ACWS-United Broadcasting Network is a broadcast media company in the Philippines. It owns several radio stations in areas, as well as its focus on the Multipoint Video Distribution System (MVDS) for wireless broadcast distribution.
| Company type | Privately-held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Radio and television broadcasting |
| Founded | 1960s |
| Headquarters | Makati, Philippines |
| Website | acwsubni |
History
editAssociated Communications & Wireless Services was established by the Hodreal family in the 1960s. It obtained its Congressional franchise in 1969 when Republic Act No. 4551 was transferred from the Villaverde group.[1]
It established DWBC-AM (then at 920 kHz) and its FM station counterpart in 1972, the year when the Philippines was under Martial Law. In 1980, DWBC-FM became DWRK (RK 96) and in 1988, relaunched under the new branding known as WRocK.
On July 27, 1999, ACWS-UBN launched its first television station known as UltraVision 25. The station, however, was short-lived and became the subject of a legal dispute when ACWS-UBN filed a case against the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC). In February 2009, the Supreme Court affirmed the case.[2][3]
On February 28, 2003, Republic Act No. 9192 signed by then-Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo which renewed ACWS-UBN's license for another 25 years. The law granted ACWS-UBN a franchise to construct, install, establish, operate and maintain for commercial purposes and in the public interest, radio and/or television broadcasting stations in the Philippines.[4]
On October 6, 2008, it has been announced that the Elizalde Group of Companies' Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC) has purchased WRocK from the Hodreal family, owners of ACWS-UBN, for PhP229.6 million. Except for the acquisition price, further terms were not disclosed.[5]
While the Manila radio station (DWRK – rebranded to 96.3 Easy Rock) is under the control of MBC, ACWS-UBN (and then-sister firm Exodus Broadcasting Company) retained control of the WRocK provincial stations until in 2010 when it suspended its operations except the Exodus-owned Cebu station being remained.
In 2015, a new group of investors acquired ACWS-UBN from the Hodreal family. Since under the new ownership, the company obtained 2 FM stations under a provisional authority (but has since not yet to be operational), as the company proposes to enter joint-venture franchise agreements with various 3rd-parties to invest and operate thru either community radio and public broadcast.[6] It also began resuming its television broadcast business through its engagement in MVDS for wireless distribution.
List of stations
editReserved stations
edit| Frequency | Coverage | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 98.7 MHz | Laoag | Inactive (not yet operational) |
| 99.3 MHz | Tuguegarao |
Former stations
editRadio
edit| Branding | Callsign | Frequency | Coverage | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96.3 WRocK | DWRK | 96.3 MHz | Metro Manila | Sold to Manila Broadcasting Company in 2009. |
| DWBC 1422 | DWBC-AM | 1422 kHz | Defunct. |
Television
edit| Branding | Callsign | Ch. # | Location | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UltraVision 25 | DWMJ-TV | 25 | Metro Manila | Acquired by Eagle Broadcasting Corporation. Currently broadcasts as Net 25. |
References
edit- ^ "Franchises and the law". The Daily Guardian. May 25, 2020.
- ^ ACWS-UBN vs. NTC, 445 Phil. 621 (February 17, 2003).
- ^ Vitangcol, Al (February 29, 2020). "Analyzing the Associated Communications and Wireless ruling vis-à-vis the ABS-CBN case". The Manila Times.
- ^ Main Page
- ^ "Elizaldes' Manila Broadcasting acquires 96.3 Wrock". Archived from the original on October 9, 2008. Retrieved October 14, 2008.
- ^ "NTC FM Stations via FOI website" (PDF). foi.gov.ph. August 17, 2019.