A2Z
TypeBroadcast commercial television network
CountryPhilippines
Broadcast areaGreater Manila Area, Northern and Central Luzon, Visayas, Northern Mindanao and Davao Region (analog and digital )
Nationwide (cable and satellite)
NetworkABS-CBN
ZOE TV
AffiliatesList of A2Z stations
HeadquartersFor ABS-CBN
ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center, Sgt. Esguerra Ave., corner Mo. Ignacia Ave, Diliman, Quezon City
For ZOE
22nd floor, Strata 2000 Bldg., F. Ortigas Jr. Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig
Programming
Language(s)Filipino (main)
English (secondary)
Picture format480i (SDTV)
Ownership
OwnerZOE Broadcasting Network (under airtime lease agreement with ABS-CBN Corporation)
Sister channelsUnder ZOE
Light TV
Under ABS-CBN
Kapamilya Channel
PIE Channel
Knowledge Channel
Jeepney TV
TeleRadyo Serbisyo
Metro Channel
Cine Mo!
Cinema One
ANC
TFC
History
LaunchedOctober 6, 2020 (2020-10-06) (test broadcast)
October 10, 2020 (2020-10-10) (official launch)
Replaced
Former namesZOE TV/Light TV (1998–2005; 2020)
QTV/Q and GMA News TV (2005–2019)
Links
WebsiteA2Z Official Facebook Page

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 airtime lease agreement (previously as blocktime agreement). A2Z's flagship television station is DZOE-TV which operates on channel 11 (analog broadcast), and channel 20 (digital broadcast).[1][2] The network's name is an abbreviation derived from the first letter of the names of two parent companies, ABS-CBN and ZOE, and the channel number of the now-recalled frequency of the former network (which is now owned by Advanced Media Broadcasting System's All TV).

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/Q and GMA News TV (now GTV).[3] 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 ₱899.89 million in 2016 to almost a billion pesos in 2018).[4] 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 was rumored to be part of marketing the channel to either possibly continuing the analog simulcast of their sister station UHF 33 or for the airtime leasing.

ABS-CBN shutdown and agreement rumors

On May 5, 2020, the broadcast operations of ABS-CBN Corporation, including Channel 2, S+A, DZMM 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) were 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.[5][6] Later, the Congress 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 former President Rodrigo Duterte due to several issues such as campaign advertisement controversies during the 2016 election, accusations of political meddling and unjust reporting, and the legality of the operations of digital television channel Kapamilya Box Office (KBO), among others.

ABS-CBN resumed its broadcast 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, news and current affairs programming before the May 5 stoppage.[7][8]

Since 2017, ZOE Broadcasting Network and ABS-CBN Corporation were reportedly holding 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.[9][10] Reports of a blocktime agreement between ABS-CBN and ZOE began 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 were shopped to air on ZOE TV.[11][12][13][14] Eventually, all ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs programs were declined to broadcast on Channel 11 by the ZOE management due to editorial concerns until January 1, 2022, when TV Patrol officially began the simulcast of its regular edition, marking its return to free-to-air television, almost two years since the newscast made its final broadcast on the original Channel 2.[15]

Launch and broadcasting

On October 6, 2020, through separate statements, ABS-CBN and ZOE TV publicly announced their blocktime agreement 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.[16][17] The announcement came a day after Sky Cable, ABS-CBN's cable television arm, added ZOE TV 11 to the channel lineup.[18]

Meanwhile, after a month of launching of the said new channel, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) was reportedly investigating ABS-CBN and ZOE Broadcasting Network to determine if the said blocktime agreement of the two stations was processed in legal ways.[19][20]

On November 12, 2020, A2Z began its broadcast on digital terrestrial television. The channel is available on most digital TV boxes.[21]

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.[22]

In January 2022, the country's National Telecommunications Commission granted a provisional authority for ZOE, to utilize UHF channel 20 for its DTT operations; this allowed the network to transmit both A2Z and its sister channel Light TV terrestrially outside Metro Manila.[23]

Programming

As part of the agreement between ABS-CBN and ZOE TV, the list of all television original programming by A2Z focuses on ABS-CBN programs from Kapamilya Channel and its sister channels. 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.

References

  1. ↑ "ABS-CBN shows return to free TV after ZOE deal". Rappler. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  2. ↑ Aguilar, Krissy (October 6, 2020). "Zoe TV rebrands as A2Z to feature ABS-CBN Shows". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  3. ↑ "GMA Network partners with Zoe Broadcasting Channel 11". The Philippine Star. April 28, 2007. Retrieved April 28, 2007.
  4. ↑ ZOE Broadcasting to end blocktime agreement with GMA Network Accessed April 28, 2019.
  5. ↑ Gutierrez, Jason (May 5, 2020). "Leading Philippine Broadcaster, Target of Duterte's Ire, Forced Off the Air". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 7, 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  6. ↑ "NTC to issue alias shutdown order vs ABS-CBN after getting SolGen advice". ABS-CBN News. June 29, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Which ABS-CBN businesses can still operate after NTC's cease and desist order?". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  8. ↑ Mercurio, Richmond (June 7, 2020). "Top ABS-CBN shows returning on new channel". The Philippine Star. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  9. ↑ "ABS-CBN, ililpat ng ibang channel?!". PhilStar.com. June 14, 2019. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
  10. ↑ "Channel 2 no more: ABS-CBN eyes buying Eddie Villanueva's ZOE TV to solve franchise deadlock - Abante". September 18, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
  11. ↑ "ABS-CBN, magba-blocktime sa ZOE TV ni Bro. Eddie Villanueva?". Philippine Entertainment Portal. August 26, 2020. Retrieved 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". Bilyonaryo. July 15, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  13. ↑ "It's Showtime at ASAP maaari ng magbalik sa Telebisyon?". Kapamilya Online World. August 26, 2020. Archived from the original on September 15, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  14. ↑ "When 2 become 11: Brother Eddie welcomes 'TV Patrol', 'Ang Probinsyano' on Zoe". Bilyonaryo. August 31, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  15. ↑ "'Sa wakas': TV Patrol is back on free TV via A2Z Channel". interaksyon.philstar.com. January 3, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  16. ↑ "ABS-CBN shows, movies return to free TV via Zoe deal - ABS-CBN News". October 6, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  17. ↑ "Zoe TV confirms ABS-CBN blocktime deal". October 6, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Is ABS-CBN coming back to free television via Zoe TV?". October 5, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  19. ↑ "Solon calls for investigation into ABS-CBN-A2Z Channel 11 blocktime deal". PEP.ph. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  20. ↑ "House told NTC, BIR to investigate ABS-Zoe blocktime deal". The Asian Affairs. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  21. ↑ "A2Z now available on digital TV boxes". ABS-CBN News. November 12, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  22. ↑ "A2Z expands reach, aims to conquer the Eastern side of the Philippines!". LionHearTV. September 2021. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  23. ↑ "ABS-CBN shows continue to return to former bailiwicks via TV5, A2Z digital TV expansions". LionHearTV. February 15, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
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