At the Heart of the Story
CNN Philippines News and Current Affairs (formerly Solar News and Current Affairs/Solar News and 9News and Current Affairs/9News) is the news and public affairs programming division of the media conglomerate Nine Media Corporation leasing the airtime of Radio Philippines Network. 9News ceased identifying themselves explicitly under such brand with the launching of CNN Philippines on March 16, 2015 and consolidated to the current name since July 2015.
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. On July 16, 2012, Solar News launched its first local newscasts including Solar Network News, Solar Newsday, Solar Daybreak and Solar Nightly News.
In November 2013, San Miguel Corporation President and COO Ramon S. Ang acquired a majority stake in Solar Television Network as well as its stake on RPN, The Tiengs were the majority stockholders then of STVNI. Meanwhile, on August 20, 2014, Solar Entertainment Corporation chief Wilson Tieng announced that he ceded his entire share on Solar TV Network, Inc., including its 34% majority share on RPN, to Antonio Cabangon-Chua, owner of business newspaper BusinessMirror and Aliw Broadcasting Corporation. The Tiengs were losing money after they invested in RPN and the group focused on the cable channels of the Solar Entertainment Corporation To reflect the change of ownership, and upon announcement of the rebranding of Solar News Channel into 9TV by August 23, Solar News will also rebrand into 9News, retaining its news and current affairs programming as 9TV expands its weekend programming.
9News underwent major overhaul as parent Nine Media Corporation signed a 5-year brand licensing agreement with Turner Broadcasting System to share resources with CNN to integrate the latter's content and 9News's reporting as CNN Philippines that launched on March 16, 2015. 9News ceased identifying themselves explicitly under that name with the reformat.