A 2024 Pulse Asia study reported 97% of Filipinos with Internet access used it to read, watch, or listen to the news. The same study showed newspapers accounted for only 1% as a source of news, said Francis Dal, head of news at ABS-CBN in Philippines, during the recent INMA Asia/Pacific News Media Summit.

Television remained the top source of news at 83%, while the Internet followed closely at 73%.

The 2025 Reuters Institute Digital News Report confirmed the Philippines was the only surveyed country where a majority preferred to watch the news online rather than read or listen. 

“The contrast between digital and print tells us where the audience really is,” Dal said. “The Internet is fast catching up with television as the main news source.”

ABS-CBN lost its broadcast franchise in May 2020 due to political pressure. The shutdown forced the network to halt free-to-air operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in significant layoffs and financial losses.

Before the closure, ABS-CBN employed 11,000 people and maintained three national news programmes, 10 current affairs shows, and 22 regional bureaus. It operated a 24-hour English news channel, a 24-hour radio station, and a robust news Web site followed by millions.

“The closure accelerated a tectonic shift to digital in the Philippine media landscape,” Dal said. “Our hallways, once bustling with journalists beating deadlines, suddenly became empty.”

The shutdown left TV Patrol, the flagship primetime newscast, as the main news programme. Two cable channels, ANC and TeleRadyo, continued broadcasting, alongside the ABS-CBN News Web site and social media accounts.

The company shifted resources to digital platforms. ABS-CBN built an audience of 18.3 million subscribers on YouTube and 27 million followers on Facebook, while expanding on Instagram, TikTok, and X. These platforms became the primary channels for reaching younger Filipinos.

“We had to scale down to a fraction of our former capacity, but we kept going,” she explained. “We had to follow the audience to where they were already consuming news.”

ANC, the company’s cable news channel, also redefined its role in the digital space. It grew to almost 3 million YouTube subscribers, offering both free content and a premium paid service. Digital revenues eventually surpassed those from cable subscriptions.

ABS-CBN introduced new formats to fit online viewing habits. TV Patrol created shorter versions such as TV Patrol Express, a 15-minute wrap of the day’s events, and TV Patrol on the Go, a quick live service for mobile audiences.

“ANC makes more money today from digital than it did from cable,” Dal said. “We adjusted our products to match digital habits without losing our journalistic standards.”

The newsroom instructed reporters to produce vertical video reports designed for social media. It also launched podcasts, mid-form documentaries, and explainers to meet diverse audience needs.

“Our reporters had clear instructions to create content that speaks directly and conversationally to the audience,” she said.

Audience studies consistently ranked weather as one of the most important news items of the day. ABS-CBN responded by increasing the frequency of weather updates online, which generated high engagement.

“Weather is among the most watched and trusted content we provide,” Dal said.

The company also revisited its archives to adapt older materials into digital documentaries and podcasts. This strategy allowed ABS-CBN to repurpose existing assets for new audiences.

Dal explained that ABS-CBN worked to expand reach, secure revenue, and remain relevant. Partnerships with competing broadcasters allowed the network to continue airing selected programmes on free TV, though on a smaller scale than before.

“These partnerships did not match our former reach, but they helped us stay afloat,” Dal said.

Despite progress, digital advertising remains volatile. Dal said revenues fluctuate depending on platform algorithms and shifting market conditions.

While ABS-CBN adapted its products, the company maintained its core mission, and that the goal was to evolve formats without changing journalistic principles, Dal said: “We don’t need to change our principles, but we must change our products. We are still in the middle of the earthquake, but journalism is not going away.”

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