GMA Network Chairman and CEO Felipe Gozon believed that the country won’t be able to make its full shift to digital TV in 2023.
During the Network’s annual shareholder’s meeting, Gozon expressed doubts that the country can achieve its target to decommission analog TV and fully transition to digital TV in two years.
“Nobody can say when transmission in the Philippines is going to happen.
“In the Philippines, I’m not saying it will take more than 10 years, but because of our economic situation, it’s very hard to anticipate when true digitalization of our television business will happen,” he said
Meanwhile, before their broadcast shutdown, ABS-CBN was at the forefront of the migration plan. The Kapamilya network led the country’s transition to digital TV when it launched its digital TV migration plan through its introduction of digital TV box receiver TVPlus in 2015.
ABS-CBN was even commended by the DICT for its efforts in carrying out the Government’s migration plan.
“In the face of changing governments, despite natural disasters, and amid rapidly evolving technologies, ABS-CBN remains steadfast in its commitment to serve the Filipino.
“The organization is continuously evolving to provide better service through radio, free TV, digital terrestrial TV, cable TV, film, movie, music, publishing, online, events, licensed products, cash remittance, and various advocacies,” said DICT in a document.
GMA Network, on the other hand, had just recently launched its version of the digital TV box called, Affordabox.
Affordabox is made available to the market in June 2020, just a month after ABS-CBN’s shutdown.
Former DICT Sec. Eliseo Rio Jr. in a statement in 2019 said that the country is on track for the 2023 target.
“2023 pa naman ’yun. So far wala namang major complaint o nagsasabi na hindi doable. So talagang on track tayo
“Ang problema kasi talaga ’yung television set, kung ’yan ay digital na. Eh ang available sa market hindi pa eh. So sinong manonood ng digital?….So far walang nagrereklamo. Kasi halos lahat na ng TV na mabibili digital-ready na.”
