The date was July 10, 2020 the largest station in the country had its fortune sealed by the vote of 70 politicians. ABS-CBN was no more, at least on their original free-to-air platforms on television and radio. That decision was a huge setback for millions of Filipinos, especially for those who have been relying on the Kapamilya network for their information and entertainment needs.
In commemoration of the first year since the upset decision that was to reject ABS-CBN’s bid to secure a new 25-year-franchise, let’s take a look at the “what could’ve beens” or a number of possibilities had the license was approved by the House of Representatives.
The hurdles beyond
Without dwelling much on the political realities, it is understood that even if the House of Reps approved bills to renew the network’s franchise, Kapamilyas would need to wait for at least two months for the ABS-CBN network to return to the airwaves. Of course, hearings would have to take place also in the Senate. By then, even if the Senate did approve the bill, the transmittal to the Palace would be the make-or-break situation.
As we all know, the President has the authority to veto bills. But in any case that it’s just left unsigned for thirty days, another fifteen days after its publication on the Gazette or any newspaper would be needed for the law granting the franchise be enacted.
Finally, ABS-CBN would also need to file before the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) requests to secure once again the frequencies that they would use to broadcast (or used to air on, rather). Considering that it took NTC two months to take back ABS-CBN’s previous frequencies, channel 2, among others, would still be vacant and ready to be reassigned by that time.
And once the whole process is complete, ABS-CBN would be able to broadcast again. Sounds easy, but it is not in any case.
Recuperating losses incurred
Hypothetically, with the whole franchise brouhaha now a thing of the past by the time they’re able to return to their original form, ABS-CBN will have to act swiftly to recuperate lossess incurred due to the shutdown.
However, that wouldn’t be as horrific as the August 31 retrenchment exercise that saw 11,071 workers be reduced to 5,932.
Cost-cutting measures, still, will have to be made. It can be assumed that it will be done on businesses primarily impacted by the pandemic like KidZania and Studio Experience. But employees of those would’ve gotten the choice to be reassigned or given a compensation.
Programming
Programming-wise, ABS-CBN could’ve retracted some of their prior program cancelations during the franchise debacle. That would include the likes of the current affairs shows, morning show Umagang Kay Ganda, sketch comedy gag show Banana Sundae, to name a few. Regional stations, too, could’ve remained open and the local TV Patrol versions still intact once the stations reopen. Production would only be impacted by either a reduced budget or the COVID-19 restrictions that are in effect.
Temporary cable channel Kapamilya Channel would have also fizzled out as a result of Mother Ignacia’s return to free TV at this stage.
With blocktiming not in sight (as they hypothetically have their whole network across the archipelago open), this scenario would also have an effect on the fate of channel 11 and TV5. For the former, Zoe could have the option to reopen with another partner, and the latter having a full-blown Cignal Entertainment lineup (similar to the August-December 2020 Kapatid grid) up to this day (July 2021).
Competition
With its free TV and radio arms operational again, ABS-CBN is poised to revive the duopoly that they used to enjoy together with GMA Network. It would’ve also been more exciting, especially with productions slowly returning in the new normal by late last year. It could’ve also brought out the best from both networks, and viewers (those who do have the ability to do so) will have a choice. Eventually, that would help the quality of programs and the scheduling itself to be subjected to better standards.
With TV5 returning to entertainment, it might also have gotten a push in the ratings chart, but concerns over the viewership of those shows will still persist. But with their rapid DTT expansion, it’s no secret that TV5 will still be poised to challenge the dominance of the other two giant networks by going “Kashake” in their ways. Displaced talents and workers, now only due to the pandemic and no longer due to the shutdown, will be vital to ops of the newly-revived entertainment division of channel 5.
Speaking of DTT, given that ABS-CBN TVplus was allowed to continue sans KBO, GMA Affordabox and GMA Now would have had a formidable rival, especially with TVplus being launched 5 years ahead of Affordabox, and TV+ Go having a leeway of 2 years before the launch of Now.
An expanded rivalry on DTT would have also occured with Jeepney TV and Asianovela Channel vs. Heart of Asia; CineMo going head on with I Heart Movies; Myx taking on Hallypop; and to a certain degree, Knowledge Channel complementing DepEd TV.
At the end of the day, that kind of competition would make the viewers the real winners.
The digital drive
Despite returning to free-to-air broadcasts, ABS-CBN would have still continued their push to digital platforms in the same way it does these days.
Firstly, KTX will be vital to hold concerts and movie screenings in the middle of the still-continuing COVID-19 pandemic. Secondly, iWant would still be rebranded to iWantTFC, but the free services that iWant used to offer would’ve been unscathed. Finally, partnerships with various platforms like WeTV iFlix and Netflix would still happen, especially with the pandemic-driven growth on the latter as Filipinos also found an alternative venue to consume fresh content.
For Kapamilya Online Live, however, there’s a chance may have never existed if ABS-CBN did return to free TV last year. Considering the superior reach of FTA broadcasts, it no longer needs to be exhaustively complemented. Thus, an ABS-CBN feed simulcast on iWant would suffice like what it was during the pre-shutdown days. But considering the wait time for a new franchise (should those bills passed through the House of Reps), KOL could have still made it to launch and end up as a complementary service to the flagship channel.
Conclusion
In summary, ABS-CBN’s franchise is a vital asset for the company to continue operating many of their businesses. With the COVID-19 pandemic also entering the frame, the lack thereof had pushed the broadcast giant to close down several of their divisions and business segments, which in the end only pushed thousands of workers into an undesirable position.
With loyal viewers also moving to alternative venues online, the Philippine television landscape also suffered a lot with the absence of a pre-pandemic ABS-CBN. A2Z and TV5 may be helpful to reach displaced Kapamilyas around the country, but a lot is still to be desired as the complete programming similar to channel 2 is only seen on cable and satellite TV on Kapamilya Channel.
Moreover, the bottomline of the whole situation is clear. For better or for worse, ABS-CBN’s exit from the free TV game has a longstanding effect to our media industry. An effect that would no longer be reversed even if ABS does return to its old normal form someday. All the more, even if the shutdown didn’t last this long.