Assuming ABS CBN is not able to secure a franchise renewal to continue operating radio and TV stations, will new media distribution systems enable ABS CBN to remain in the black? Without the powerful Channel 2 on TV and DZMM on radio, can ABS CBN still make a profit on the basis of Facebook (with its live streaming), YouTube, cable TV, foreign distribution and TVplus? It will be a totally different ballgame with the tried and tested business model undergoing drastic change. Mind you, the viewership may migrate with the advent of new technologies, but will the advertisers follow suit. Lessons from the print media show the inability of major international newspapers to adapt to the digital world thus losing profitability with many closing shop.

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ABS CBN can survive without a franchise

Balitangbalita.com

JUNE 25, 2019

With the possibility of ABS CBN not getting a franchise renewal from the House of Representatives, the giant radio and TV company may need to seek other sources of revenue for the corporation to survive. No one in his right mind can state that in the short term, without a franchise, ABS CBN can still command the same level of net profits but there are a lot of positives that ABS CBN can utilize to still remain as a giant media corporation.

The number one advantage of ABS CBN is its seemingly endless pool of talents. Vice Ganda, Anne Curtis, Koko Martin, Sarah Geronimo, Nadine Lustre, Angel Locsin, Kim Chiu, Kathryn Bernando, Daniel Padilla and many others are just the big names in the entertainment department. In the news category, Ted Failon, Noli De Castro, Julius Babao and Anthony Taberna are household names. Maalalala Mo Kaya is a top rated radio program.

With all that talent, ABS CBN must somehow find a venue or platform to reach their Kapamilya fans. Leasing or taking over (in whole or in part) a number of dormant, idle or marginal radio and tv stations may somehow comply with the amount of airtime that the current ABS CBN is consuming everyday. Obviously not all of the current programs can be accommodated from day one but from the management point of view, that situation could actually be a blessing as ABS CBN would be forced to let go of unproductive shows to concentrate on their blockbusters.

The internet is another area where ABS CBN already has a significant presence in Facebook (including FB live streaming), YouTube, Twitter and Instagram. The international market is a huge potential for ABS CBN to explore what with its library of programs that can achieve global distribution.

Realistically, the transition from having a franchise and losing it would be a difficult path to thread but it CAN be done.

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ABS-CBN logs 1 M TVplus sales as of May

Richmong Mercurio (The Philippine Star)

July 14, 2019

MANILA, Philippines — More Filipinos continue to shift to digital terrestrial television as media and entertainment giant ABS-CBN Corp. was able to sell another million TVplus units in just a span of nearly five months.

ABS-CBN said one million more Filipinos have embraced digital television as ABS-CBN TVplus, the country’s pioneering digital terrestrial television device, hit the eight million mark in sales this month, four years since launch and a few months after the product pushed past the seven million mark in February.

“ABS-CBN TVplus’ accelerated sales is indicative of how far the country has moved on from analog television and how closer we are to fully transitioning into digital broadcast ahead of the government-mandated deadline of 2023,” ABS-CBN Access head Charles Lim said.ADVERTISING

Kantar Media’s establishment survey results in August last year showed a marked increase in digital television ownership in non-cabled homes across the country, with the number rising to 72 percent from 55 percent in the same month in 2017 in Metro Manila.

Digital television ownership in Mega Manila in non-cabled homes in Mega Manila also rose to 65 percent from 44 percent year on year, while also soaring to 57 percent from 33 percent in the suburbs.