Final plan for GMA digital service set to be completed by Q1 2017

The digital terrestrial television technology of GMA Network Inc. is now in the initial stages of planning, with the final plan expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2017.

"Let me say that by the end of the year or first quarter of next year, I'm expecting that we can complete our plans and study," GMA Chairman and CEO Felipe L. Gozon told reporters at the company's headquarters in Quezon City on Monday.

Gozon said the company just needed address issues before it can fully roll out the project.

"Right now there are two things that are still up in the air," he said.

The concerns include programming and how many channels the service will operate, as well as the telecommunication company to take in as partner.

"It's very important that we should have a telco as a partner. The issue that is very hard to crack there is understandably: each of the two telcos with whom we are discussing would want exclusivity with us," he said.

He noted, however, that the network is trying to settle the terms with the telcos without exclusivity.

"We are trying not to agree on exclusivity," Gozon said.

"If those two things are resolved, even before the end of the year, we should have completed our studies and plans," he added.

The service was initially announced in May, with a budget of P1.5 billion.

At that time, Gozon said the project was a "... device that will convert digital transmission so that the analog TV set can receive the digital transmission."

Asked to elaborate on this on Monday, GMA Chief Marketing Officer Lizelle Maralag said, "What we can say is that it will set a different standard in terms of being consumer friendly, in terms of being accessible.

"It is not comparable to what is available in the market right now. That is the most we can say. We're excited about it," she added. — VDS, GMA News