Knowledge Channel (KCh), is a Philippine free-to-air television channel owned by ABS-CBN Corporation that consists of educational and informative programs. The channel is available on digital TV via BEAM TV, SBN, Sky Cable, Sky Direct, Converge Vision, Cignal, Parasat Cable TV, Cablelink, Planet Cable and other cable providers. It also livestreams online via iWant while a video on demand service is available on YouTube.
Corporately, it is known as Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc. (KCFI), a non-stock, non-profit organization in the Philippines that develops, acquires, and distributes multimedia educational resources aligned with the K-12 curriculum of the Department of Education (DepEd).
Since September 11, 2025, the channel began broadcasting in the anamorphic 16:9 aspect ratio. The change allowed for a widescreen presentation, optimizing the viewing experience for viewers with compatible widescreen televisions.
Since January 2, 2026, several Knowledge Channel programs are also simulcasted on AMBS' All TV, marking its partial return to digital channel 16 in Mega Manila and regional channels previously held by ABS-CBN until 2020.
History Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc. (KCFI) was founded in June 1999 by Rina Lopez and Carlo Katigbak to democratize access to quality education through television. The foundation launched the Knowledge Channel (KCh) to broadcast curriculum-based video lessons to public schools across the archipelago.
1999 Founded on June 14, 1999, KCFI was initially established under the name Sky Foundation Inc. The organization introduced the Knowledge Channel TV program for cablecasting in the National Capital Region (NCR) through Sky Cable, while also distributing U-Matic tapes to Sky Cable headends nationwide to expand access to educational content. On July 14, 1999, KCFI hosted its first Principal Orientation with Department of Education (DepEd) NCR at the Meralco Theater, where it introduced its mission of creating transformative learning experiences through educational television.
Following the orientation, KCFI conducted its inaugural teacher training on September 9–10, 1999, demonstrating how teachers could integrate educational television resources into classroom instruction through Sky Cable broadcasts. On November 6, 1999, KCh aired its first broadcast on Sky Cable and was subsequently installed in 300 public schools within NCR. During the same year, the foundation also entered a one-year partnership with DepEd through then Education Secretary Florencio Abad to support the integration of educational television in public schools.
2000 On March 9, 2000, KCFI signed a memorandum of agreement with DepEd for a 10-year partnership, following an initial one-year agreement signed on June 28, 1999. The partnership was formalized under Education Secretary Andrew Gonzalez, who in 2000 proclaimed KCh as required viewing for public schools to support classroom learning through educational television. On August 15, 2000, KCFI also hosted its inaugural Cable Installation Rites at Rizal High School under the tagline “Bringing the Classroom Into the 21st Century: Knowledge Channel,” marking the installation of cable access in schools for KCh programming.
2001 In 2001, KCFI launched its first original series, Kasaysayan TV and Pamana. During the same period, KCh uplinked to Intelsat 8 using transponder space provided by ABS-CBN, allowing its educational programming to be distributed across the Asia–Pacific region. On March 29, 2001, KCFI partnered with the Philippine Cable Television Association, Inc. (PCTA) to expand access to the channel in the provinces, with Rina Lopez presenting the initiative during an orientation seminar for new governors. Through partnerships and resource turnover programs with institutions such as Citibank, KCh programming became accessible in over 1,000 public schools nationwide, reaching around two million students.
2002 In 2002, KCFI renewed its partnership with PCTA to expand cable broadcast access to additional provincial areas, accompanied by orientation sessions for school principals in newly connected regions. Province-wide orientations were conducted in Misamis Oriental on February 6, 2002, in Bulacan on March 25, 2002, and in Nueva Ecija from May 6–10, 2002. During the same period, Buhisan Elementary School received the first KCh satellite dish connection outside NCR. From 1999 to 2002, KCh installations through Sky Cable reached about 1,200 public schools nationwide.
2003 By 2003, KCh had partnered with about 100 cable television operators nationwide—from Itbayat to Bongao—expanding the reach of its educational programming. More than 1,200 public schools, serving around 2.2 million students across the country, were able to access the channel, with approximately 70% of viewers from elementary public schools and 30% from secondary public schools.
2004 In 2004, KCFI hosted a week-long Learning Journey from February 24 to March 3 for the Global Philanthropist Circle, which included visits to KCFI partner schools in the Philippines. On March 31, KCFI launched “Text Mo, Pangarap Ko,” an SMS-based fundraising campaign supporting the Cable-A-School program that raised ₱2.5 million, enabling the connection of five schools and benefiting 6,006 students. Later that year, on October 10, the foundation organized “Lakad Mo, Pangarap Ko,” a walk-for-a-cause event in Manila with participation from employees and families of the Lopez Group of Companies. The event gathered support from 38 companies and about 8,000 participants, raising ₱5.845 million for KCFI initiatives; the campaign was later recognized at the Gold Quill Awards in 2005.
