Senate, IBC launch Senate TV channel

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate and state-owned Intercontinental Broadcasting Corp. (IBC 13) on Tuesday launched Senate TV, a high-definition channel that proponents say will offer more focused and in-depth content on the chamber’s proceedings.

As a channel leased by the Senate, Senate TV will be available on IBC Digital TV Channel, which owns and operates the frequency. It will also serve as the counterpart of the executive’s Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM) and the House of Representatives’ Congress TV.

The channel will broadcast uninterrupted streaming of the upper chamber’s plenary debates, committee hearings, and other legislative deliberations every day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on IBC Digital TV Channel 13.3.

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It will also air Senate affairs beyond the session hall, following legislators outside their offices, and into the communities they serve.

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Senate TV will be aired primarily on IBC’s digital platform and free television, with cable TV availability to follow.

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“Senate TV joins Congress TV under the franchise of IBC 13, which commits our whole organization to the delivery of accurate and timely information relevant to the needs of the Filipino people. Although IBC 13 is part of the Integrated State Media, we remain wholly committed to nonpartisan coverage of events, for the welfare of the nation. We welcome Senate TV in fulfilling this mandate,” IBC 13 President and CEO Jose “Jimmie” Policarpio Jr. said during the launch.

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Greater public access

Also at the launch, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian stressed the importance of providing the public greater access to the legislative process.

“The launch of Senate TV is a timely development in light of current events in Philippine society needing clarity and critical judgment based on complete and accurate information,” he said.

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“The public remains unaware of much of the Senate’s business, particularly what happens behind the scenes,” he added, noting that citizens can already see debates on laws but not the processes that go into their creation, such as the research, consultations, and technical work involved in drafting laws.

Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente Sotto III, meanwhile, said the new channel would deliver not just snippets of the chamber’s proceedings, but the full progression of debates, hearings, and votes among senators.

“You do not have to take our word for it. You can watch it, judge it, and you [can] hold us accountable,” he said.

The launch was formalized by the signing of a memorandum of agreement between Gatchalian and Policarpio.

‘Nonpartisan’ coverage

Senate TV’s coverage will be “nonpartisan” and will not include commentary or interpretation of the proceedings shown onscreen, according to a presentation made by IBC.

A planned second phase will feature summaries of Senate activities and affairs beyond the session hall, showing senators outside their offices and interacting with the larger community.

Senate TV’s counterpart at the House of Representatives, Congress TV, was launched in early 2024 as a transparency initiative of the lower chamber in collaboration with another state-owned broadcasting firm, PTV 4.

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IBC 13 is part of the government-owned Intercontinental Broadcasting Corp. under the Presidential Communications Office. Its current programming offers mainly news and public affairs, cultural and educational content, and sports. —With reports from Martina Nieyandra Calica, trainee