It is now, 4 years after it happened, that I reminisce about what it means for one of the largest networks in the country to lose its franchise. ABS-CBN has, and continues to have, a place very dear to my heart. And I can’t say that I was totally blindsided by the events of May 5, 2020 – unknown to most, the seeds were sown even before Mayor Digong ever thought about running for President. Like many others, I find myself reflecting on the future of ABS-CBN and what lies ahead for the network.

Actually, the issue of the renewal of the ABS-CBN franchise started during the time of President Noynoy. They started the process of renewing their franchise way back in 2014; for some reason, after encountering some difficulty, they withdrew their application. This was perhaps a grave strategic error on their part.

It’s a known fact that the network is fearless in their reporting, and would not pander to politicos just to get and stay on their good side. However, for some reason or another, the powers-that-be were starting to get agitated. As a news outfit, I think that comes with the territory. This is, where I think, the seeds to the 2020 shutdown were sown. 

 

An Undeniable Loss, An Understandable Uproar

They were only waiting for a chance to strike – and when the time came that a sitting president was starting to get riled up as well, the whispers intensified. 

During the time of Digong, there had been efforts to patch the relationship between the administration and ABS-CBN. I was one of those that tried to do their part and have them meet. They seemed to have reconciled for a time; there was even a time of talks of joint projects between the network and the administration and their anti-drug efforts. 

However, this peace was short-lived, and the president continued to be triggered. The whispers surrounding Digong did much to aggravate the situation; it took its course, and the franchise of the biggest network in the country was suddenly not renewed. 

The shutdown was shocking to say the least, as I think this was the first time a major network lost its franchise in such a sensational and public manner. 

It hit the staff the hardest. One day, they were going through the motions of a job wherein tenure and stability was the norm; the next day, all of it was gone. 

We saw the vigil outside their Quezon City HQ and how bad it was for their workers in Manila. But it wasn’t just the ABS-CBN in Metro Manila; it was nationwide, meaning the 53 other regional networks of ABS were also shut down. 

These were both the TV and radio stations of ABS; for millions of Filipinos, their only reliable source of news for decades was suddenly signing off, permanently. The effect of the shutdown was undeniable; the uproar, completely understandable. 

 

A Major Loss, and a Personal Stake

I know that a lot of my former colleagues had their fair share of sama ng loob against me during this time. After all, I am a known Duterte supporter. I campaigned for him, and for some, they went as far to say that if I didn’t help him win, then all of this would not happen. 

On the other hand, they should also remember that I had stocks in ABS-CBN Corporation that went down with the network. ABS-CBN is part of my livelihood, as back then, I had clients which I recommend to do business with the network. Even up to now, I still maintain this relationship with them.

It was in my interest as well for the shutdown to not happen. I did everything in my power to help patch up the relationship. I talked to some congressmen, explaining the side of ABS-CBN. But the anger was overwhelming, and the sway of Digong over congress sealed the deal.

It was devastating to ABS-CBN, as they lost 50% of their revenue when their franchise was revoked, resulting to billions of pesos lost. 

After a while, when tensions subsided, some of my former colleagues started talking to me again. Maybe they realized that I didn’t have any power to stop the shutdown from happening. 

They may have also realized that the leadership of ABS had a little bit of fault as well in the whole thing. There was a balance to strike in reporting the news and maintaining your relations with the powers-that-be, and they failed to achieve it. The other networks, whose franchises also expired but were renewed during this period, were successful – there was something to be learned from that. 

However, despite all that has happened, this is a historical turning point in Philippine Media. From the corporate and organizational point of view, the shutdown signalled ABS-CBN’s pivot to re-invent itself.

 

A Shift in Focus – Embracing Content Creation

There had been talks, even when I was still with the network, to seriously assess the business model of ABS. It was known to us, way back in the early 2000’s, that the world is slowly turning towards the idea of content creation as the name of the game. For the network, content is their business, and they needed to rethink how they approach things to keep up with the times. 

The infrastructure was in place. They had The Filipino Channel (TFC), which provides content for the Filipinos abroad. Star Cinema as a studio has always been a big profit center. They had all of this, during the time when the world was opening up to the “Netflix” model of distributing content: paid subscription for access to content was starting to become the norm. The world was in a transition in terms of consumption of content.

With this shutdown, ABS-CBN may as well be the first big corporation in the country to fully explore the online, internet and social media-driven way to release content. 

The way I see it, over the long term, majority of ads will be towards online and away from traditional media. For the other networks, going online was a matter of testing the waters to see just what being online means. For ABS-CBN, it was a matter of life and death. 

It is this new reality that ABS-CBN has been navigating.

 

Paving the Way with World-class Content

The network was forced to hasten their transition into this new playing field. They are still adjusting; however, in time, I know that they will be able to recoup their losses and thrive in this new world. A little ironic, but if you think about it, the shutdown was their head start. 

For those that have transitioned, these content players (whom ABS-CBN is still definitely a huge one), the name of the game is to create cost-efficient and audience-worthy content. And looking at the situation now, ABS-CBN is doing a really good job. 

As an example, the biggest grossing film of 2023 was Rewind – a sci-fi romcom starred by Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes, and produced by ABS-CBN. It’s not just the biggest grossing film of 2023; in fact, during its release, it earned ₱1.2 billion, making it the highest-grossing Filipino film of all time. 

And then there is still the Kapamilya Channel, which has shows like Batang Quiapo that still captures the hearts and minds of Filipinos everywhere. It’s not just aired on the Kapamilya Channel and TFC, but also on TV 5 – possible due to a blocktime agreement between them and ABS-CBN, who purchased airtime for the show. 

Let’s not forget one of the most unexpected plot twists of 2024 – ABS-CBN’s longest-running noontime variety show It’s Showtime found its new home in GMA, eliminating any semblance of rivalry between the two major networks. 

 

All Signs Point to Success

The rules of the game are changing, and ABS-CBN is again the network that is writing it. The ABS-CBN shutdown was indeed the end of an era, but I’d like to also think of it as a start of a new, even brighter one.

Only time will tell how this new ABS-CBN will perform, but all signs point to its continued success. We can be bitter and continue to gripe about it, or we can come to terms with what has happened and make the most out of the situation. For some, easier said that done I know, but that is what must happen. 

My heart yearns for those that have been affected by the shutdown, but I am optimistic that ABS-CBN will bounce back and continue its mission of doing everything in the service of the Filipino.