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GMA  Network Inc. (GMA 7), the Philippines’  leading broadcast firm, has elevated its complaint against the cable television business of rival ABS-CBN into an administrative case, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) said. GMA 7 earlier sought the reassignment of its UHF (ultra-high frequency) programming, QTV, to Channel 27 of Sky Cable’s channel offering from its present slot in Channel 11 due to signal problems. GMA 7’s QTV used to occupy the Channel 27 slot before it was moved to Channel 11. “We called them for a conference to come up with a middle ground, but they failed to do so [so] it will become an administrative case,” Ronald O. Solis, NTC chief said. Both parties to the case would be required to submit their position papers 10 days from last week. Solis expects to resolve the case next month. Sky Cable had rejected GMA 7’s request for the channel reassignment, arguing this would be unfair to subscribers who would be provided a second feed of a program they can already view. Sky Cable said all its analog channels are presently occupied, except for those channels that are not feasible for use due to noise or interference. “This means we will have to kick out one channel in order to accommodate another,” the company said. Sky Cable said it has been accommodating the requests of program providers, citing its decision to grant Zoe TV’s request in 1999 that it be assigned Channel 11. Last year, Zoe TV entered into an agreement with GMA 7 to transmit its block-time program QTV. Soon afterwards, Zoe 11 and GMA 7 advised that they were experiencing channel interference on 11 because they increased their signal strength from 10 kilowatts to 100 kilowatts. After GMA 7 obtained written agreement from NBN 4 to switch their channel assignments, Sky Cable complied, the Lopez family-led company said.