NewsWatch (Philippine TV program)
Encyclopedia
RPN NewsWatch in the Philippines is the longest-running English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 flagship newscast of the Radio Philippines Network
Radio Philippines Network
Radio Philippines Network, Inc. is a broadcast television network in the Philippines co-owned by the Government Communications Group, Solar Entertainment Corporation, Far East Managers and Investors Inc., and private sectors. This station studios are located at Broadcast City, Old Balara, Capitol...

. It has a complicated history, undergoing many name changes.

Broadcast chronology

Launched on July 14, 1969, it became one of the highly watched English newscasts on Philippine TV. Prior to 2008, it produced some spin-offs like:
  • NewsWatch Balita Ngayon, a Tagalog newscast.
  • NewsWatch sa Umaga, morning spin-off of the newscast.
  • NewsWatch sa Tanghali, noontime spin-off of the newscast.
  • NewsWatch Kids Edition, first youth spin-off of the newscast that aired from 1979 to 1993.
  • NewsWatch Evening Cast, first early-evening English newscast anchored by Harry Gasser, then it was anchored by Cielo Villaluna and Cristina Pecson.
  • NewsWatch Prime Cast, a late night edition also anchored by Cathy Santillan, Harry Gasser and Eric Eloriaga.
  • Primetime Balita, replacement of Evening Cast from 1999 to 2001 anchored by Buddy Lopa and Marigold Haber.
  • NewsWatch Now, replacement of Prime Cast from 1999 to March 9, 2007.
  • Jr. NewsWatch, second youth spin-off that aired in 2005.
  • RPN Aksyon News
    Aksyon Balita
    Aksyon Balita is the final Filipino-language newscast and the late afternoon news broadcast of Radio Philippines Network in the Philippines...

    , later "NewsWatch Aksyon Balita," successor of NewsWatch from 2006 to January 4, 2006 first anchored by Erwin Tulfo
    Erwin Tulfo
    Erwin Tulfo is a Filipino News Anchor and radio commentator. He is one of Tulfo Brothers with Ramon, Ben and Raffy Tulfo. He is now working with TV5 and 92.3 News FM under News5. He is the host of Tutok Tulfo, co-host of T3: Kapatid sagot Kita! along side with his brothers Raffy and Ben, and one...

    , Connie Sison, Aljo Bendijo, Jake Morales, Vikki Sambilay and Bobby Yan.
  • i-Watch News
    I-Watch News
    iWatch News is the flagship English evening news program of Radio Philippines Network in the Philippines.It is broadcast at 10:00 PM Philippine time .The news program replaced the network's longest-running English news program NewsWatch....

    , replacement of NewsWatch Now anchored by former K-Lite
    K-Lite 103.5
    DWKX, branded as 103.5 Wow FM, is an FM radio station in the Philippines owned by Advanced Media Broadcasting System, Inc. The station's studio is located in Jollibee Plaza, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, with its transmitter located in Mandaluyong City...

     disc jockey
    Disc jockey
    A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...

     Carlo Tirona, and Aryana Lim, who was replaced by Lexi Schulze after a few months. It aired from March 12, 2007 to January 4, 2008.


On January 7, 2008, when Solar Entertainment channel C/S started to air on free-tv, it went back on the air replacing the original "Newswatch Aksyon Balita
Aksyon Balita
Aksyon Balita is the final Filipino-language newscast and the late afternoon news broadcast of Radio Philippines Network in the Philippines...

". It was anchored by the network's President and Chief Executive Officer, and former Senator Orly Mercado
Orly Mercado
Orlando Sanchez Mercado , also known as Orly Mercado, is a politician from the Philippines. Mercado was a senator for three terms and the head and anchor the popular radio program Radyo Patrol of ABS-CBN from 1969 to 1971...

 and the News and Current Affairs department head Marigold Haber-Dunca. On January 14, 2008, its late-night spin-off was aired as "NewsWatch Second Edition". This broadcast was anchored by Jay Esteban and Queen Sebastian. It also started to air on cable on all frequencies occupying C/S. The network's hourly news updates was renamed as "NewsWatch Update" until February 25, 2011, the last day Solar TV
Solar TV
Solar Television Network is the flagship cable TV channel and television arm subsidiary of Solar Entertainment Corporation, which is the replacement of C/S 9. This is the revival of the former Solar channel Solar USA....

 occupied the RPN frequency.

