Explore the milestones on this digital timeline
1994
ABS-CBN LAUNCHES THE FILIPINO CHANNEL (TFC)
ABS-CBN International launches The Filipino Channel (TFC) with 8 hours of programming on weekdays and 12 hours on weekends to cabled homes in California, USA. TFC transforms into a full 24-hour service with same-day airing of news and entertainment programs by September.
1995
TFC is offered as a direct-to-home satellite service
TFC is offered as a direct-to-home satellite service, making the channel available to the entire continental U.S. as TFCDirect!
1996
LAUNCHING OF SARIMANOK ONE PREPAID CARD
ABS-CBN Telecom launches Sarimanok One, the only rechargeable prepaid phone card with a rewards program for Filipinos in North America.
1997
ABS-CBN FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL WAS FOUNDED
ABS-CBN Foundation International was founded. ABS-CBN Foundation International primarily focuses on promoting public welfare, disaster relief, environmental conservation, and social development initiatives, both in the Philippines and among Filipino communities worldwide.
1237-00 BAYAN KOLLECT SA AMERIKA
ABS-CBN Telecom, in partnership with Bayantel, announces its home country direct service called 1237-00 Bayan Kollect sa America.
1998
TFCDirect! makes the switch from analog to digital transmission for superior broadcast quality.
TFCDirect! makes the switch from analog to digital transmission for superior broadcast quality.
1999
TFC CELEBRATES ITS 5TH YR ANNIVERSARY
AT HOME KA SA TFC. Hosted by Martin Nievera and several TFC programs hosts.
WATCH VIDEO
CINEMA ONE GLOBAL
In July, TFC launched in Australia as a premium channel together with Cinema One, later renamed as Cinema One Global.
2000
ABS-CBN VENTURES INTO GLOBAL MONEY REMITTANCE WITH THE LAUNCH OF E-MONEYPLUS INC. IN EUROPE AND HONG KONG.
STARRY STARRY STORE!
ABS-CBN International opens its virtual store in the U.S. as Starry Starry Store, offering homegrown entertainment products like music CDs and movies on video, books and magazines and Filipino novelty items.
2001
FIRST BALITANG AMERICA BROADCAST
Balitang America (BA) served as the flagship news program of TFC, produced by ABS-CBN International and ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs.
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RCPI CARGO OFFERS DOOR-TO-DOOR SHIPMENT OF BALIKBAYAN BOXES BY AIR AND SEA FROM CALIFORNIA TO THE PHILIPPINES
ABS-CBN Global Money and Tawag Remit expands its reach in the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the U.S.A
Ging REYES became North America News bureau chief in 2002
Ging expanded the scope of news operations to include the entire US and Canada, and developed local content for Filipino-American communities. She created “Balitang America,” a half-hour primetime newscast on The Filipino Channel.
2003
ABS-CBN Now! was launched
ABS-CBN Now is an innovative Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) service by Philippine media giant ABS-CBN. It allowed users to stream live and on-demand television content over a broadband internet connection
RCPI CARGO becomes StarKargo, a service provided by ABS-CBN International to key cities in the U.S.
ABS-CBN Europe Ltd. is incorporated in the United Kingdom, establishes its branches in Italy and Spain
2004
TFC 10TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY AND STATION ID WINS AT PROMAX BDA
ABS-CBN Global shines even brighter in the international scene as The Filipino Channel’s (TFC) 10th anniversary station ID, Isang Dugo, Isang Lahi, Isang Musika (One Blood, One Race, One Music), won the prestitious Promax World Silver aaward.
2005
BACK TO BACK ASAP SHOWS IN CALIFORNIA FOR THE 2005 U.S. KAPAMILYA SUMMER CARAVAN
JULY 16, 2005, ASAP at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. JULY 25, 2005, ASAP at Monster Park Fairgrounds in the SF Bay Area 2005 U.S. Kapamilya Summer Caravan.
CITIZEN PINOY: YOUR PASSPORT TO IMMIGRATION PREMIERED ON TFC
Hosted by Atty. Michael J. Gurfinkel, Gel Santos-Relos, and later Daly City Mayor Atty. Mike Guingona. A public service program addressing immigration possibilities, issues, and problems for our Filipino audience.
