After canceling ABS-CBN’s franchise, the government has started distributing the then-media giant’s frequencies.
Filipino billionaire and political clan patriarch, Manny Villar will receive the ABS-CBN frequencies under its media company, Advanced Media Broadcasting System Inc. The firm got its 25-year franchise extension back in 2019.
NTC gave Advanced Media provisional authority to install, operate, and maintain a digital television broadcasting system in Mega Manila via Channel 16, ABS-CBN’s previous digital channel.
For the analog channel, it is said that Advanced Media was “temporarily” assigned Channel 2 for “simulcast purposes” to ensure that people still have a choice if they don’t have access to digital TV.
The analog shut-off is apparently scheduled for 2023.
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This means that the Villar group has been given control of the frequencies, which is a scarce public asset. This may also block future attempts from ABS-CBN from regaining control of the spectrum.
As per the NTC, they handed the provisional authority to the Villar-owned company because they “was the first applicant for an authority to install, operate and maintain a digital TV in Metro Manila as filed on Oct. 5, 2006.” This means that ABMS has been on a waiting list for an available TV frequency for about 16 years.
The NTC added that they were mandated to “assign vacated and available frequencies to qualified entities.”
They also got a go signal from the Office of the President, Department of Information and Communications Technology, and the Department of Justice when they asked for their opinion.
Via: Business World