The show was reformatted into a reality show between June 7, 2008 and August 16, 2008. On October 11, 2008, another version was premiered, entitled "NewsWatch Junior Edition
NewsWatch Junior Edition
NewsWatch Junior Edition is another installation to the longest-running news program NewsWatch aired on Solar TV/Radio Philippines Network in the Philippines and the first reality-based TV workshop for future journalists from June 7, 2008 to August 16, 2008 and as a Magazine show on October 11,...

" with the contestants of the show anchoring it. This was the third youth spin-off of the NewsWatch; the previous two were NewsWatch Kids Edition (1979 to 1993) and Jr. NewsWatch (2005).

On October 8, 2008, broadcasts covering of the games of the Philippine Basketball Association
Philippine Basketball Association
The Philippine Basketball Association , is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of 10 company-branded franchised teams. It is the first and oldest professional basketball league in Asia and the second oldest in the world after the NBA...

 (PBA) was started. These were broadcast to coincide with the second half of the game on Wednesday and Friday. This coverage had ended since 2011 when RPN lost its PBA broadcasting rights to Studio 23
Studio 23
Studio 23 is a Filipino television network owned by the ABS-CBN Corporation. The network is named for its flagship station in Metro Manila, DWAC-TV, which is carried on UHF channel 23...

.

On February 16, 2009, former ABS-CBN
ABS-CBN
ABS–CBN Corporation is a Philippine-based media conglomerate. It is the Philippines' largest media and entertainment conglomerate. The corporation was the merger of Alto Broadcasting System which at that time owned by James Lindenberg and Antonio Quirino, and the Chronicle Broadcasting Network ...

 news anchor Joyce Burton-Titular replaced Orly Mercado as anchor. Mercado was then able to focus on his duties as the network's President and CEO. This was the second time that a female became the anchor of the newscast since the time of Cathy Santillian, Cielo Villaluna and Cristina Peczon.

On November 30, 2009, Radio Philippines Network (RPN) relaunched as Solar TV
Solar TV
Solar Television Network is the flagship cable TV channel and television arm subsidiary of Solar Entertainment Corporation, which is the replacement of C/S 9. This is the revival of the former Solar channel Solar USA....

. Broadcast times were changed from 30 minutes to 60 minutes duration. From the usual twice a day times of 5:30 pm and 11:00 pm, it became once a day at 5:30 pm and Reema Chanco was engaged as an additional anchor. RPN NewsCap replaced NewsWatch Second Edition and started airing at midnight. In 2009, the timeslot was moved to back to 11:30 in the evening. It also continued to air on cable until February 25, 2011.

Alongside NewsCap, NewsWatch started to air only on free TV
Free-to-air
Free-to-air describes television and radio services broadcast in clear form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscription or one-off fee...

 on March 2, 2011 at 5 pm as ETC had occupied the RPN frequency on all cable providers nationwide. But, it's still being managed to air only through Global Destiny Cable
Global Destiny Cable
Global Destiny Cable is a direct-to-home cable TV subscription service. Global Destiny Cable is the 2nd largest cable TV company in the Philippines.- History :...

 on channel 116, which was the frequency occupied by The Game Channel
The Game Channel
The Game Channel is a cable/free TV channel owned and produced by Solar Entertainment Corporation in the Philippines. It is the new sister of the networks Talk TV, ETC, 2nd Avenue, Universal Channel, Jack TV, Basketball TV, Solar Sports, and Diva Universal. It is currently available over Global...

