ARC Bids Farewell

After almost a year and a half of broadcasting, the ABS-CBN Regional Channel, along with sister channels Hero TV and Tag, has ceased broadcasting due to “a change in business directions”. In this piece we will discuss the various reasons why such a promising channel closed down.

Lack of programming choices

When this channel opened up, probably most of us (me included) were expecting the entire library of ABS-CBN Regional programming, alongside occasional live programming such as festival coverages and simulcasts from the regional stations, but those haven’t materialized. Also noticeable were the never-ending repeats of dubbed movies, magazine shows, MOR programs, and the airing of select TV Patrol editions.

Lack of support from the mother station

ABS-CBN Regional is also noticeably one of the least prioritized divisions of the network. When the main channel 2 is airing most of its programming on high-definition, the regional stations remains on standard definition. Also noticeable that when TV Patrol relaunched its graphics on July 2016, the rollout was slow. Even until now, TV Patrol Tacloban is still using the 2013 graphics.

Lack of distribution

ARC was only present on Sky Direct, Sky Cable and Destiny Cable Manila, and select cable providers, if any. Add to that a lack of advertiser support, these factors contributed to the channel’s demise.

This was ABS-CBN’s second experiment in having a channel broadcasting regional content, after the Sarimanok channel. ABS-CBN should be able to learn a lesson in this experience, and other networks should seize the opportunity and create a similar channel which will not fall into the same mistake.

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