| ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. (ABS-CBN) is ready to launch digital terrestrial television (DTT) or digital TV service sometime in the fourth quarter of this year, a company executive said Friday.
The Lopez-controlled broadcast firm is currently testing digital TV broadcasting in selected areas. Based on trial broadcast, ABS-CBN vice president and chief financial officer Miguel Jose Navarrete said the company is ready to launch the service “during the latter part of the year.”
“In terms of technical readiness, definitely, we are technically ready,” Navarrete said. “It is the commercial readiness that we are still working on… We will be able to launch digital TV towards the four quarter of this year.”
The commercial aspect of the company’s foray into DTT service involves pricing, among others. “This is a consumer product,” Navarrete said. “So, we have to determine how to package and sell the service to the consumers.”
Digital TV broadcasting would allow the network to open 14 to 15 additional free TV channels since digital TV frequencies can carry more programs in one UHF frequency range, Navarrete added.
Navarrete also said that ABS-CBN was approached by some phone firms for a possible partnership involving content programming for mobile TV service. “These are just exploratory,” he said. “We are more interested in mobile TV service via not mobile-phone handsets but TV terminals installed in public places, including inside the MRT-3.”
ABS-CBN chairman Eugenio Lopez III earlier said that initial investment for the digital TV service roll out will reach up to P1 billion. He said the trials will determine the commercial and financial viability of the service.
The conversion starts with a migration from the current analog service, during which ABS-CBN shall operate both analog and digital services, until such time that the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) mandates the termination of all analog broadcasts.
According to NTC draft rules, the mandated transition from analog TV broadcast transmissions is to take effect by 11:59 p.m. on December 31, 2015.
The NTC seeks to recall all analog TV frequencies and allocate these for other purposes.
The NTC decided to allocate channels 14 to 20 (470-512 Megahertz) for national DTT networks and channels 21 to 51 (512-698MHz) for local networks.
ABS-CBN on Friday reported a 194- percent increase in net income to P741 million last year from P252 million a year ago. This year, it is hoping to post a profit of P1 billion.
The company said advertising revenues grew by a strong single-digit in January this year and 20 percent in February. They are “even stronger” in March, Navarrete said.
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