The Uncertain Future of Philippines TV And Radio Broadcasting As of 2023

A package box of digital terrestrial television (DTT) receiver at an affordable price.

It's been three years when COVID-19 pandemic had strucked. Not only the economy has affected on that matter. Even the TV show and movie industry and live events has also affected. But the biggest event was the shutdown of legacy analog TV and radio service of ABS-CBN including the indefinite suspension of its own DTT broadcast without franchise renewal, although remain operational on their affiliating cable TV channels and momentarily shifted to online livestreaming and blocktime to other free TV networks.

As GMA-7 even "dominate" a bit as a result of the loss of free-to-air platform of ABS-CBN, what about the rest of competing franchise-holding radio and TV network companies in the Philippines?

In the modern age of information technology and a full digitalization of communication infrastructures, transitioning from legacy analog media to digital in traditional radio and TV broadcasting in the Philippines is a big challenge in terms of implementation, financing, and information dissemination to the public. While ISDB-T is now running as basic standard in DTT broadcast, a given digital radio standard is still pending to choose either HD Radio, DAB Plus, ISDB-Tsb, or Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM).

Aside from the benefits of over-the-air digital transmission using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), setting a prescribed audio and video codec with higher quality and reduced data footprint is another issue to implement to become compatible between the broadcaster producing a content and the receiver decoding the content.

And the biggest challenge to small-income consumer is the affordability and convenience. Of course, sticking to the high-end may not be so attractable so it's up for the stakeholders of radio and TV industry to decide for taking a long-term and less risk.

In this blog, I'll share an honest, critical take on the current situation of radio and TV broadcasting in the Philippines as of 2023.

Some Not Turning SD To HD

When GMA-7 was shifted from 4:3 to 16:9 aspect ratio while remained in SD to carry multiple programming per a single DTT channel in March 2023, some of other TV broadcasters in DTT such as TV5, Zoe TV (A2Z and Light TV), BEAM, SBN, RJTV, SMNI, and UNTV may not follow suit being stucked at letterboxed 4:3 although some of their subprograms were already assigned in true 16:9. PTV, RPN (CNN Philippines), IBC, Eagle Broadcasting (Net 25) and Christian Era Broadcasting (INC TV) were already produced in HD.

Making a multiple programming per DTT channel in true HD 16:9 content may or may not be likely in terms of implementing a prescribed video codec to reduce data footprint. That would become an issue of compatibility to those who already purchased an affordable ISDB-T DTT receiver that contains only native H.264 video decoder and may not include HEVC. Even most cable and home satellite TV provider in respective DVB-C and DVB-S2 often offer cheap receiver box with components the same as mentioned DTT receiver, the majority of channels 1 to 99 still stuck in SD while channels 100 and over are in HD.

In order to surpass such current limitations, I ever wished to try using LCEVC H.264 hardware encoder, capable to generate a theoretical 2 Mbps in 720p60 or 3 to 4 Mbps in 1080i60. That's comparable to current 480i digital video format at 2 to 3 Mbps in native H.264 encoder.

Aside from IPTV and streaming (which will mention next below), a possible roll-out of LCEVC H.264 produced content for DTT, digital cable TV, and home digital satellite TV remain uncertain and currently pending for real-world testing.

Still Sticking 30 fps Instead of 60 fps

While various streaming platforms such as Netflix and YouTube become mainstream for those subscribed of home fiber-optic network to their streaming TV or streaming box unit as a good substitute of traditional cable TV, various local TV networks such as ABS-CBN and GMA-7 was started a YouTube livestream, currently gapped at 30 frames per second.

(ABS-CBN had already roll-out their flagship streaming platform iWantTFC, started as "ABS-CBN Now" in mid-2000s to "iWantTV" in early 2010s to "iWant" in mid-2010s. Not only it offers catch-up episodes of various ABS-CBN TV shows but also offers livestream channels.)

So why not switching to 60 fps instead? Attempting to set at higher frame rate using native H.264 video encoder may increase a higher data footprint so it may not able to fit a lower Internet uplink (for example, 2 to 5 Mbps). The solution is to use either AV1 (for YouTube) or LCEVC H.264 at very high encoding profile, making a projected bitrate in 1080p 60fps format at respective 2 or 5 Mbps.

