ABS-CBN president and CEO Carlo Katigbak appealed to Congress for due process as the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) stated it will issue a cease and desist order (CDO) on the broadcast of ABS-CBN programs on channel 43 frequency at the House panel hearing on ABS-CBN’s franchise on June 29.
Explaining the continued broadcast on ABS-CBN TVplus, Katigbak said the company entered into a blocktime agreement with AMCARA Broadcasting Network Inc., maintaining that such practice is “a standard commercial agreement” and that other broadcasters have gone into similar arrangements.
He also pointed out that the CDO issued by the NTC to ABS-CBN did not indicate channel 43.
When asked if the network would comply should the NTC issue a CDO, he appealed that due process be accorded to it the same way that Congress gave to other companies with expired franchise and pending renewal in Congress.
“’Yung hinihingi po lang namin is to make sure that we are given due process, so we have the right venue to express our position on this matter. And then whatever decision the NTC comes up with, we will respect the regulatory agency,” Katigbak said.
According to Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas president Jun Nicdao, blocktime has been an industry practice for a long time and there is an organization called Independent Block Timers Association of the Philippines.
Nicdao said blocktime involves only the sale of airtime, but the control of the station still rests with the owner or the franchise of the station.
“Blocktimers do not need a franchise to buy airtime from a broadcasting station,” said Nicdao.
Responding to lawmakers who questioned the broadcast of ABS-CBN programs on SKY that has a lapsed franchise, Katigbak pointed out that the NTC also allowed other companies whose franchises had expired to continue to operate while Congress deliberated on their franchise, saying it will affect a massive number of viewers.
“Between TVplus and SKY, there are about 11 million homes that have access to our service. ‘Pag pinutulan po natin ‘yan that›s almost 55 million people that will lose access to their entertainment, their news, and information,” Katigbak said.
Meanwhile, ABS-CBN counsel Atty. Caesar Poblador said that there is no rule of law prohibiting the multi-channel format and that Republic Act 7966, which contains ABS-CBN’s franchise terms, does not state that the franchise is only good for one channel.
“On the contrary, multiple channels simply follow the migration plan of the NTC. Among the requirements of the migration plan is that there should be already digital technology that has to be put in place on January 1, 2015,” Poblador said.
Poblador also cited Republic Act 7966 saying the words “commercial purposes” indicated in the franchise are “broad enough to cover pay-per-view.” In an opinion addressed to the NTC in 2018, the Department of Justice confirmed that pay-per-view is for commercial purposes.
Poblador debunked claims that ABS-CBN is not allowed to sell digital TV set-up boxes, saying the NTC allowed it as it is part of its digital migration plan.
Philippine Cable Television Association director Ralph Casino stressed that digital broadcast empowers viewers with more choices.
“In the old technology, each frequency could only deliver a single channel. With digital compression, broadcasters are able to provide four or more channels. This empowers televiewers and consumers to have more options and program choices,” he said.
He also said that failure to adapt to new technology would result to “obsolescence and the eventual demise of any enterprise in our industry.»
ABS-CBN TVplus was launched in 2015 as a response to the government’s mandate for networks to shift from analog to digital broadcast. With this technology, ABS-CBN is able to deliver shows in clear picture and sound. As of end 2019, ABS-CBN TVplus has sold over 9 million boxes across the country and launched INFOplus, a public service feature that offers users real-time alerts on weather, traffic, news, as well as disaster updates. Its Cinemo channels, meanwhile, offers job postings for blue-collar workers.