Cignal TV, Inc. (formerly known as GV Broadcasting System), also known by its legal trading name Mediascape Inc., is a Filipino media and telecommunications firm in the Philippines. A wholly owned subsidiary of the media company MediaQuest Holdings under the PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund, the firm operates its pay television services (Cignal and SatLite), subscription television networks (One News, One Sports+, BuKo, Sari-Sari Channel, NBA TV Philippines, PBA Rush, and UAAP Varsity Channel), television and film entertainment production (Cignal Entertainment), and fiber broadband internet (Red Fiber).
Cignal TV[1] also operates in sixteen affiliate free television stations TV5 (with its main frequencies owned by its sister company) and one affiliate free television station One Sports (with its owned by Nation Broadcasting Corporation). In addition, under the Mediascape name, it operates UHF 51 via DTT in Metro Manila and a majority of thirteen regional DTV stations affiliated with TV5 Network, and owns provincial radio stations associated with Apollo Broadcast Investors/GV Radios Network Corporation.
History
Early years
The firm was founded in 1983 as GV Broadcasting System by the Galang family. GV then operated its radio stations in Pampanga and later expanded in Batangas. GV's broadcast franchise was granted in 1995,[2] and was later amended in 1998 allowing the inclusion of establishing its pay-TV business.[3]
In 2007, MediaQuest Holdings acquired a majority stake in GV and its parent Satventures, making the Galangs being part of MediaQuest.[4] The Galangs would spun-off its broadcast radio assets. Smart Communications executive Orlando Vea was then appointed as the new executive of GV.
At that time, it formed a partnership with PLDT subsidiary Smart Communications
Assets
Pay television
Cignal
Cignal is the company's flagship brand operates as a direct-to-home satellite service.[8]
SatLite
SatLite is a digital prepaid pay TV service launched on January 12, 2018. It offers budget-sized lineup of channels with a similarity of Cignal's channel lineup, and is only catered to low income households and rural communities. SatLite uses Koreasat 7, the satellite transponder previously used by the now-defunct Dream Satellite TV prior to the end of 2017.
Cignal
Cignal is the company's flagship brand operates as a direct-to-home satellite service.[8]
Cignal Entertainment
Cignal Entertainment (formerly ABC Entertainment Department and TV5 Entertainment Group) is a Philippine television, film, event production and distribution company and the entertainment division of TV5 Network, Inc. and jointly operated with sister company Cignal TV. It was launched in 2017 with the mini-drama Tukhang,[17][18] followed by several series and movies they produced such as Ang Babaeng Allergic sa WiFi (2018, for Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino, co-produced with The IdeaFirst Company and October Train Films), Born Beautiful (2019, co-produced with The IdeaFirst Company and October Train Films), Malecdito (2019, co-produced with Fox Networks Group Philippines), Feelenial (2019, co-produced with DSL Events and Production House, Inc.) and Cara x Jagger (2019, co-produced with APT Entertainment).
Since August 2020, Cignal Entertainment serves as the primary production and content provider unit of Cignal TV for TV5's blocktime airings. It handles entertainment and lifestyle programs co-produced with MQ Studios
Former assets
Weather Information Network
Weather Information Network is the first weather-oriented television channel in the Philippines. It is created in May 2012 as Cignal TV forms a partnership with New Zealand-based Metra Weather. the channel brings projected storm tracks, wind direction, rain volume, water conditions, regional and provincial weather, and seven-day forecasts as well as other information related to weather. The channel ceased airing on December 23, 2013, as TV5 transfers its broadcast facilities from its TV5 Studio Complex in Novaliches, Quezon City to TV5 Media Center in Reliance, Mandaluyong.
Bloomberg TV Philippines
Bloomberg TV Philippines was a Philippine business news channel formed through a partnership of Cignal TV, TV5 Network and Bloomberg L.P. Launched on October 5, 2015, it includes a variety of locally produced business and complementary programs powered by News5 and foreign news from the main Bloomberg Television. The channel was shut down on May 27, 2018 and it was replaced by One News. Although, Bloomberg-produced programs is still carried by One News under the block of the same name of the now defunct channel.
One Screen
Mediascape TV stations
Since 2010, Cignal TV/Mediascape's regional television stations are the primary affiliate group of TV5, RPTV and One Sports.[44][45]
Active
Inactive/Former analog
1 Fully migrated from analog to digital 2 Still inactive 3 Available soon on analog and digital