 occupying the 5:00 pm timeslot. It's simulcast on that channel stopped on October 2011 as The Game Channel
The Game Channel
The Game Channel is a cable/free TV channel owned and produced by Solar Entertainment Corporation in the Philippines. It is the new sister of the networks Talk TV, ETC, 2nd Avenue, Universal Channel, Jack TV, Basketball TV, Solar Sports, and Diva Universal. It is currently available over Global...

 began airing on BEAM TV
DWKC-TV
DWKC-TV channel 31, is a television station of Radio Mindanao Network in the Philippines. Its Studios are located at the 4th Floor, Guadalupe Commercial Complex, EDSA Guadalupe, Makati City, while the transmitter is now located at Sumulong Highway, Antipolo City, province of Rizal...

 Channel 31 which was owned by Radio Mindanao Network
Radio Mindanao Network
RMN is the largest radio network in the Philippines with almost 60 company-owned AM & FM radio stations located around the Philippines. Radio Mindanao Network remains the legal name of the radio network, while Radyo Mo Nationwide is the slogan of the network. The network's first radio station was...

.

Relief anchors

Each of them serves as Joyce Burton-Titular's co-anchor or her sit-in anchors.
  • Viviene Guilla
  • Phoebe Javier

News Reporters

  • April Abello (DOJ
    Department of Justice (Philippines)
    The Department of Justice , abbreviated as DOJ, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for upholding the rule of law in the Philippines...

     correspondent)
  • Carlo Carongoy (Malacañang
    Malacañang Palace
    The Malacañan Palace, commonly known simply as Malacañang, is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the Philippines. Located at 1000 J. P. Laurel Street, San Miguel, Manila, the house was built in 1750 in Spanish Colonial style. It has been the residence of every...

     correspondent)
  • Janeena Chan (Spotlight correspondent)
  • Dale De Vera (Business correspondent)
  • Evangeline Evangelista
  • Viviene Guilla (Senate
    Senate of the Philippines
    The Senate of the Philippines is the upper chamber of the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, the Congress of the Philippines...

     correspondent)
  • Phoebe Javier (House
    House of Representatives of the Philippines
    The House of Representatives of the Philippines is the lower chamber of the...

     correspondent)
  • Emman Paz (CrimeWatch and TechWatch correspondent)
  • Pircelyn Pialago
  • Marsha Tañedo
  • Dennis Principe (Sports correspondent)

Past anchors

  • Marlene Alcaide (current News5 anchor/reporter)
  • Frank Abao
  • Eric Eloriaga
  • Harry Gasser
  • Charlie Ismael
  • Dodi Lacuna
  • Buddy Lopa
  • Meanne Los Baños (current News5 reporter)
  • Cristina Peczon
  • Coco Quisumbing
  • Cathy Santillan
  • Vikki Sambilay
  • Cielo Villaluna
  • Arlene Lim-Farol
  • Ramon Imperial
  • Orly Mercado
    Orly Mercado
    Orlando Sanchez Mercado , also known as Orly Mercado, is a politician from the Philippines. Mercado was a senator for three terms and the head and anchor the popular radio program Radyo Patrol of ABS-CBN from 1969 to 1971...

  • Gaby Roldan-Concepcion
  • Jay Esteban
  • Queen Sebastian
  • Reema Chanco
  • Loren Legarda
    Loren Legarda
    Loren Legarda is a Filipino broadcast journalist, environmentalist, and politician of Visayan ancestry, notable as the only female to top two senatorial elections . During the 2004 Philippine general election, she ran for the position of Vice-President as an Independent with Fernando Poe, Jr...

  • Lulu Pascual
  • Mel Tiangco
    Mel Tiangco
    Carmela Tiangco-Cornejo popularly known as Mel Tiangco is a popular television newscaster and television host in the Philippines....

     (current GMA News anchor)
  • Marigold Haber-Dunca

See also

  • Aksyon Balita
    Aksyon Balita
    Aksyon Balita is the final Filipino-language newscast and the late afternoon news broadcast of Radio Philippines Network in the Philippines...

  • List of programs broadcast by Radio Philippines Network
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