MVP Gives MTV Phils
New Building
Inquirer News Service

STARTING August, MTV Philippines will have a new, posh
address at The Fort in Taguig, where the popular,
24-hour music channel will have its own studios and
corporate offices in a three-story building given by
business mogul Manny V. Pangilinan. 

The businessman's company, Metro Pacific, is a partner
in the vast property known as the Global City in
Taguig. Pangilinan was recently reelected member of
the board of First Pacific, the parent company of
Metro Pacific. He is also president and CEO of
Philippine Long Distance and Telephone Co., a
subsidiary of First Pacific. 


First Pacific posted $40 million in profits in 2002,
according to business reports. 

Pangilinan has bankrolled the construction of the MTV
Studios at the site of the former Storeys Restaurant
at The Fort. The studio is set to open in August yet,
but MTV Philippines' corporate offices will move to
the new address starting June 26, according to Rod
Nepomuceno, MTV marketing and communications director.


The new MTV Philippines studio will be similar to the
MTV Asia headquarters in Singapore, according to
Nepomuceno. The Filipino VJ Donita Rose became popular
in the region while based in Singapore. 

At present, MTV Philippines rents studio space at the
Richmonde Towers at the Ortigas Center in Mandaluyong
City, while its executive offices are at the Citibank
Towers in Makati City. 

Pangilinan also owns Music Source, the joint venture
between MTV Asia and Nation Broadcasting Co. (NBC),
run by radio man Francis Lumen. NBC runs and operates
the FM station Joey@92.3 Rhythms and the AM station
Angel Radyo. Lumen is the president and chief
executive of the radio network. 

In 2001, Music Source acquired the right to air MTV
Asia on a 24-hour terrestrial UHF channel (Channel
41). Nepomuceno said NBC provided the infrastructure,
while MTV Asia provided the content. 

"MTV used to air only on cable TV and on Studio 23,
where it was seen in certain blocks in the morning,
afternoon and after midnight," Nepomuceno explained.
"Unfortunately, Studio 23 couldn't give us a 24-hour
broadcast." 

"MTV Philippines had always dreamed of having a
24-hour terrestrial channel and it turned out that NBC
had an inactive channel, which was given to us. But we
had a cordial parting with Studio 23." 

Among the VJs of MTV Philippines are KC Montero,
Belinda Panelo, Sarah Meier and Shannen Torres