When will livestreaming in 60 fps scene be roll-out soon? Well, it's up for the decision of the local broadcasters depending on their current digitized TV equipment.

Still Sticking Analog Radio Signals

As music streaming app such as Spotify or Apple Music become dominant for those using their 4G or 5G cellphone, various FM radio broadcasters may likely threaten their long-term business as they still stick to an old analog FM broadcast, although sometime attractive to (generic) Bluetooth speaker receiver.

Whether on FM or in older AM radio broadcast, both of these often struggle to pay for higher electricity bills due to a higher electrical power as a standard to transmit analog signal to the receiver. Sometimes they often lower their power to save more due to low audience presence; otherwise they were likely to shutdown forever, such as occurred in most U.S. and European territories ending both medium wave (MW) and long wave (LW) AM radio signal.

In early or mid-decade 2010s, if I remembered to listen on an audio informercial of iFM 93.9 Manila, Radio Mindanao Network had a test broadcast of HD Radio in their key select flagship FM radio station. But after a few long years, the result had not yet disclosed whether it would be successful or not in terms of mass adoption to both the broadcasters and the consumers.

I know that buying an HD Radio receiver was so expensive and it may not fit to small income consumers. So why not sticking to an improved Digital Radio Modiale (DRM) instead? For the broadcasters, controlling DRM transmission that is open-sourced was so easy compared to HD Radio that require to pay licensing from the developer of in-band on channel (IBOC). For the consumers, a DRM receiver unit was so cheap, thanks to open-sourced RISC-based hardware and software that are easy to modify before rolling it out in the market.

Digital Radio Mondiale was originally assigned on "Band 2" shortwave (SW) RF signal (11 to 27 MHz) in an early stage of development. Today, the platform has further improved in terms of functionality and enhancement such as using xHE-AAC codec and possible assignment to a former analog AM (MW and LW) and FM (88 to 108 MHz) band. A simultaneous analog FM and digital signal at separate RF carrier assignment was known as "DRM Plus".

Aside from DRM as I suggested, a possible roll-out of either DAB Plus or ISDB-Tsb may not likely due to the fact that they only assign on respective VHF TV bands 7 to 13 (174 to 216 MHz) and UHF (RF assignment unknown).

Well, time will tell if KBP would decide for reminding all radio networks to have a big switch depending on their available financing.

Not Phasing Out Old Coaxial Cable Line?

ABS-CBN sister company Sky Cable was supposed to phase-out coaxial cable wired TV network as it was shifted to fiber-optic network offering Internet surfing, OTT streaming, and IPTV as a better substitute of legacy cable TV programming to offer both HD and potential 4K content. But there were some areas, whether residential or commercial establishment, that still hold a DVB-C receiver to hold an old-style SD programing and some HD connected over coaxial cable, rather than using an official Android streaming TV box accessing exclusively to Sky Fiber network.

While several fiber-optic network providers launched their own IPTV network such as Converge Vision, there were several small-player regional legacy coaxial cable TV providers that are still operating in analog instead of digital. Partly connected to Federation of International Cable TV Association of the Philippines (FICTAP)—the organization responsible on a seemingly controversial, "ridiculous" claim that one TV channel frequency should be one broadcast franchise holder to hold only one programming especially analog, in lieu of ABS-CBN TV Plus DTT receiver capable of unlocking encrypted multiple programming of ABS-CBN DTT broadcast—these providers were not afford to upgrade, likely due to financial constraints and outdated ecosystem.

If legacy analog cable TV provider may no longer attractive to advanced consumers in favor of fiber-optic network media streaming, it's up to better off to discontinue.

In the meantime, it was reported that Sky Cable may likely discontinue DVB-C following a buy-out from PLDT to expand fiber-optic network as well as IPTV "rebranding" to underserved areas, in part of transition to "content creator" of ABS-CBN.

A Centralized DTT and Digital Radio Provider?

If ABS-CBN did not found a way to revive back their own DTT and radio broadcast unless only People's Initiative signature campaign may be resolve soon, a possible centralized DTT and DRM broadcast provider run by 100 percent Filipino-owned private company may be offer not only ABS-CBN but also key radio and TV station to carry their content. This is only a visionary as I suggested, but may be 50-50 possible just as ABS-CBN was started to have a block time agreement with Zoe TV to form A2Z started in 2020.