ABS-CBN expands reach to Japan, Italy

Media giant ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. is expanding its reach abroad with programmed operations in Japan and Italy, both of which have an assured base of Filipino expatriates.

ABS-CBN chairman and CEO Eugenio Lopez III said this initiative was in line with the company's emphasis on cross-cultural programming, linking overseas Filipinos though "The Filipino Channel."

The company's foreign operations are handled by ABS-CBN International, its biggest subsidiary and the second largest contributor to total revenues.

Lopez said they would be having their test broadcast in Japan by next month while the Italy exposure is still being worked on. ABS-CBN has an existing office in Milan, Italy.

At present, the international operations are concentrated in the US, Australia and the Middle East, mainly in Saudi Arabia. Its North American arm doubled its distributors for the channel and consistently sold over 1,000 direct-to-home (DTH) units a month.

Its subscriber base also grew significantly in the Middle East with over 17,000 DTH customers while its Australian operations are getting a good reception since its launch in October 1999.

In 1999, ABS-CBN International generated P839.2 million in revenues, 20 percent higher than the previous year. Its total subscriber base totalled more than 58,000 (37,900 on cable and 20,100 on DTH) in the US; over 15,800 DTH customers in the Middle East and 800 cable clients in Australia.

The Philippines' biggest media entity had programmed spending P4 billion for the expansion and modernization of its studio and facilities to bring them at par with international standards and position the company further at the forefront of technology in the "new economy" with advanced and sophisticated programming.

Moreover, a grand plan in the works involve the setting up of a "back lot" studio complex patterned after the Universal and Fox Studios in the US. This ambitious project will enhance the company's production and operational efficient by housing and integrating the programming and broadcasting process within the compound.