Cignal TV, a subsidiary of MediaQuest Holdings, the media partner of PLDT Group, said it will decide this week whether it will broadcast the television programs of ABS-CBN Corp.
“That’s currently under discussions between the two [ABS-CBN and Cignal TV]. I don’t know where we are. That’s been offered not only to us but to other pay TV operators in the country. I think some of them have already accepted,” Cignal chairman Manuel Pangilinan said during a virtual briefing over the weekend.
“I think Cignal is still assessing it, hopefully to decide by [this] week. We are open to it, but there are other factors to consider,” he said.
Pangilinan said , however, there were no discussions between TV5 and ABS-CBN.
Cignal TV transmits 121 channels including free-to-air, SD and HD channels to household and commercial venues nationwide. It also offers a mix of 12 audio channels and on-demand service through pay-per-view channels.
ABS-CBN said in a statement Kapamilya Channel became the latest cable and satellite offering of the company.
“The channel is available to cable and satellite operators in the Philippines. As such we encourage all viewers and subscribers of the various cable and satellite systems of the country to reach out to their operators for information as to the availability of he channel on their service,” the Lopez-led network said.
The Kapamilya channel is now available in GSAT Direct TV, members of Philippine Cable Television Association and Cablelink.
Congress is still hearing the legislative franchise of ABS-CBN.
The National Telecommunications Commissionearlier ordered ABS-CBN to stop operations following the expiration of its congressional franchise.
Republic Act No. 7966, which granted ABS-CBN a 25-year franchise to operate TV and radio broadcasting stations, expired on May 4, 2020.
The Radio Control Law bars the operation of a radio broadcasting station without a franchise from Congress.
ABS-CBN and subsidiaries had 6,730 regular employees, 900 non-regular employees and 3,325 talents and project-based employees as of 2018.