Free TV Channel 2 will soon resume commercial broadcast under its new owner, former Senate President Manuel Villar, who has recruited former talents of ABS-CBN, the former operator of the channel before it was denied a franchise renewal.
Here's what we know so far about the new Channel 2, based on official statements, announcements from main host Willie Revillame and reports from our sister site, PEP.ph:
- The network be called ALLTV commercially, which is on-brand for the Villar family that also owns the AllHome and All Day stores.
- The corporate entity that will run Channel 2 is called Advanced Media Broadcasting System or AMBS. It's headquartered at the family-owned StarMall in EDSA-Shaw, according to its Facebook page.
- Aside from analog channel 2, the Villars also secured digital channel 16. It's their first foray into media after success in real estate and retail. Manny Villar is the country's second richest man, with a net worth estimated by Forbes Magazine at $7.8 billion (P445.5 trillion).
- Revillame will bring the latest incarnation of his variety-public service show "Wowowin" to ALLTV. The program originated in ABS-CBN and has been shown on TV5 and most recently, GMA Network.
- Former ABS-CBN talents who have signed up with ALLTV include radio and TV anchor Anthony Taberna and Toni Gonzaga as well as Gonzaga's husband, film director Paul Soriano.
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