RPN Integrated News

**RPN Integrated News** (formerly *KBS News Department*, *News9: The News Organization of RPN* (1989–1994), *Solar News and Current Affairs* and also known as **RPN News** or **RPN News and Public Affairs**) is the proposed news and public affairs production arm and division of the media conglomerate Radio Philippines Network and Nine Media Corporation in the Philippines.

RPN Integrated News produces its news and public affairs content, infotainment and lately entertainment for free–to–air channels RPN and NTV which are in charge of production of local news and content, the flagship radio station Radyo Ronda owned and affiliate television and radio stations in the Philippines and internationally through RPN Global and RPN USA and media portal www.rpnnetwork.com/news.

RPN Integrated News and RPN Public Affairs is headquartered at RPN Integrated News Department at the proposed RPN Broadcast Plaza in Mandaluyong City while RPN regional stations also have their local news divisions, which is a big help in newsgathering for the whole network with the strength and worldwide newsgathering power of NTV, and the local perspective and expertise of Nine Media Corporation.

## History

The RPN News division traces its origin from the Kanlaon Broadcasting System, established by Roberto Benedicto in 1967. Programming of its radio station, DZBI depended on mostly news reports. The station covered the eruption of Mt. Hibok–Hibok in 1951 and the election and death of the Former President Ramon Magsaysay, and the Marcos Crony Martial laws on September 21, 1972.

KBS Channel 9 established in 1969, it was in the 1970s that RPN became one of the most–watched television news source in the country. In 1983, Channel 9 was the first to break the news of Ninoy Aquino's death and later would be the only television station to broadcast his funeral. The channel also became the first station to broadcast the Ramos–Enrile break–away that led to the People Power Revolution (otherwise known as EDSA Revolution). After the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution, the stock and assets of RPN, IBC and BBC–2 (Banahaw Broadcasting Corporation) were sequestered by the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG).

In 1970, RPN became the first TV network to be fully reporting the news in English language with the evening newscast *NewsWatch* anchored by Dennis Cabalfin. Our flagship late–night newscast, *NewsWatch: Prime Cast*, won the 1999 Asian Television Awards and 2002 New York Festival awards for Best Newscast.

RPN News became a pioneer in local television news in many ways. RPN was one of the pioneers of broadcast journalism. Harry Gasser was one of the first male anchors when he first presented *NewsWatch*, one of the most–watched news programs in the 1970s and Bong Lapira was the first anchor news in English for *NewsWatch* and Harry Gasser, Cathy Santillan and later, Eric Eloriaga was the first late–night anchor for *NewsWatch*. RPN was the first to broadcast the hourly news, the first program was *RPN NewsBreak*, later replaced by *NewsWatch Update* in 2008 and the first station to use a ticker for breaking news, world, national, regional and local news events. RPN News was also the first to use Electronic News Gathering Vans in the country in 1995. In 2004, it regularly began to use Satellite News Gathering facilities to reach more remote areas. It also covered major events in the country such as the World Youth Day 1995, 2000 Today and 2003 World Meeting of Families.

### **Accolades**

On December 9, 2003, the Philippine House of Representatives’ 12th Congress commended RPN News and Public Affairs through Resolution 787 authored by Rep. Rodolfo Plaza for its efforts in uplifting the standards of the Philippine broadcast industry by receiving the first Peabody Award gold medal for television news awarded to an Asian country in 1999.

In February 5, 2010, RPN News inaugurated the new office building of RPN News department as the news studio building in Broadcast City as a new home and built to facilitate its growing need to serve the public by providing the latest news from around the world. After Solar Entertainment Corporation acquired 34 percent of Radio Philippines Network from the Philippine government as part of RPN/IBC privatization in 2011, Solar TV ventured into news at the end of 2011.