Filipino TV

Filipino TV

Filipino TV logo
Launched July 2004
Owned by Ethnic Channels Group
Picture format 480i (SDTV)
Country Canada
Broadcast area National
Headquarters Toronto, Ontario
Formerly called ECG Filipino (2004 - 2005)
The Mabuhay Channel (2005 - 2008)
Website Filipino TV
Availability
Satellite
Bell TV Channel 725
Cable
Cogeco Channel 1038
Rogers Cable Channel 869
Shaw Cable Channel 510
IPTV
Bell Fibe TV Channel 860
MTS Channel 525
Optik TV Channel 2601
SaskTel Channel 246
Streaming media
WCETV Online Stream

Filipino TV (FTV) is a Canadian exempt Category B Tagalog language specialty channel and is owned by Ethnic Channels Group. It broadcasts programming from the Philippines and locally produced Canadian content.

Filipino TV is entertainment specialty service that airs top rated Filipino movies including blockbusters as well as classic favourites. It also airs music videos, concerts and reality series. Foreign programming aired on FTV originates from Viva TV, a popular Filipino TV channel.

History

ECG Filipino TV logo
Logo used while under the name The Mabuhay Channel

Filipino TV launched in July 2004 under the name ECG Filipino and featured programming from now-defunct Pinoy Central TV. In late 2005 the channel was renamed The Mabuhay Channel Canada via an agreement with The Mabuhay Channel, a new Filipino Channel that had launched in the United States. The Mabuhay Channel was a partnership of five different Filipino broadcasters: ABC Channel 5, NBN Channel 4, IBC Channel 13, CCI Asia Group (ISLA & Juice), and VIVA Entertainment. It was created exclusively for Filipinos living abroad by Philippine Multimedia Systems Inc. (PMSI), the only DTH satellite broadcaster in the Philippines.

In August 2008 The Mabuhay Channel was dropped by Dish Network, the only provider who carried the channel in the US. As a result of this, the channel ceased broadcasting and on August 18, 2008. Ethnic Channels Group re-branded the channel yet again this time calling it FTV- Filipino TV.

Coinciding with the launch of Filipino TV, Ethnic Channels announced a partnership with Filipino-Canadian production company Minerva Studio, whereby Minerva would produce several original productions for FTV.[1]

On November 4, 2014, the CRTC approved Ethnic Channel Group's request to convert Filipino TV from a licensed Category B specialty service to an exempted Cat. B third language service.[2]

References

  1. FTV & Minerva are On Air
  2. FTV-Filipino TV (formerly Filipino TV) - Revocation of licence

External links