A2Z (Philippine TV channel)

**A2Z** is a Philippine free-to-air blocktime broadcast television network based in Quezon City, with its studios located in Ortigas Center, Pasig. It serves as a flagship property of ZOE Broadcasting Network in partnership with ABS-CBN Corporation as its main content provider, through a blocktime agreement. A2Z's flagship television station is DZOE-TV which carries the VHF Channel 11 (analog broadcast) and UHF Channel 20 (digital broadcast; since November 12, 2020). The network's name is an abbreviation derived from the first letter of the names of two parent companies, ABS-CBN and ZOE, the number of the now-recalled channel frequency of the former, and the Latin alphabet letters from the first letter A to the last letter Z.

## Background

### ZOE TV-11

DZOE-TV Channel 11, also known as ZOE TV-11 was launched in 1998 after being acquired from Delta Broadcasting System. It served as the television arm of Jesus is Lord Church led by Eddie Villanueva. In 2005, ZOE TV-11 was leased by Citynet Network Marketing and Productions, subsidiary of GMA Network, to serve as originating station for its secondary television networks QTV and GMA News TV (now GTV). However, on April 24, 2019, GMA/Citynet announced that it will terminate its blocktime agreement with ZOE Broadcasting by the end of May 2019. The split comes after the release of GMA's 2018 financial report which declared the increasing lease payments that the network contributes to ZOE for the past three years (from Template:Philippine peso in 2016 to almost a billion pesos in 2018). GMA News TV disaffiliated from ZOE TV-11 on June 4, 2019 before the channel signed off the next day.

On June 22, 2020, ZOE TV-11 returned on air and carried the feed of Light TV as part of its test broadcast operations, but on June 26 the simulcast was replaced by Hillsong Channel, which is owned by Trinity Broadcasting Network, before reverting to Light TV feed on July 11. It is rumored to be part of marketing the channel for either possibly continuing the analog simulcast of their sister station UHF 33 or for blocktime / channel leasing.

### ABS-CBN shutdown and blocktime rumors

*Main article: ABS-CBN franchise renewal controversy*
On May 5, 2020, the broadcast operations of ABS-CBN Corporation, including Channel 2, S+A, Radyo Patrol, My Only Radio, and all digital television channels of ABS-CBN TV Plus and Direct broadcast via satellite of Sky Direct and AMCARA (on June 30) was put off the air after the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and Solicitor General Jose Calida issued a cease-and-desist order demanding ABS-CBN to immediately cease all of its free TV and radio broadcasting upon the expiration of its legislative broadcast franchise. The Congress later rejected ABS-CBN's application for franchise renewal on July 10, and the NTC recalled all the broadcast frequencies (including its now-defunct sister networks S+A, Yey! and Asianovela Channel) assigned to ABS-CBN on September 10. Since 2017, ABS-CBN was subjected to disputes with the government of President Rodrigo Duterte due to several issues such as campaign advertisement controversies during the 2016 election, political meddling, biased reporting, and the legality of the operations of digital television channel Kapamilya Box Office (KBO), among others.

ABS-CBN partially resumed its programming through the launch of its cable and satellite television network Kapamilya Channel on June 13, where it carried ABS-CBN's dramas and live entertainment shows, educational and current affairs programming before the May 5 stoppage.

Since 2017, ZOE Broadcasting Network and ABS-CBN Corporation were reportedly held talks for possible airtime lease of Channel 11 or acquisition of the network itself if the issues regarding ABS-CBN's now-expired broadcast franchise were ever floated. Reports of a blocktime agreement between ABS-CBN and ZOE begins to surface after the Congress rejected ABS-CBN franchise renewal in July 2020, with a tentative schedule offering for broadcasting 20 hours of airtime on Channel 11, and ABS-CBN programs such as *Ang Probinsyano*, *ASAP Natin 'To!*, *It's Showtime*, and *TV Patrol* were being shopped to air on ZOE TV. Eventually, all ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs programs are declined to air on Channel 11 by the ZOE management due to editorial concerns until January 1, 2022, ABS-CBN News' *TV Patrol* officially began the simulcast of its regular edition on Channel 11, marking its return to free-to-air television, almost two years since the newscast made its last broadcast on the original ABS-CBN Channel 2 (DWWX-TV).

### Launch and broadcasting

On October 6, 2020, through separate statements, ABS-CBN and ZOE TV publicly announced their blocktime partnership and the rebranding of Channel 11 to A2Z, more than a year after being disaffiliated from GMA News TV (now GTV) and five months after the Channel 2 shutdown. The announcement came a day after Sky Cable, ABS-CBN's cable television arm, added ZOE TV 11 to the channel lineup.

Meanwhile, after a month of launching of the said new channel, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) were reported to investigate ABS-CBN and ZOE Broadcasting Network to determine if the said blocktime agreement of the two stations were processed in legal ways.

On November 12, 2020, A2Z started its broadcast on digital terrestrial television. The channel is available on most digital TV boxes, including ABS-CBN TV Plus, GMA Affordabox and Sulit TV.

### Partnership with PCMC and digital terrestrial expansion

On September 18, 2021, A2Z entered a partnership agreement with Philippine Collective Media Corporation for affiliation to broadcast the network via Channel 12 in selected parts of Eastern Visayas.