2006
TFC'S FIRST REALITY SHOW PINAGMULAN: THE JOURNEY HOME.
The show documents its subjects’ rediscovering their roots. The show’s producers encourage their audience to write in their emails and letters to be the next subjects on future episodes.
TFC LAUNCHES ITS VERY FIRST EVENT FRANCHISE, “RAKRAKANFEST”
Rakrakanfest is the very first and by far biggest event franchise of TFC. ABS-CBN Middle East’s very own version of Pinoy Woodstock, annually gathering thousands of Filipinos in the region.
2008
ADOBO NATION PREMIERED ON TFC
ADOBO NATION is a dynamic weekly magazine talk program tailored for Filipino-Americans in North America. Seamlessly blending news and lifestyle topics, it covers everything from global headlines to Hollywood buzz, fashion trends, travel hotspots, dining delights, blockbuster films, and music releases.
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ABS-CBN MIDDLE EAST SEALS TWO-YEAR DEAL BROADCAST RIGHTS IN ALL OF MANNY PACQUIAO'S BOXING BOUTS
ABS-CBN Middle East seals a two-year all-output deal with boxing magnate, Bob Arum of Top Rank for the exclusive broadcast rights in the region of all of Manny Pacquiao’s boxing bouts.
2009
TFC CELEBRATES ITS 15TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY
TFC launches its new campaign ‘Tayo ang TFC’ along with its new logo right smack on its anniversary month.
WATCH VIDEO
TFC EXPANDS TO WEST CANADA AND JAPAN
TFC was available on cable via Shaw Communications on West Canada and Skyperfect customers in Japan.
ABS-CBN FOUNDATION COLLECTS PHP 3.6M FOR TYPHOON ONDOY VICTIMS
E-MoneyPlus, Inc. appeals to its remittance tie-ups for help in accepting donations from overseas Filipinos. Eleven remittance tie-ups from KSA, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Ireland and Taiwan heeded the call and waived charges for remittances in favor of ABS-CBN Foundation.
WOWAWEE TFC WORLD TOUR STARTS IN DUBAI
This marks the beginning of Wowowee’s 2009 TFC World Tours, which is part of the 15th anniversary celebration of The Filipino Channel (TFC) and the 4th anniversary of the ABS-CBN noontime show.
2010
MYX MOUNTS ITS BIG LAUNCH EVENT MYX MASH
Featuring artists like T-Pain, Brown-eyed Girls and Bruno Mars. The event went on to win a prestigious U.S. cable industry award for Outstanding Multicultural Marketing, besting industry giants like Cox Communications.
GLOBAL P-NOY TOWNHALL SA TFC. PNOY PRESIDENTIAL VISIT IN THE OFFICE REDWOOD SHORES, CA
2011
TFC launches its first Talent Contest - TFC-kat, its remittance service’s new brand, myremit, NEW channels BRO and Cinema One
2012
GAWAD GENY LOPEZ JR. BAYANING PILIPINO AWARDS GOES GLOBAL; THE FIRST TIME SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 1994
TFC KINGDOM CUP HELD IN JEDDAH, RIYADH, AND DAMMAM
2,000 attendees each game from the eliminations up to the finals, totaling to more than 25,000 spectators for the whole season. Jeddah FBA Vipers bagged the 1st TFC Kingdom Cup Championship.
ADOBO NATION’S FEATURE ON UNITED PLAYAZ – A SAN FRANCISCO-BASED VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION – NABBED TFC’S VERY FIRST EMMY FOR BEST CURRENT/COMMUNITY/PUBLIC AFFAIRS
ADOBO NATION’S FEATURE, “STREETS OF MY LOLO,” EARNED AN EMMY NOMINATION IN THE HISTORICAL/CULTURAL PROGRAM/FEATURE/SEGMENT CATEGORY
2016
TFC LAUNCED ITS ONLINE STREAMING PLATFORM TFC.TV
TFC.tv provided a way for Filipinos living abroad to watch television shows, films, and other content produced in the Philippines. It offered both live programming and on-demand shows and movies.
