Heart of Asia Channel (known on-air as Heart of Asia and stylized as HEART OF asia) is a Philippine free-to-air television channel owned by GMA Network Inc. The channel was on test broadcast from June 12 until June 28, 2020, and was officially launched on June 29, 2020.[1][2] It operates Monday to Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 12:10 a.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 6:00 a.m. to midnight and goes off-air during Holy Week (yearly) from Maundy Thursday to Black Saturday.
Country | Philippines |
---|---|
Broadcast area | Philippines |
Network | GMA Network |
Headquarters | GMA Network Center, EDSA cor. Timog Ave., Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines |
Programming | |
Language(s) | Filipino |
Picture format | 16:9 480i (SDTV) |
Ownership | |
Owner | GMA Network, Inc. |
Sister channels | |
History | |
Launched | June 12, 2020 June 29, 2020 (official launch) | (test broadcast)
Links | |
Website | Heart of Asia Channel on Facebook |
Availability | |
Terrestrial | |
Digital terrestrial television | Channel 7.03 (Mega Manila, Metro Cebu, Metro Naga and Ilocos Sur) Channel 11.03 (Iligan) Channel 10.03 (Metro Baguio, Dagupan and Tacloban City) Channel 12.03 (Batangas, Legaspi, Metro Cagayan de Oro and Bukidnon) Channel 13.03 (Metro Bacolod) Channel 6.03 (Metro Iloilo) Channel 5.03 (Roxas, Metro Davao and Mt. Province) Channel 8.03 (General Santos) Channel 9.03 (Zamboanga City) |
GMA Affordabox | Channel 3 |
In 2019, GMA Network, Inc. has announced its plans to invest for its second phase on its transition to digital television, including a partnership with American entertainment company JungoTV and Philippine media company Solar Entertainment Corporation (SEC) to distribute content across all its channels.[3][4][5] In preparation of releasing a self-patented digital television box named GMA Affordabox, and as part of its 70th founding anniversary, GMA Network launched a new channel, Heart of Asia, which plans to include it in their digital channel lineup of DZBB-DTV Channel 15.[6]
On June 7, 2020, GMA Network announced to the audiences to re-scan their digital TV boxes on June 12, 2020 to receive their new channel lineup, which includes GMA, GMA News TV and Heart of Asia Channel.[1][7]
Heart of Asia Channel was on test broadcast on June 12, 2020, airing provisional programs while showing promotional plugs for the upcoming programs with assigned programming blocks. The channel debuted on June 29 with regular programming.
On February 27, 2023, Heart of Asia, along with other GMA Network-owned channels, switched its broadcast from the original 4:3 format to 16:9 anamorphic widescreen format.[8]
Heart of Asia Channel is named after the programming block of the same name by GMA Network that primarily airs Asian dramas in Filipino dub. The list of all television original programming by Heart of Asia Channel focuses on Asian dramas that have already been broadcast on its sister networks GMA and GTV (formerly QTV/Q and GMA News TV), along with channel-only exclusive Asian dramas that never been aired before on the aforementioned channels. It also airs GMA-produced drama programs previously aired on cable/satellite channel Fox Filipino, jointly run with Fox Networks Group, as well as film presentations of both local and Asian movies.[9]
According to GMA Network's CEO and Chairman Felipe L. Gozon, the Heart of Asia channel ranked fifth in the ratings scoreboard, garnering a 4.9% audience share during the first quarter of 2021.[10]