In January 2022, ZOE Broadcasting Network began its expansion rollout on airing A2Z and Light TV outside Mega Manila through digital terrestrial frequency reach via Channel 20 as a provisional authority.

### Entertainment channel to News channel

In March 2024, A2Z has to offered entertainment channel to news channel as A2Z bring us to Kapamilya Channel, ANC and DWPM programs got both and simulcasted on A2Z.

In September 30, 2024, A2Z is officialy discontinued this date and became test broadcast for DWAC-TV simulcast on ZOE.

In October 12, 2024, PinoyNews was launch on October 14, 2024 for A2Z and Kapamilya Channel it was replaced by ABS-CBN to be the launched of Ang Pagbabalik ng Kapamilya: The ABS-CBN Special Coverage at 7:00p.m. simulcast on Studio TV, ABS-CBN Online Live, Jeepney TV & TV5 (now One TV)

## Programming

*Main article: List of programs broadcast by A2Z (Philippine TV channel)*
As part of the blocktime agreement between ABS-CBN and ZOE TV, A2Z's programming primarily includes selected ABS-CBN programs and movies from Kapamilya Channel and its other sister television networks. In addition, similar to its previous airtime lease with GMA/Citynet for Channel 11, A2Z also features content from ZOE TV's sister station Light TV and its content partners CBN Asia and Trinity Broadcasting Network.

The programming is divided into various programming blocks:

* **School at Home** – the channel's educational block featuring Knowledge Channel programs for Grades 1 to 3. It airs every weekdays from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m.
* **Kidz Toon Time** – the channel's animation block. It airs every weekdays from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m.
* **A2Z Zinema** – the channel's movie block divided into various blocks and different from Kapamilya Blockbusters, Action Sabado, KB Family Weekend and Kapamilya Gold Hits:
	+ *Zinema sa Umaga* – featuring Tagalized foreign movies. It airs everyday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
	+ *Afternoon Zinema* – featuring local movies on Mondays to Thursdays and Eastern foreign movies on Fridays. It airs every weekdays from 4:45 to 6:30 p.m.
	+ *Zine Aksyon* – featuring local action movies. It airs every Saturday from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
	+ *FPJ: Da King* – featuring films starred by Fernando Poe Jr., the movie block also simulcast on Kapamilya Channel and TV5 and it airs every Sunday from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
* **A2Z Primetime** – the channel's weeknight evening block that airs shows from the "Primetime Bida" line-up of Kapamilya Channel (except for The World Tonight) including ABS-CBN News' *TV Patrol* and the channel-produced late night news program *Balitang A2Z*. It airs every weekdays from 6:30 to 12:00 a.m.
* **Kidz Weekend** – the channel's children block featuring animated and kid-oriented shows. It airs every Saturday from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. and Sunday from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.

## References

*ABS-CBN*1 (A2Z) | GMA | One TV

**State-owned**
IBC | PTV | RPN

**Minor**

**Specially**
**News channels**
**General Entertainment channels**
**Educational channels**
DepEd TV | PTV School Time | Solar Learning
**Sports channels**
Pilipinas HD
**Lifestyle channels**
RPN Life
**Islamic channels**
Salaam TV
**Music channels**
**Kids channels**
IBC Kids | IBC Toons | RPN Junior | RPN Kids
**Movie channels**
IBCinema | I Heart Movies
**PPV channels**
BEAM Box Office | IBC Box Office | Nuebe Box Office
**Infomercials channels**
Shop TV‎‎ | TV Shop Philippines

**Religious**

**Regional**

**Defunct/Inactive**

**Inactive: ABS-CBN franchise renewal controversy**

1. ↑ ABS-CBN shows return to free TV after ZOE deal (en).
2. ↑ Aguilar, Krissy (October 6, 2020). Zoe TV rebrands as A2Z to feature ABS-CBN Shows (en).
3. ↑ Template:Cite news
4. ↑ ZOE Broadcasting to end blocktime agreement with GMA Network Accessed April 28, 2019.
5. ↑ Template:Cite news
6. ↑ Template:Cite news
7. ↑ Template:Cite news
8. ↑ Template:Cite news
9. ↑ Template:Cite news
10. ↑ Template:Cite news
11. ↑ ABS-CBN, magba-blocktime sa ZOE TV ni Bro. Eddie Villanueva? (August 26, 2020).
12. ↑ Light at end of tunnel? ABS-CBN close to sealing block time deal with Bro Eddie's CH-11 as MVP-TV5 fears backlash (July 15, 2020).
13. ↑ It's Showtime at ASAP maaari ng magbalik sa Telebisyon? (August 26, 2020).
14. ↑ When 2 become 11: Brother Eddie welcomes 'TV Patrol', 'Ang Probinsyano' on Zoe (August 31, 2020).
15. ↑ Template:Cite news
16. ↑ Template:Cite news
17. ↑ Template:Cite news
18. ↑ Template:Cite news
19. ↑ Solon calls for investigation into ABS-CBN-A2Z Channel 11 blocktime deal (en).
20. ↑ House told NTC, BIR to investigate ABS-Zoe blocktime deal (en).Template:Dead link
21. ↑ A2Z now available on digital TV boxes (12 November 2020).
22. ↑ A2Z expands reach, aims to conquer the Eastern side of the Philippines! (September 2021).
23. ↑ ABS-CBN shows continue to return to former bailiwicks via TV5, A2Z digital TV expansions (February 15, 2022).