Hero (TV channel)

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Hero

Launched	October 1, 2005 (first official broadcast) November 12, 2005 (official launch)
Owned by	Creative Programs Inc. (subsidiary of ABS-CBN)
Website	herotvonline.tv

Hero is the anime cable channel in the Philippines formed by Creative Programs Inc. (the cable subsidiary of ABS-CBN) which also produces MYX, Cinema One, ABS-CBN News Channel and Lifestyle Network. So far, it is seen on SkyCable in Metro Manila and in over 200 cable systems all over the Philippines. It is also known as Hero TV by fans and at times by the channel itself probably due to ambiguation purposes.

It is the first and only all-Tagalog-dubbed anime channel. It aired its first test broadcast from August to September, 2005. Regular broadcast started on the following month, it was formally launched at the Philippine Trade Training Center on November 12, 2005.

Initially, the channel airs between 6:00 a.m. and 12:00 midnight; but since April 2006, the schedule has been extended to 2:00 a.m. the next day.

1 Anime shown on the channel
2 Non-anime programs
3 Program blocks
- 3.1 Local short segments
4 Competitors
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] Anime shown on the channel

Much of the content in Hero is attributed to the fact that Creative Programs Inc's parent company ABS-CBN has produced numerous dubs of anime years before the airing of Hero. Aside from those, the channel also shows anime that have not yet seen in any terrestrial or cable channel shown in the Philippines prior its first showing in the channel, such as Mirmo de Pon!.

The channel also features anime dubbed by Telesuccess, Inc., supplier for most of the anime aired in ABS-CBN's rival GMA 7. Some of these are Love Hina, Rune Soldier, and Shaman King. Others seen in the channel were previously shown in English on Cartoon Network's Philippine feed or, in the case of Raijin-Oh, RPN 9.

Furthermore, the channel features re-dubs, i.e. it produced its own dubbed version of anime which previously were already dubbed in Tagalog. Examples of these were Mon Colle Knights, Metal Fighter Miku, Zenki, The Slayers, and Voltes V.

See also list of anime broadcast by Hero, past and present.

[edit] Non-anime programs

Although the channel prides itself as an anime channel, some of the programs it aired were non-anime. They are Mission Odyssey and Shadow of the Elves, both produced by the Berliner Film Companie, and the tokusatsu or live-action shows The Gransazers, Masked Rider Ryuki, and Shaider. As of the present, all of these five have been pulled out of the rotation.

The following programs joined and will join these five programs as non-anime programs shown on Hero:

[edit] Tokusatsu programs

Masked Rider 555 (tokusatsu)
Power Rangers (Dino Thunder and Ninja Storm)
The Justirisers

[edit] Anime-style animation programs

Di-Gata Defenders (produced by Nelvana)
Mythic Warriors (produced by Nelvana)
Class of the Titans (produced by Nelvana)
BASToF Lemon (Korean animation series)

[edit] Western-style animation programs

[edit] HERO-produced programs

G³ (G-cubed) ("Games, Gigs, and Gadgets," a locally-produced technology program)
Animenutes (a locally-produced anime news and information program)

[edit] Program blocks

Below are Hero's television blocks, past and present:

Theatrixx is the channel's weekend movie block which shows a different anime movie each weekend.
League of Heroes is a weekday block which features the channels most prominent anime characters
Food Fantasy Face-off is a food-themed weekday block which features Yakitate!! Japan and Mister Ajikko.
Super Sentai Showdown (formerly Saturday Super Sentai) a program block shown on weekend which air tokusatsu and Power Ranger shows (see Non-anime programs above).
Dream Team is a sport-themed block.
Ohayoo Hero! is an early weekday morning block which features anime meant to be watched by children. The Ohayoo part is a misspelled transliteration of the Japanese greeting "Ohayō!"

[edit] Local short segments

In between shows or commercial breaks, the channel produced short segments for the viewers' pleasure.

Anime 101 is anime fans' information guide on anime fandom and dubbing.
AniMYX shows anime mini-music videos (actually random montage clips) which follow the karaoke-cum-music video style of sister music channel MYX.
Hall of Heroes comprehensively profiles a certain anime character.
Stars on Hero is actually a promotion skit done by various celebrities, usually those from ABS-CBN.
Hero Alert announces major events related to anime, manga, and cosplay.
Hero's Choice recommends places for viewers to visit and enjoy (hence a travel guide).
In early 2006, channel aired Hero Solutions which asked random people about their "hero solutions" to existing problems.
Dream On features a viewer living out his ambition or dream job for a short period of time.

[edit] Competitors

So far among cable TV channels in the Philippines, Hero competes directly with Animax. This is unique since Animax is the only channel in the rest of Asia which exclusively airs anime. Hero also faces indirect competition from Cartoon Network's Toonami block. Interestingly (as the above lists mentioned), Hero airs InuYasha, which Animax also airs in some of its channels outside Southeast Asia. InuYasha was later joined by Saiyuki Reload and many others which had previous stints in any of Animax's various international feeds.