Consider this a backstage pass to the world of Philippine broadcasting. This is AMBS Manila. Advanced Media Broadcasting System or AMBS is a broadcast media company here in the Philippines.
AMBS Manila’s main offices are in Mandaluyong Metro Manila. They are located in the Paragon Plaza Building and Starmalls EDSA Shaw complex. The Vera family founded AMBS in 1994. Later it was owned by the Villar Group through Planet Cable.
Attorney Jose Luis Vera of Quest Broadcasting established AMBS. This happened after AMBS secured its Congressional franchise in 1995. Jinji Buhain helped AMBS buy 103.5 DWCS from the Archdiocese of Manila. They changed its call sign to DWKX. This marked the birth of K-Lite an adult contemporary station.
In 2019 AMBS got a 25-year franchise extension. This was under Republic Act 11253. President Rodrigo Duterte did not sign it but it still became law. The Vera family sold AMBS to Manny Villar’s Planet Cable. This happened after K-Lite struggled financially due to COVID-19.
In January 2022 AMBS received permission to operate digital Channel 16. This channel was previously assigned to ABS-CBN Corporation. They also got temporary use of analog Channel 2. AMBS’s digital TV network in Metro Manila was expected to be ready by July 2022.
AMBS Manila started test broadcasts in June 2022. The official launch was on October 1 2022. They planned to expand nationwide soon.
Willie Revillame announced his show Wowowin would return on AMBS. This was after its final broadcast on GMA Network.
ALLTV is the television station of AMBS. It began its soft launch on September 13 2022.
In April 2024 ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol and It’s Showtime started airing on ALLTV. This marked the return of ABS-CBN programs to channels 2 and 16. ABS-CBN and AMBS signed content agreements. These took effect in May 2024.
AMBS owns several radio and television stations. These include All Radio 103.5 and ALLTV. ALLTV broadcasts on both analog and digital channels. Its analog station is on Channel 2 in Metro Manila. The digital station is on Channel 16. AMBS is expanding its digital terrestrial television to other cities.
AMBS Manila continues to evolve. It provides news entertainment and a platform for popular shows. From its beginnings to its current partnerships AMBS remains a significant player in Philippine media.