Movie Central was a Philippine pay television channel created by ABS-CBN and one of the freemium channels of ABS-CBN TVplus. The channel's programming consists of mainly foreign and Hollywood movies. It was the second digital terrestrial television-exclusive movie channel after Cine Mo!, which also airs Hollywood and foreign movies in original English audio. Movie Central operated daily from 7:00 AM to 1:00 AM of the following day. It was available for a free-trial basis from July 30, 2018, to May 5, 2020, alongside O Shopping (standalone DTV), Asianovela Channel, Jeepney TV, and Myx.[1]
 | |
| Country | Philippines |
|---|---|
| Network | ABS-CBN |
| Headquarters | ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines (for ABS-CBN) |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English |
| Picture format | 480i (SDTV) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | ABS-CBN Corporation |
| Sister channels | |
| History | |
| Founded | July 30, 2018 |
| Launched | July 30, 2018 (ABS-CBN TVplus) June 14, 2020 (cable programming block for Kapamilya Channel) |
| Closed | May 5, 2020 (expired franchise lapsed) |
Movie Central permanently ceased broadcasting on May 5, 2020, due to the cease-and-desist order issued by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and Solicitor General Jose Calida against ABS-CBN. On September 10, 2020, the NTC reclaimed all frequencies assigned to ABS-CBN.[2]
Most of the films aired on Movie Central were moved to Kapamilya Channel via Movie Central Presents movie presentation block which airs during late night hours, exclusive to pay cable and satellite television, replacing O Shopping.
Final programming
editContent
editMovie Central carried films from various Hollywood film studios (Walt Disney Studios, 20th Century Studios, Warner Bros. Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Universal Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and selected independent film studios).
Programming blocks
edit- Action Zone – a weekday early-evening showcase of mostly action films.
- Date Night – a programming block dedicated primarily to romantic films.
- Hit Play Now – blockbuster movies from various genres are presented.
- Thriller Theater – a late-night programming block featuring mostly horror and suspense movies.
- Movie Blowout – a Saturday night block showcasing well-loved blockbuster movies.
- Sunday Double Rumble – a Sunday night block featuring two movies of the same genre.
- The Rundown - a documentary block featuring two movies of the same genre, airing back-to-back every Monday night.
References
edit- ^ Melegrito, JM (July 23, 2018). "ABS-CBN to start broadcasting additional channels on July 30". DTV Pilipinas.
- ^ "NTC recalls frequencies, channels assigned to ABS-CBN". ABS-CBN News. September 10, 2020.