Republic Act No.

3846- An Act Providing for the Regulation of Radio

Stations and Radio Communications in the Philippine Islands, for Other
Purposes
Aug. 10, 1963

Section 1: No person, firm, company, association or corporation shall construct,

install, establish, or operate a radio station within the Philippines Islands without
having first obtained a franchise therefor from the Philippine Legislature;
Provided however, that no franchise from the Legislature shall be necessary for
the construction, installation, station, a training station, a station on board a
mobile vessel, train, or aircraft, or a private station in a place without any means
of communication.

Section 2: The construction or installation of any station shall not be begun,

unless a permit therefor has been granted by the Secretary of Commerce and
Communications. No station shall be operated except under and in accordance
with the provisions of a license issued therefor by the Secretary of Commerce
and Communications. The license shall state the dates between which the
station may be operated. If renewal is desired, the licensee shall submit an
application to the Secretary of Commerce and Communication at least two (2)
months before the expiration date of the license to be renewed. The Secretary of
Commerce and Communication shall determine the period for which each license
is issues; Provided, that no license shall be issued for a longer period than three
(3) years.

Section 3: The Secretary of Commerce and Communication is hereby

empowered to regulate the establishment, use, and operation of all radio stations
and of all forms of radio communications and transmissions within the Philippine
Islands and to issue such rules and regulations as may be necessary. In addition
to the above, he shall have the following specific powers and duties:
j) He is hereby empowered to approve or disprove any application for the
construction, installation, establishment or operation of a radio station;
k) He may approve or disapprove any application for renewal of station or
operator license: Provided however, that no application for renewal shall
be disapproved without giving the licensee a hearing;
l) He may, at his discretion, bring criminal actions against the violators of
the radio law or the regulations; or simply suspend, or revoke the
offender’s station or operator’s licenses; or refuse to renew such licenses;
or just reprimand and warn the offenders;

Section 5: The privileges granted in any station license shall not be exclusive.
 Republic Act No. 7966- An Act Granting the ABS-CBN Broadcasting
Corporation A Franchise to Construct, Install, Operate and Maintain
Television and Radio Broadcasting Stations in the Philippines, and for
Other Purposes
March 30, 1995

Section 1. Nature and Scope of Franchise- Subject to the provisions of the

Constitution and applicable laws, rules and regulations, the ABS-CBN
Broadcasting Corporation, hereunder referred to as the grantee, its successors
or assigns, is hereby granted a franchise to construct, operate and maintain, for
commercial purposes and in the public interest, television and radio broadcasting
stations in and throughout the Philippines, through microwave, satellite or
whatever means including the use of any new technologies in television and
radio systems, with the corresponding technological auxiliaries or facilities,
special broadcast and other broadcast distribution services and relay stations.

Section 3. Prior Approval of the National Telecommunications

Commission- The grantee shall secure from the National Telecommunications
Commission the appropriate permits and licenses for its station and shall not use
any frequency in the television or radio spectrum without having been authorized
the Commission. The Commission, however, shall not unreasonably withhold or
delay the grant of any such authority.

Section 6. Term of Franchise- This franchise shall be for a term of twenty-five

(25) years from the date of effectivity of this Act.
Section 7. Acceptance and Compliance- Acceptance of this franchise shall be
given in writing to Congress within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act.
Upon giving such acceptance, the grantee shall exercise the privileges granted
under this Act.
Republic Act No. 7925- An Act to Promote and Govern the Development of
Philippine Telecommunications and the Delivery of Public
Telecommunications Services

Section 3. Definitions and Interpretations- For purposes of this Act, the

following terms shall be used:
a. Telecommunications- any process which enables a telecommunications
entity to relay and receive voice, data, electronic messages, written or
printed matter, fixed or moving pictures, words, music or visible or audible
signals or any control signals of any design and for the purposes by wire,
radio or other electromagnetic, spectral, optical or technological means.
b. Public telecommunications entity- any person, firm, partnership or
corporation, government or private, engaged in the provision of
telecommunications services to the public for compensation.
c. Broadcasting- an undertaking the object of which is to transmit over-the-air
commercial radio or television messages for reception of a broad audience
in a geographic area.
d. Franchise- A privilege conferred upon a telecommunications entity by
congress authorizing that entity to engage in a certain type of
telecommunications service.

Section 16. Franchise- No person shall commence or conduct the business of

being a public telecommunications entity without first obtaining a franchise.

The Commission in granting a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity

(CPCN), may impose such conditions as to duration and termination of the
privilege, concession, or standard or technical aspects of the equipment, rates, or
service, not contrary to the terms of the franchise. In no case, however, shall the
CPCN be shorter that five (5) years, nor longer than the life of the franchise. A
CPCN expiring at the same time as the franchise shall be deemed to have been
renewed for the same term if the franchise itself is also renewed or extended.