar'' was relaunched that fall with her transfer to the IBC network as a network talent.

Islands TV-13

Islands Broadcast Corporation under Mr. Alfonso Denoga and Mr. Gil Balaguer took over the management and marketing of IBC 13 (which was branded as Islands TV-13, pronounced on air as "Islands TV one-three") in October 1990, at the time when IBC 13 was last in the ratings. The new logo featured three triangles and a slogan, "The Newest Network", adorned the logo. It was in the later part of its operations that ratings and income suffered due to mismanagement which caused labor unrest. In March 1993, the Makati City RTC issued a court order stopping Islands Broadcast Corporation as the marketing and sales agent of IBC 13 due to unpaid financial obligations to the network as the contract of Islands expired on February 28, 1993.

Return of operations, ''Pinoy ang Dating'' and Vintage Television

In October 1992, Islands TV-13 was rebranded back to IBC and became a 100% government-owned station by virtue of a compromise agreement between PCGG and Roberto Benedicto. The management and marketing were returned to IBC's board of directors. The programming remained at a standstill in preparation for the launching of a new image of the station.

On May 27, 1994, IBC launched its new slogan "" () with a music video featuring Grace Nono.

, IBC has 200 employees, 29 of which are talents or employed on a "contractual basis", particularly from the news and public affairs and production. The management tried to revive the ill-fated network, but these plans failed.

There were several plans to sell and privatize IBC and RPN. TV network ABS-CBN was planning to buy the network's blocktime to address signal problems and mimic the former's program, but ABS-CBN could not join the privatization bid due to ownership regulations.

In 2011, IBC entered into a joint venture agreement with Prime Realty, an affiliate of R-II Builders Group of Reghis Romero Jr. The agreement called for the development of 3.5 hectares of Broadcast City. With this joint venture agreement with a private business enterprise, the Aquino administration expressed its desire to privatize both RPN and IBC and retain the People's Television (PTV) as the sole government TV network. It was also announced that conglomerate San Miguel Corporation would join the government-sponsored bidding for the privatization of RPN and IBC.

AKTV, privatization bids and property issues

IBC signed a blocktime agreement with TV5's sports division Sports5 to air live sports coverage via its sports programming block ''AKTV''. It was launched on June 5, 2011, with the AKTV Run held outside SM Mall of Asia in Bay City, Pasay. On the same day, IBC launched a new logo and slogan "''Where the Action Is''" to reflect the change.

On April 11, 2013, MediaQuest Holdings chairman Manny Pangilinan announced that AKTV will no longer renew the blocktime agreement in May due to high costs and poor ratings, and there have been doubts about the future of the network.

In 2012, pursuant to AO No. 26, IBC handed over its archives to Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) for restoration.

IBC signed a memorandum of agreement with the Asian Television Content Corporation under Engr. Reynaldo Sanchez as the major blocktimer of the station. The TATC @ IBC primetime block with the newest programs premiered on June 2, 2014. However, on August 31, 2014, programs under the ATC @ IBC 13 block suddenly no longer aired on the network, possibly due to poor ratings and a lack of advertisers' support.

PCOO Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said in a Senate budget hearing for the PCOO last September 3, 2014, that the network would be fully privatized before President Aquino stepped down from office in 2016 and kept PTV-4 as the sole government TV network. The privatization process would be managed by the Governance Commission for Government-Owned or -Controlled Corporations through the Development Bank of the Philippines. Business tycoon Manny V. Pangilinan was one of the possible bidders for the privatization in which TV5 (a media company under PLDT's MediaQuest Holdings through ABC Development Corporation). Despite the expiration of the blocktime agreement in 2013 (AKTV), the network is still using IBC's Broadcast City facilities for sports events, including its 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup coverage. However, MediaQuest also could not join the privatization bid due to ownership rules and regulations, given MediaQuest owns TV5 and AksyonTV (now One Sports).

On June 2, 2015, the Philippine Crusader for Justice (PCJ), led by Joe Villanueva, filed a petition to the Supreme Court of the Philippines to nullify the joint venture agreement between IBC and Primestate/R-II Builders for the development of 3.5 hectares of Broadcast City, after the Office of the Ombudsman found the contract to be disadvantageous to the government. The Ombudsman filed a graft case in 2013 against former IBC executives and Primestate.

