A former official of the Department of Information and Communications Technology has said that all of ABS-CBN Corp.’s broadcast frequencies could be granted to a single entity.
ABS-CBN frequencies are now available for application from any valid franchise holders following its closure. The network’s broadcast franchise expired last May 4.
To comply with the order of National Telecommunications Commission, the network stopped its live TV and radio broadcast the following day. On July 10, Congress announced that it rejected ABS-CBN’s application for franchise renewal.
Thousands of employees were affected by the rejection when the network was forced to initiate a retrenchment program.
ABS-CBN’s frequencies have now been taken back by the NTC.
“This is the first time. There is no precedent of such a huge recall of frequencies,” former DICT Undersecretary Eliseo Rio told ANC.
“They (frequencies) will now be available for application from any valid franchise holder… As to how this will be awarded will depend on the NTC,” he added.
“NTC holds a public hearing where it presents the frequency applicants. The agency then accepts oppositors who could argue that a particular entity is not the best candidate for the frequencies,” he said.
Rio said this process could take a long time or “roughly a year” and he added that “one big entity” could take hold of ABS-CBN’s frequencies.
“ABS-CBN, with the present regulation, has lost all and any hand on those frequencies as of this moment,” he said
Rio said the network can “join the queue of applying for frequencies” only after it gained a new franchise.
“As to regaining the [original] frequencies, then I think that needs something that we have not yet done before. We cannot foretell what that something will be, but anything is possible,” he said.
Recently, Mel Velarde, Vice Chairman and the Chairman of the Executive Committee of NOW Telecom Company Inc., revealed his interest in venturing into television and radio.
Velarde, who is a former ABS-CBN executive, has also urged the NTC to hand over the vacated ABS-CBN frequencies to qualified parties immediately.
He, however, countered reports saying he plans on taking over DZMM 630 and MOR 101.9 radio frequencies and on making a bid for ABS-CBN Channel 2 and AMCARA Broadcasting Network’s Channel 23.
