The House Committee on Legislative Franchises, chaired by Rep. Gus Tambunting, is set to deliberate on a bill seeking to grant ABS-CBN Corporation a new 25-year franchise on Wednesday, February 5.
The proposed measure, House Bill No. 11252, was filed by Albay Representative Joey Salceda and aims to restore ABS-CBN’s authority to operate its radio and television broadcasting stations. The bill was among those that passed the first reading in the House of Representatives on January 13.
If approved, this could mark ABS-CBN’s return to free TV, nearly four years after its franchise renewal was denied in 2020.
Rep. Tambunting emphasized that the discussion will focus on assessing the feasibility of granting ABS-CBN a new franchise.
“We have to look at the feasibility of the whole thing, that’s what we need to do,” he stated. He also clarified that the upcoming committee meeting is for discussion only, not immediate approval.
Since 2022, five bills have been filed in Congress seeking to grant ABS-CBN a fresh franchise. The renewed push for its return has gained momentum following Salceda’s recent filing of House Bill No. 11252.
ABS-CBN was forced to cease operations in May 2020 after former President Rodrigo Duterte’s allies in Congress denied its franchise renewal. This resulted in a significant shift in the Philippine television industry, with GMA Network now dominating 93% of the market share, according to a report by the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC).
The PCC study highlighted that ABS-CBN’s absence led to weakened competition in free TV, contributing to a decline in overall television viewership. The commission recommended a review of ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal and the expansion of TV networks to create a more competitive media landscape, improve content quality, and provide viewers with more options.
