Cignal TV gets 25-year franchise renewal

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte has signed laws renewing the franchise of six broadcast entities including Cignal TV for 25 years, and granting a franchise to an educational institution.

The seven franchise laws were signed on Wednesday, documents released by Malacañang yesterday showed.

The franchise of GV Broadcasting System Inc., presently known as Cignal TV Inc., was renewed through Republic Act 11668. It allows Cignal TV to construct, install, maintain and operate radio stations in Luzon for commercial purposes.

Cignal TV Inc. is a subsidiary of MediaQuest Holdings Inc., the media partner of PLDT Group.

MediaQuest has a majority stake in The STAR.

Cignal TV owns and operates Cignal, which transmits 104 SD and 30 HD channels, including free-to-air and a varied mix of 17 audio channels.

It provides on-demand viewing through pay-per-view subscription offers and online streaming.

In its website, Cignal TV described itself as the most subscribed pay-TV provider in the Philippines, gaining more than two million subscribers in 2018.

Duterte also signed RA 11667, which renewed for another 25 years the franchise granted to Nation Broadcasting Corp. of the Philippines, a local radio and television network also owned by MediaQuest.

MediaQuest bought the company from a consortium led by the Yabut family and then House speaker Manny Villar in 1998.

Other broadcast entities whose franchises were renewed for 25 years are Franciscan Broadcasting Corp. (RA 11664), Iriga Telephone Co. Inc. (RA 11665), Soundstream Broadcasting Corp. (RA 11666), and Enrique M. Orozco & Sons Inc., presently known as Real Radio Network Inc. (RA 11669).

Duterte also signed RA 11670, which granted the University of Southern Mindanao a franchise to construct, establish, maintain and operate radio stations in Cotabato.