BROADCASTING giant GMA Network Inc. is spending around P170 million to boost transmission signal and improve program distribution in various key cities around the country.

In a statement, the company said Cagayan de Oro (CDO), General Santos City, Batangas province and Legaspi City would all be covered by new transmitter facilities while Naga City would be the site of a new transmitter and originating station.

GMA’s transmitter tower has already been erected in CDO, as well as its antenna system. Equipped with a newly installed transmitter, the relay station in CDO is set to operate on April 10, in time for the Pacquiao-Solis boxing fight on April 15.

On the other hand, the relay site in Mt. Banoy, Batangas is also being upgraded. The signal upgrade and new transmitter facility is up for completion this June.

Meanwhile, the upgraded General Santos City relay station was commissioned last month. Powered by a five-kilowatt transmitter and reconfigured antenna system, the GenSan station would be upgraded in three months with a 10-kilowatt transmitter.

Preparations for the construction of a new tower in Naga City are also underway. The new transmitter and signal upgrade project is set to be completed by July with the commissioning of a new originating station in the city scheduled within the year. In addition, the Legaspi tower and antenna system would also be upgraded, vastly improving GMA’s coverage and reach in the Bicol region.

A TV studio in Iloilo is also being constructed and would be completed by June. The construction of a studio complex in Davao and Dagupan, on the other hand, would begin this month and completed this October.

GMA executive vice president and chief operating officer Gilberto R. Duavit Jr. said the major improvements being done would vastly improve GMA’s viewership in the regions.

“With these regional expansion projects already in progress, every household in the country, including those in remote areas can now look forward to a more enjoyable viewing experience. With our programs now more accessible, we expect the regional ratings to increase significantly,” Duavit said.

The company is set to complete by June 2008 the P1-billion GMA Network Center Annex, which will house its state-of-the-art studios.

Construction of the building started in November 2005. The four-story building stands on an 18,404-square meter complex and is directly across the GMA Network compound in Quezon City.

BROADCASTING giant GMA Network Inc. is spending around P170 million to boost transmission signal and improve program distribution in various key cities around the country.

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