SBN was founded by Gem Communications Holdings Corporation majority owned by Filipino-Chinese tycoon Lucio Co, founder of supermarket chain Puregold Price Club Inc. with 97% share. Leonardo B. Dayao and Teofilo A. Henson served as Chairman and President of SBN, respectively. The Davao-based broadcast company launched DWCP-TV channel 21, becoming the first local UHF TV station in Metro Manila starting May 30, 1992. It was then known as World TV 21, which was operated by the Kampana Television Corporation, providing programming content from ABC, ESPN and CNN on this channel. On September 7, 1995, in accordance to current constitutional rules, SBN's franchise was approved as Republic Act No. 8147 by the Philippine Congress, yet even without the president's approval. In 2000, SBN started airing Ang Dating Daan after transferring from PTV, as well as informative and educational programs and the most notable program during the network's popularity, SBN Music Videos, which it also evolved into a videoke oriented program SBN 21 Live. In 2001, the Iglesia ni Cristo launched its own program, Ang Tamang Daan, as a direct response to Ang Dating Daan, featuring video footages and recordings of ADD hosts as issues were tackled. Over time the animosity between the two groups has intensified, and their relationship has been severely strained. The Quezon CityRegional Trial Court on Wednesday ordered televangelist Bro. Eliseo Soriano of Ang Dating Daan to pay the Iglesia ni Cristo, P100,000 in moral damages for libel committed 10 years ago. Branch 92 Judge Eleuterio Bathan also directed him to pay a fine of P6,000 each for two counts of libel. He ruled the elements of libel have been established in the case filed by INC over Soriano’s pronouncement on a television program on April 25, 2003 and the replay on April 27 on the same timeslot during the live program of Ang Dating Daan on SBN. The case stemmed from a complaint filed by members of the Iglesia ni Cristo, including its minister Michael Sandoval, due to statements of Soriano aired on August 10 referring to the minister. By 2004, Ang Dating Daan transferred to UNTV, while Ang Tamang Daan moved to the INC's secular television station Net 25.
New Management (2008–present)
Blocktime agreement and Subsequent purchase by Solar
On January 1, 2008, Solar Entertainment Corporation began to lease airtime on SBN, choosing to broadcast programming from its entertainment channel ETC. Months prior to the deal, SkyCable stated that they would offer less "redundant" programming and feature more series that had never been aired in the country before, but reports surfaced that channels operated by Solar were pulled due to a dispute; SkyCable's owner, ABS-CBN Corporation, believed that Solar's lower fees for advertising on its channels were causing ABS-CBN to lose revenue. The new blocktime deal between SBN, Radio Philippines Network, Rajah Broadcasting Network, and Solar is said to be a part of the latter's retaliation to Sky. In mid-2010, GemCom sold all of its 97% equity share in SBN to Solar Entertainment for Php 368.8 million. Since then, SBN became a fully owned subsidiary of Solar. When Solar Entertainment's former channel Solar TV expanded as a broadcast television company, after Solar acquired a 34% majority stake of RPN, ETC was transferred to RPN. Meanwhile, SBN and Solar created news and talk channel Talk TV, with both parties enjoying a 50% share of the channel. The newly created channel conducted its test broadcast until March 31, 2011, with full operation commenced on April 1, 2011. By January 16, 2012, Talk TV became the first home of Solar's newly created division, Solar News. The first local news event covered was the Renato Coronaimpeachment trial. On October 30, Talk TV was relaunched as the Solar News Channel. Though it was claimed as "the first 24-hour English news channel on free-to-air TV", SBN never materialized SNC's slogan. On December 1, 2013, Solar News Channel moved to RPN to allow SNC's wider coverage, while ETC returned to SBN a day before. On July 26, 2019, in accordance to current constitutional rules, It was granted a renewing SBN for 25-year legislative franchise under Republic Act 11354 to construct, install, operate and maintain commercial radio and TV broadcasting stations signed by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was approved by the House of Representatives and by the Senate of the Philippines
