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ACWS-United Broadcasting Network

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ACWS-United Broadcasting Network
Company typePrivately-held company
IndustryRadio and television broadcasting
Founded1960s
HeadquartersMakati, Philippines
Websiteacwsubni.com

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.

History

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Associated 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

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Reserved stations

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Frequency Coverage Status
98.7 MHz Laoag Inactive (not yet operational)
99.3 MHz Tuguegarao

Former stations

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Radio

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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

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Branding Callsign Ch. # Location Fate
UltraVision 25 DWMJ-TV 25 Metro Manila Acquired by Eagle Broadcasting Corporation. Currently broadcasts as Net 25.

References

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  1. ^ "Franchises and the law". The Daily Guardian. May 25, 2020.
  2. ^ ACWS-UBN vs. NTC, 445 Phil. 621 (February 17, 2003).
  3. ^ Vitangcol, Al (February 29, 2020). "Analyzing the Associated Communications and Wireless ruling vis-à-vis the ABS-CBN case". The Manila Times.
  4. ^ Main Page
  5. ^ "Elizaldes' Manila Broadcasting acquires 96.3 Wrock". Archived from the original on October 9, 2008. Retrieved October 14, 2008.
  6. ^ "NTC FM Stations via FOI website" (PDF). foi.gov.ph. August 17, 2019.
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