Privatization of IBC-13 by revitalizing programs

posted September 23, 2016 at 11:45 pm

Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC-13) plans a reorganization, privatization and revitalizing of its programming strategy in a bid to achieve profitability by 2019, for IBC president and CEO Boots Anson-Roa.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) reported on Thursday (September 8) by the the seized land, building and equipment of IBC-13 to settle its multi-million-peso tax debts.

“Not only strengthening in terms of entertainment programming for IBC-13, but also the strategy of the organization even the structure, everything is being done,” Boots said.

“Basically, we will continue to strengthening to do the telenovela, because of our drama anf fantasy. The ratings and the audience share might as the dominant players,” she added. The network coninue to air the weekend broadcast of the PBA (under Sports5) every Saturday and Sunday.

Boots said the network had terminated its partnership with Secarats Talent Management Services, which provide the young talents of IBC and handles their programs of IBC, including Glory Jane, Roberta and Hulog ng Langit, and recently the nationwide reality talent search Bida Best, Fun House and She's Out of My Life, as well as the their young talents of Secarats performed regularly in the Sunday noontime youth-oriented musical variety show Hey it's Fans Day! under the segment Team Secarats.

“We’ve already terminated that partnership, so we are now retooling and building our capacity to produce our own shows on IBC-13. Hopefully, by first quarter of 2017, (we’ll be) back with our own shows,” she said.

Reyes said the network would avoid expensive talents and focus more on getting younger artists.

“We really want to be known as the home of the younger [talents], perhaps not so [famous]. If the resources to hire the best, hire the young with opportunity to be the best,” she said.

Sec. Martin Andanar of PCO plans to launch the cable channel entitled Salaam TV (muslim) and Lumad channel. The government will privatize IBC-13 with an initial floor prize of 2 billion pesos which was approved on January 2016 during the time of ex-President Benigno Aquino III. Their two potential bidders (San Miguel and Canoys) were interested to join the public bidding. Rumors circulated in a tabloid that a former politician from Ilocos is also pursuing to join the bidding wars.

Boots said he was hopeful the strategies would help the network achieve its goal to post by 2019.

“Hopefully we ca achieve the goal of our chairman to post a profit by 2019,” she said.

IBC-13 Executive Vice-President Lito Cruz added that 280 million pesos (200m initially paid employees benefits) out of 500 milllion pesos are paid due to the joint-venture agreement between R-II Builders and IBC to build the Larossa condominium which was also part of the Broadcast City compound.

Sen. Franklin Drilon suggest to push thru the privatization process to further improve the government's media resources, including PTV-4.

IBC chairman Jose Avellana had said the company was targeting in 2019, two years behind its original target of 2017. Avellana also said the transmitter tower of IBC-13 in San Francisco del Monte, Quezon City is strengthening the stronger signal. Their broadcast operations will continue to cost for 150 million pesos.

Sec. Andanar disclosed that the government owes 956 million pesos worth of employees retirement benefits and separation pays, 150 million pesos for the location of IBC-13 transmitter, 168 million pesos worth of unpaid benefits, and 218 million pesos per year worth of operational expenses in running and operating the station for a total of 1.4 billion pesos of arrays.

The BIR asking bid price for the 5,000 square-meter-lot of the TV station located along Capitol Hills Drive in Balara, Quezon City is P408.1 million. Broadcast City is comprising of two eight-story structures of office spaces, TV production and post-production centers, radio booths including DZTV Radyo Budyong 1386, 93.5 Romance FM, 89 DMZ and Kapinoy FM 107.9, recording studio and other cutting-edge broadcast facilities.

Earlier, the BIR management rejected suggestion from certain quarters to forego the collection of the delinquent accounts since IBC-13 is 100 percent owned by the government.