ABS-CBN to Allocate P1 Billion for Digital Television
By Rico, 8:08 am Tue Jul 1 2008 - News - 4 Opinions
Last Thursday, ABS-CBN chairman Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III (pictured) announced plans to operate digital television (DTV), which included the allocation of “at least P1 billion.”
All that’s needed, said the Filipino network executive during the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting, is for the “National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to release the circular on digital TV.”
Changes Needed to Maximize DTV in the Philippines
Digital television promises a more reliable and efficient method for broadcasting moving images, as well as higher quality visuals (such as high-definition or HD). At least compared to the current analog-based setup currently widespread in the Philippines.
Whether or not DTV is maximized by Filipino viewers is dependent on a number of factors. ABS-CBN itself has to start broadcasting a higher-quality television signal, and only newer televisions allow the full enjoynment of the DTV experience.
Will Digital Television Become a Requirement in the Philippines?
In the US, federal requires all television stations to broadcast only in digital format by February 17, 2009. The reasoning behind this requirement, aside from “improved picture and sound quality”, is a need to open up old analog frequencies for public safety and emergency use.
The NTC may be tempted by such rationale to require the same for local broadcasters, and we’re pretty sure appliance retailers would the increase demand for newer TVs if that pushes through. To be clear, we doubt that will happen anytime soon. But for the sake of the numerous Filipinos too poor to afford any upgrade, we still hope that such a requirement won’t be imposed in the foreseeable future.
ABS-CBN’s Finances
The stockholders’ meeting has revealed the scope of ABS-CBN’s finances. Company president Ma. Rosario Santos-Concio reported that the media company’s net income for 2008 is currently at P598 million, an increase of 13% compared to last year. On top of that:
The company’s consolidated airtime revenue, from January to May, according to Santos-Concio also went up by 3 per cent to P5.2 billion compared to the same period last year, and it is 9 per cent higher after excluding non-recurring political advertising revenues of P298 million last year.
Image source: top100pinoys.wordpress.com
yuga
9:09 am Tue Jul 1 2008
It’s coming sooner than expected.
Applications for analog will only be accepted until Dec. 31, 2008 but no approval or authorization shall be granted beyond Dec. 31, 2010
NTC has mandated that all analog broadcasts be terminated by midnight of December 31, 2015.
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1:01 pm Fri Jul 4 2008
[...] Digital TV service is bound to come to the Philippines, helped in no small way by ABS-CBN’s P1-billion budget for the project. [...]
rj
10:10 am Fri Aug 29 2008
well its good and i believe abs cbn will be the first network in here to broadcast digitally..;
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