Pulso: Aksyon Balita was premiered on August 16, 1999 at 11:00 pm on ABS-CBN and was anchored by Korina Sanchez and Ted Failon, replacing the network's English language television newscast The World Tonight anchored by the post-People Power Revolution anchor Angelo Castro Jr. and Tina Monzon-Palma who replaced its original anchor Loren Legarda due to her decision as a senator in the 1998 elections and before its final broadcast on ABS-CBN on August 13, 1999. Pulso: Aksyon Balita was created by ABS-CBN news executives Jake Maderazo and Ging Reyes as the network's first Filipino language late-night newscast due to low ratings on English language late-night newscasts when rival GMA Network introduced all-Filipino news broadcast with the relaunch of GMA Network Newsin September 1998, switching its language from English to Filipino and was anchored by Mike Enriquez and Vicky Morales. This was the start of late-night news for both GMA and ABS-CBN to the predominantly Filipino-speaking CDE audience because of the so-called "cold war" of Philippine television, ending the golden age of television news for the predominantly English-speaking AB audience on major networks. It ended with the segment Kontra Bersya where the anchors debates on the burning issue of the day. This was capped with a telephone survey that counts viewer opinion on current issues. The start of the year 2000 saw ABS-CBN's first weakness in television ratings after its English-language programs including the late-night newscast The World Tonight were removed last year in 1999, Pulso: Aksyon Balita was to ease the competition with Frontpage: Ulat ni Mel Tiangco. In January of that year, Sanchez and Failon were about to be replaced from the newscast since they were taken in only a temporary basis and not permanent for them being anchors. On February 14, 2000, Dong Puno replaced Failon after the latter was clearing the management from the start that the favor for ABS-CBN's temporary agreement and Gel Santos-Relos took Sanchez's position at the same day. However, it was cancelled and aired its final broadcast on November 17, 2000 and was replaced by ABS-CBN Headlines. Following the axing of Pulso, Ted Failon ran for politics and was elected as congressman of Leyte in the 2001 elections, while Puno was appointed as Press Secretary by President Joseph Estrada.
