‘ABS-CBN Frequencies Now Open To Other Broadcast Networks’

House legislative franchises committee vice chairmen Jonathan Sy-Alvarado and Michael Defensor said Congress would not reserve the frequencies until ABS-CBN Corp. applies for a franchise again in 2022.

The frequencies left by broadcast giant ABS-CBN Corp. with the rejection by Congress of its franchise renewal application may now be given to other companies, ranking lawmakers disclosed on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

House legislative franchises committee vice chairmen Jonathan Sy-Alvarado of Bulacan’s first district and Michael Defensor of Anakalusugan party-list said the former ABS-CBN frequencies could now be given to other franchise applicants. They said Congress would not reserve the frequencies until ABS-CBN applies for a franchise again in 2022.

“It’s now open for application by other broadcast companies,” Alvarado told The Philippine STAR.

Defensor confirmed this, saying the frequencies of ABS-CBN may now be offered by the government to interested companies.

“Technically, the frequencies of ABS-CBN are returned to the state,” Defensor said.

Alvarado said their panel had received information that several companies have signified interest in applying for the frequencies.

“The challenge for them really is to match the capacity of ABS-CBN and its asset of having the most number of regional stations in the country. But I have not heard of any instance when the NTC rejected an applicant for an available frequency,” Alvarado said, referring to the National Telecommunications Commission.

ABS-CBN’s franchise covered five AM and 18 FM radio stations, 42 analog and 10 digital television stations nationwide.

Alvarado, also chairman of the committee on good government and public accountability, did not disclose which companies have expressed interest in the former ABS-CBN frequencies, saying only that it would be “best to wait.”

“It would be NTC (that) would know who these applicants are,” Defensor noted.

The STAR learned from insiders that the Manila Broadcasting Company of the Elizalde group is among the firms that have expressed interest in the franchise.

“It’s really a profitable slot. That’s why it is expected that many are interested,” explained the source, who requested anonymity for lack of authority to speak on the matter.

The development came after the proposal to temporarily use the frequencies of ABS-CBN for the distance learning program of the Department of Education (DepEd) did not push through.

Citing “numerous violations” of franchise and related laws allegedly committed by the network, the House committee on legislative franchises voted 70-11 to reject ABS-CBN’s application for a franchise last July 10.

The network’s 25-year franchise was valid only until May 4. A day after the franchise lapsed, the NTC ordered ABS-CBN to cease its television and radio operations.

President Duterte had repeatedly made public his opposition to the renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise and even advised the Lopezes to just sell their shares.

In April 2017, Duterte accused the network of “swindling” him for not airing his paid political advertisements during the 2016 presidential campaign, and airing instead a negative ad paid for by former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, one of his staunchest critics.

Last February, ABS-CBN Corp. chief executive officer Carlo Katigbak apologized during a Senate hearing, saying the network was sorry if Duterte had been offended. Katigbak denied insinuations of bias on the part of the network.

Shortly after, Duterte said he had accepted the apology, but clarified that he would leave the fate of ABS-CBN’s franchise to Congress.

Thousands of ABS-CBN workers had to be laid off following the decision of the House not to renew the network’s franchise.

The Supreme Court has dashed ABS-CBN’s last hope of getting back on air as it dismissed the network giant’s petition assailing the NTC’s May 5 cease and desist order against the network. The SC said the petition had become moot and academic.

In a statement on Aug. 25, SC Public Information Office chief Brian Keith Hosaka said the justices, sitting in full court, cited the House legislative franchises committee’s decision not to renew ABS-CBN’s franchise as the ground for dismissing the network’s petition.

Those broadcast frequencies cannot be left idle until ABS-CBN "comes back", because that would literally look like special treatment for them.

pag nakabalik na ang ABS-CBN sa airwaves Full Digital na ang broadcast nila kasi useless na mag invest pa sa analog malapit na ang ASO.

https://www.onenews.ph/abs-cbn-frequencies-now-open-to-other-broadcast-networks