All You Need to Know About Advanced Media Broadcasting System (AMBS)

By JDC Monday, July 4, 2022

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This media company is a hot topic the past few months because of acquiring ABS-CBN's former free TV frequency channel 2. Here's all you need to know about AMBS.

Advanced Media Broadcasting System (AMBS) is a broadcast media company in the Philippines. Its main offices and facilities are located at Unit 906A of the Paragon Plaza Building and at the 3rd Floor of Starmalls EDSA Shaw complex, both in Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila.

ambs logo

Founded in 1994 by the Vera family, it is owned by the Villar Group-backed Prime Asset Ventures through Planet Cable.

Related: AllTV Channel 2 to launch on Sept 22

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Under Vera Ownership

The Vera family, under the aegis of Quest Broadcasting head, attorney Jose Luis Vera, established Advanced Media Broadcasting System in 1994 with its Congressional franchise granted the following year.

With the help of Jinji Buhain (niece of then-Manila Auxiliary Bishop Teodoro Buhain), AMBS bought 103.5 DWCS from the Archdiocese of Manila and changed its callsign to DWKX which gave the birth of adult contemporary station K-Lite.

The station, along with four other Vera-controlled Metro Manila stations - (Jam 88.3, Wave 89.1, Magic 89.9 and 99.5 RT) and the Killerbee provincial network - formed The Radio Partners in the early 2000s before being reorganized in 2011 under the new Tiger 22 Media group.

Under Villar Ownership

In 2019, AMBS was granted a 25-year legislative franchise extension under Republic Act 11253 albeit without President Rodrigo Roa Duterte's signature as the bill lapsed into law after 30 days of inaction.

The Vera family and AMBS president Andrew Santiago, however, decided to sell the company to Planet Cable of real estate magnate and businessman-politician Manny Villar after its FM station (K-Lite) was in the red due the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On January 5, 2022, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) awarded AMBS a provisional authority to operate for the digital Channel 16 frequency (previously assigned to ABS-CBN Corporation) for an 18-month test broadcast period; and for the analog Channel 2 frequency under a temporary assignment for simulcast purposes until analog shut-off in 2023. The construction of AMBS's own digital terrestrial television network in Metro Manila was expected to be completed in July 2022.

In June 2022, AMBS Manila began its test broadcast and will make its official launch on October 1, 2022 with plans to expanding it nationwide by the end of the year or even sooner, as announced by Willie Revillame.

On July 15, 2022, during his contract signing with AMBS, Revillame announced that his variety show Wowowin is set to return on AMBS since its final broadcast on GMA Network on February 11, 2022.

ATTRACTIONS TO SEE IN MANILA 

Klook.com

Here's a list of stations owned by AMBS:

Radio Stations

Branding Callsign Frequency Power Location

103.5 K-Lite DWOW 103.5 MHz 25 kW Metro Manila

Magic 106.3 DXKM 106.3 MHz 10 kW General Santos

Television Stations

Analog

Branding Callsign Channel Location Power Type

All TV Provisional authority TV-2 Metro Manila 30 kW Originating

Digital

Branding Callsign Ch. # Frequency Power Area of Coverage

All TV Provisional authority 16 485.143 MHz 500 W Metro Manila

ALLTV Logo

ACTIVITIES AND TOURS IN MANILA

All TV is currently conducting a test broadcast in Metro Manila. The station will begin its broadcast through its soft launching by September 13, 2022.

Channel Aspect Short name         Programming Note

16.02 1080p 16:9 All TV-HD All TV                 Test broadcast / Configuration testing

16.03 720p K-Lite TV         Unknown

16.04 480p Reserved 1         Unknown         Black screen

16.05 480i         Reserved 

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