In January 2016, President Aquino, through the Governance Commission for Government-owned and -controlled corporation (GCG) approved the planned privatization of IBC. The privatization terms meant the IBC would undergo public bidding with an estimated floor price of 10 billion pesos. The proceeds of the bidding would go to the increase of state-owned PTV-4's capital to upgrade and modernize their broadcast capabilities. The Development Bank of the Philippines would be the financial adviser for the privatization. Incoming PCOO secretary Martin Andanar forwarded the privatization plan to President Rodrigo Duterte's executive secretary Salvador Medialdea. Andanar would also coordinate with the GCG before the start of the bidding.

The privatization process of IBC commenced in October 2016. As of December 2016, five entities had shown their interest to join the bidding process. They were Ramon S. Ang of San Miguel Corporation, and the groups led by former IBC president (and current RMN president and chief executive officer) Eric Canoy, former Ilocos Sur governor Chavit Singson, energy tycoon and Udenna Corporation chairman Dennis Uy (who recently expanded his business through his recent acquisition of ISM Communications Corporation), and William Lima, a businessman from Davao.

In March 2017, IBC operated on a low-powered signal but it continued its broadcast on cable and satellite providers. In October 2017, IBC began its test broadcast on digital terrestrial television.

Relaunch, recent developments, and impending shutdown of operations

In late 2018, IBC began to revitalize its infrastructure and its programming after DOT Undersecretary of Tourism Advocacy and Public Affairs Kat de Castro, appointed as president and chief executive officer of the network, replaced Manolito O. Cruz (who died on October 10 of the same year). By December of the same year, the network transferred its studios and offices to a new building at the corner of Capitol Hills Drive and Zuzuarregui Street, Barangay Matandang Balara, Quezon City (a property beside Broadcast City) to make way for the redevelopment of the Broadcast City property into the Larossa Condominium project of Primehomes Real Estate Development Inc. IBC also upgraded its Roosevelt Avenue analog transmitter for the Mega Manila area.

On February 11, 2019, IBC announced a major revamp of its programming, the first since the ATC@IBC block in 2014. It includes reruns of IBC's old entertainment and cultural shows, the introduction of documentary and current affairs programs airing on sister station People's Television Network, and other entertainment and sports content from SMAC Television Productions and ATC, among others.

IBC also created two new slogans, "Iconic.Bold.Chill" and "''Kaibigan Mo!''"

In March 2020, IBC announced the suspension of telecasting their selected regular programs, due to then-President Rodrigo Duterte implementing an enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila and Luzon in line with the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. The network regularly airs the PCOO-produced briefing on the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines called ''Public Briefing: #LagingHandaPH''.

In May 2020, PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar announced that the network will be used for airing educational television programs by the Department of Education's DepEd TV programming block on analog free-to-air television. The test broadcasts aired from August 11 until 21, 2020 and again from September 21 until September 25, 2020. Official broadcasts formally started on October 5, 2020, the starting date of classes in public schools throughout the country. However on June 2, 2022, DepEd TV stopped broadcasting on the network following the end of the school year.

On December 2, 2021, Presidential Communications Operations Office, IBC and TAP Digital Media Ventures Corporation announced a deal with the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) for IBC to air its games (2021 MPBL Invitational only, as the television coverage was transferred to One PH for the 2022-23 MPBL season).

On March 18, 2022, IBC began to transmit its digital test broadcast on UHF Channel 17 (491.143 MHz) as its permanent frequency assigned by NTC. However, on September 1, 2022, the management of IBC announced that it would possibly cease its operations in 2023 despite their ongoing efforts to improve the station's telecast, citing financial constraints, lack of advertisers, lack of support from the Philippine government to maintain its operations, and the blocktime of DepEd TV being ended its telecast on the former as an effect of the re-implementation of face-to-face classes in the country. Retaining employees and the management of the said station demanded that the government give their funds which were supposed to be allocated for them in order to continue its television operations, and to finally give it to the retired employees and staff who were never paid since 2009 up to this day. On the other hand, the legislative franchise of the network will going to expire on September 2025.

Programming

IBC stations nationwide

See also

* List of Philippine media companies
* Philippine television networks
*Television channels
*People's Television Network
*Philippine Broadcasting Service
*Radio Philippines Network

References

External links

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{{ASEAN TV

Companies based in Quezon City
Entertainment companies established in 1960
Filipino-language television stations
Mass media companies established in 1960
Mass media companies of the Philippines
Philippine radio networks
Television networks in the Philippines
Presidential Communications Group (Philippines)
Publicly funded broadcasters
Television channels and stations established in 1960
Television in Metro Manila
Philippine companies established in 1960