Binigyan na ng “go signal” ni Pangulong Aquino ang pagsasapribado ng Intercontinental Broadcasting Corp. (IBC) Channel 13.
Sa isang pahayag, sinabi ng Governance Commission for Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GCG) na ang pagsasapribado ng IBC-13 ay idadaan sa public bidding, at ang estimated floor price ay aabot sa P1.977 bilyon.
“A committee composed of representatives from GCG, the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), and IBC-13 shall implement and conduct the said process,” ayon sa CGC.
Nagsimula ang operasyon noong 1960 bilang isang pribadong kumpanya na kilala bilang Inter-island Broadcasting Corp., isinailalim ng Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) sa sequestration ang IBC-13 noong 1986 upang mabawi ang nakaw na yaman ng pamilya Marcos.
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Bukod sa IBC-13, isinailalim din sa sequestration ang mga pasilidad ng Philippine Television Network, Inc. (PTV-4).
Mayroon ding minority share ang gobyerno sa Radio Philippines Network (RPN-9).
“The privatization rationalizes the State’s portfolio in the Communications Sector in view of the overlap with PTV-4, which is already sufficient to address market failures in the private broadcast industry such as providing programs with social value but are not considered profitable,” ayon sa GCG.
“This comes in the wake of the recent revitalization of PTV-4 mandated by Republic Act No. 10390 which identified the privatization of IBC-13 as one of the sources of funding the increase in PTV-4’s capital,” dagdag nito.
Ayon pa sa GCG, kasalukuyang nasa “financial distress” ang IBC-13, at aabot sa P45.26 milyon ang average net loss nito mula 2010 hanggang 2014. Nakatanggap din ito ng operational subsidy na nasa P23.56 milyon noong 2015.
“The privatization should pave the way for infusion of additional capital to revitalize the network, which will also be able to operate with more flexibility as a private entity,” ayon sa GCG. (Madel Sabater-Namit)