2005 In 2005, KCFI launched the Television Education for the Advancement of Muslim Mindanao (TEAM–Mindanao) project in Datu Paglas, a peace education initiative in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The project enabled the installation of KCh in 153 public schools across ARMM and Regions 9 and 12. During the same year, KCFI introduced its long-running news bulletin Knowledge Now (K-Now), relaunched the “Be A Model School Award” as the “Knowledge Channel Outstanding Stakeholders Award,” and held Lakad Mo, Pangarap Ko 2: Nationwide Na ‘To! with more than 8,000 participants in Manila, Cebu, and Davao City.
KCFI also expanded its educational initiatives through the start of production for Salam and Negosyo Ko, Asenso Ko, while continuing nationwide school support activities, including training 1,937 teachers, orienting 277 principals, and providing 201 additional schools with KCh access through cable or satellite.
2006 In 2006, KCFI expanded its educational reach to approximately 1,600 schools nationwide, from Itbayat to Sitangkai, continuing the second year of the TEAM–Mindanao project with USAID and launching the STEPS Project in partnership with the British Embassy in Manila, providing resources to 10 public schools in Rizal Province. This year, KCFI President Rina Lopez also represented KCFI at the United Nations’ 59th Annual Department of Public Information NGO Conference in New York, sharing the foundation's experience in leveraging technology for education.
2007 In 2007, KCFI launched Salam, a mini-series on peace education developed in response to Executive Order No. 570, aimed at helping students develop skills and attitudes conducive to harmony and conflict resolution. That year, KCFI also launched Negosyo Ko, Asenso Ko, a program for out-of-school youths that teaches business and production skills, and aired Kumikitang Kabuhayan, a series from the ABS-CBN Foundation responding to the increasing followers who are seeking of ways to augment their levels of income as purchasing power weakens as brought by inflation and rising oil prices.
2008 In 2008, KCFI launched its first major channel imaging campaign with the tagline BE THE BEST YOU, Kayang-kaya mo!, while concluding the three-year TEAM–Mindanao project, which provided cable and satellite installations, solar power systems, and 167 TV sets to 153 public schools, benefiting nearly 79,500 students and training over 1,100 teachers and 229 school officials. Partnering with parents, teachers, and community associations (PTCAs) added 87 more TV sets, and the foundation produced ten livelihood and business courses as well as ten peace education modules, extending viewership to over 2.9 million students nationwide. Additional initiatives included new Salam episodes with the UN’s ACT for Peace Programme, the financial literacy series Estudyantipid in partnership with Citigroup Foundation, and the transition of video content from analog formats to digital and multimedia platforms, reaching more than 1,850 public schools and nearly three million students. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton cited KCFI as a pioneering distance learning program during the first and only Clinton Global Initiative meeting in Asia.
2009 In 2009, KCFI expanded its use of transmedia through the Transmedia Group, inspired by the pilot production K-High, integrating live actors, animation, online games, and website and YouTube content to enhance learning and Filipino values alongside the DepEd curriculum. Quiz interstitials were added to each program to reinforce lessons, and KCh highlighted academic programs to support student preparation for the National Achievement Test, with research showing a 2–3% improvement in scores for connected schools.
On November 7, KCFI renewed its 10-year partnership with DepEd, signed by Education Secretary Jesli Lapus and KCFI chairman Oscar M. Lopez, during the first Knowledge Channel Outstanding Stakeholders Awards (KOSA), which recognized schools and partners demonstrating outstanding use of educational television. The foundation also launched its “Take a Step” campaign for its 10th anniversary, engaging employees in initiatives such as Teacher-for-a-Day to teach climate change, and by this milestone, KCFI had reached 1,990 public schools and over three million students across 56 provinces.
2010 In 2010, KCFI launched several initiatives to support alternative learning and broaden educational access. The foundation introduced the Out-of-School and Mature Learners Alternative Learning Institute (OMLALI) program to supplement DepEd's ALS, supporting mobile teachers and the K-LITE package, which included netbooks preloaded with 300 educational shows and portable speakers for ALS supervisors and mobile teachers. New productions under OMLALI included Ibang Klase and Kada Tropa, in partnership with Lopez Holdings Corporation, First Philippine Holdings Corporation, Bayan Academy for Social Entrepreneurship and Human Resource Development, and DepEd.
KCh also launched its theme song and music video May K Ako, the RLB Hour lifestyle show hosted by Rina Lopez, and piloted transmedia content including K-High, Faculty Room, MasterMinds, Agham Aralin, Gab to Go, Travel Pinoy, and Building Bridges Leadership Journey. KCFI engaged in advocacy and public outreach through KOSA 2, recognizing schools, communities, and parents for exemplary utilization of educational television. The foundation also hosted Lead the Change: An Evening of Discussion for Action in Manila and facilitated meetings between President Benigno Aquino III, international civil society leaders, and KCFI chairman Oscar M. Lopez. In sports-based advocacy, KCFI organized the KaRUNungan 2010: Run for Knowledge campaign, where about 2,000 runners, including 31 participants in the ING New York City Marathon, supported Philippine education. Additionally, KCh was featured in the “Teaching” segment of DZMM's Teaching, Learning, Caring (TLC) program.
2011