MANILA, Philippines – The House legislative franchises committee convenes on Wednesday, February 5, to discuss the status of ABS-CBN, the first time in two years that the panel included the former broadcast giant on its agenda.
Based on the House website, a briefing is set on the “ABS-CBN application in light of the Philippine Competition Commission’s report on the alleged high market concentration in the broadcast industry.”
In January, ways and means chairperson Joey Salceda filed a bill seeking to give ABS-CBN a fresh franchise, nearly five years since the chamber under the government of Rodrigo Duterte denied its bid to have its license renewed.
Salceda is not the first person to seek a new franchise for the network, but it came after a two-year lull, when the start of the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. administration prompted some lawmakers to file measures aimed at fully reviving ABS-CBN’s presence on free television.
The last time the legislative franchises committee discussed matters related to ABS-CBN was in August 2022, when SAGIP Representative Rodante Marcoleta opposed the reported merger of TV5 and ABS-CBN. The deal eventually fell through.
After the Duterte administration shut down ABS-CBN’s broadcast business in May 2020, it pivoted into a content provider to various entities, including its former competitors GMA Network and TV5. Many of its popular shows are now back on free television via content partnerships. It also continued its cable business and expanded its content offerings online, including selling content to streaming platforms.
Bookmark this page to watch the livestream of the hearing at 1:30 pm on Wednesday. – Rappler.com