ABS-CBN NORTH AMERICA NEWS DESK EDITOR HENNI ESPINOSA WON BEST TELEVISION COMMUNITY REPORTING FOR “OFW CONCERNS”
2017
TFC LAUNCHES 1MX, ITS VERY FIRST MUSIC CONCERT FRANCHISE
It originally launched in 2017 as a Filipino arts festival at the Dubai Media City Amphitheater.
CINEMATOGRAFO
ABS-CBN International launches its first film festival, Cinematografo Originals. Cinematografo International Film Festival happened on November 9-12 at the AMC Kabuki Theaters in Japantown, San Francisco.
“BOX CITY”, AN ORIGINAL BALITANG AMERICA DOCUMENTARY NABS TWO EMMY® AWARDS AT THE 47TH ANNUAL NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
2019
EPIC YOUTH LEADERSHIP AWARDS (EYLA) WAS HELD AT THE GOOGLE CAMPUS IN SILICON VALLEY
The Gawad Geny Lopez Jr. Bayaning Pilipino Awards present Epic Youth Leader Awards (EYLAs), was a new search by ABS-CBN Corporation, ABS-CBN International and UGAT Foundation, Inc. that was conducted in the U.S. and Canada that recognized a new generation of Filipino heroes for the times, determined to make a difference in the world through their youth-serving efforts that address specific areas of service in Entrepreneurship/Innovation; Environmentalism; Mentorship/Education/Literacy; Civil Rights/Compassion/Charity; and Arts/Culture/Heritage Advocacy.
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2019
TFC ORIGINALS LAUNCHED HINAHANAP-HANAP KITA
Hinahanap-Hanap Kita is TFC’s first digital series produced by ABS-CBN and TFC Studios. TFC Studios, a subsidiary of ABS-CBN Global, is dedicated to creating high-quality Filipino content for global audiences, particularly those who are part of the Filipino diaspora.
YELLOW ROSE WON GRAND JURY PRIZES
A Cinematografo entry won Grand Jury Prizes at the 35th LoS Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, Bentoville Film Festival, and CAAMFest 37
2020
KEPT: SIX DECADES OF SERVITUDE WINS AN EMMY AWARD
BA Original Documentary: KEPT: Six Decades of Servitude wins in the 49th Annual Northern California Area Emmy Awards for Human Interest – Program/Special category.
ABS-CBN LAUNCHES IWANTTFC STREAMING SERVICE FOR FILIPINOS WORLDWIDE
iWantTFC is a unified global streaming service offering a vast selection of Filipino content. Users worldwide can access it via web, iOS, and Android. The platform features the largest Filipino content library.
2022
TFC CELEBRATES ITS 15TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY
After a two-year touring hiatus due to the pandemic, almost 6,000 fans trooped to Orleans Arena to experience the live destination that is “ASAP Natin ‘To Las Vegas”.
STAR MAGIC 30TH ANNIVERSARY IN 3 CITIES IN THE US
Star Magic artists toured the U.S. as part of their 30th anniversary celebration, staging shows in Kings Theater, Brooklyn, The Warfield, San Francisco, and the Saban Theatre, Beverly Hills.
MYX RADIO, MORE, AND TELERADYO LAUNCH IN MALAYSIA
ABS-CBN radio stations MYX Radio, MORe, and TeleRadyo launch on Malaysia’s leading digital radio platform, SYOK in its endeavor to expand reach across borders and cultures through various media and platforms
VIDIO INDONESIA LAUNCHES LOCALIZED ABS-CBN SERIES AND DRAMA ANTHOLOGY UNDER A CONTENT LOCALIZATION PARTNERSHIP WITH GLOBAL.
2023
ABS-CBN GLOBAL LAUNCHES 3 LEGS OF 1MX MUSIC FESTIVAL
1MX Music Festival at Silverworks Island (London), Budweiser Stage (Toronto) and Horden Pavilion (Sydney), featuring popular Filipino artists alongside international acts.
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TFC RETURNS TO ITALY WITH ASAP MILAN EVENT
All Roads Led to Milan: Thousands Trekked to the Fashion Capital to Watch this Global Concert Spectacle.
