Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 10773)
The franchise allows Eagle Broadcasting Corporation to construct, install, establish, operate, and maintain commercial radio and television broadcasting stations in the Philippines, including digital television and radio systems, through various technologies such as microwave and satellite, for a period of 25 years starting November 3, 2018.
Stations or facilities must be constructed and operated to minimize interference with existing or legally established stations without diminishing the grantee's right to use selected frequencies and to maximize the quality of transmission or reception.
The corporation must secure appropriate permits and licenses from the NTC and cannot use any frequency without NTC authorization, which should not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.
The grantee must provide adequate public service time, offer sound and balanced programming, assist in public information and education, adhere to honest enterprise ethics, and refrain from broadcasting obscene, indecent, false, or malicious content that may harm the public interest or incite subversive acts.
In times of war, rebellion, public peril, calamity, emergency, disaster, or peace and order disturbance, the President can temporarily take over or suspend operations, or authorize government use of the facilities with due compensation to the grantee.
The franchise is effective for 25 years from November 3, 2018, and is automatically revoked if the grantee fails to operate continuously for two years.
The corporation must provide written acceptance to Congress through the appropriate committees within 60 days from the law's effectivity; failure to accept renders the franchise void.
The franchise cannot be sold, leased, transferred, assigned, or have controlling interest changed without prior Congressional approval, and failure to report any such transactions within 60 days after completion results in ipso facto revocation of the franchise.
The grantee must offer at least 10% of its outstanding capital stock to Filipino citizens on any Philippine securities exchange within five years after becoming a national broadcasting network, defined as operating at least three radio/television stations; noncompliance leads to automatic revocation of the franchise.
The grantee will be fined P500.00 per working day of noncompliance, to be collected by the NTC and credited to its monitoring fund.