The owners of media giant ABS-CBN should absorb the staff of its radio channel Teleradyo into their surviving broadcast-related businesses such as the cable-based ABS-CBN News Channel or ANC, Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said Thursday.
He made the appeal following the announcement by ABS-CBN chief operating officer Karlo Katigbak that Teleradyo, the successor of radio station DZMM, will stop airing by June 30 to reduce the company’s operating losses.
“We are anxious about the continued employment of the radio station staff, many of whom have worked for ABS-CBN for many years. We are as well concerned about the welfare of their families,” Rodriguez said.
He said the network’s owners should find ways to accommodate the staff in ANC and ABS-CBN’s residual businesses.
“They could also be absorbed in their joint ventures with other media companies,” Rodriguez said.
“Since ABS-CBN can no longer sustain TeleRadyo’s operations, ABS-CBN is left with no choice but to cease the operations of TeleRadyo effective 30 June 2923,” the company said in a statement.
However, ABS-CBN Corp. said Tuesday it signed a joint venture agreement with Prime Media Holdings Inc. to produce various content and programs.
The Lopez-led media and entertainment company said it would continue providing news to the public through a joint venture with Prime Media to produce various programs, which would be supplied to broadcasters and other third-party platforms including Philippine Collective Media Corp. (PCMC).
DZMM and ABS-CBN’s television channels had to close shop three years ago during the Duterte administration after Congress refused to renew its congressional franchise.
However, ABS-CBN continues to operate ANC, a cable television channel, which Katigbak said would remain on air as it is viable.
Rodriguez said he continues to believe that Congress should have renewed the 25-year franchise of ABS-CBN.
“The expiration of the network’s broadcasting privilege had left a void in the information dissemination and public service space, which we continue to feel up to now,” he said.
On May 6, 2020, the Mindanao lawmaker filed Bill No. 6694, which proposed to grant ABS-CBN a new 25-year broadcast franchise.
“The franchise of ABS-CBN expired May 4, 2020 midnight. In order to continue to provide uninterrupted and improved delivery of its services to the Filipino people, the franchise should be granted in the soonest possible time,” he said.
He also filed a joint resolution that sought to give the network a provisional broadcast permit until June 2022.
At the time, Rodriguez said the temporary license would give both the House and the Senate “time to review, assess and determine whether or not ABS-CBN shall be granted a new franchise.”
A similar resolution was introduced by then-Cebu City Rep. Raul del Mar.