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Shutdown of ABS-CBN broadcasting

Shutdown of ABS-CBN broadcasting
ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center, the headquarters of media conglomerate ABS-CBN Corporation, in March 2021
DateMay 5, 2020 (2020-05-05)
Also known asABS-CBN franchise renewal controversy
Cause
Participants
Outcome
  • ABS-CBN broadcast franchise, granted on March 30, 1995, expired on May 4 without a renewal, 2020
  • National Telecommunications Commission issued a cease and desist order on ABS-CBN, effectively ceasing broadcast operations on May 5
  • ABS-CBN Corporation filed petitions before the Supreme Court of the Philippines on May 7, seeking to nullify the NTC's cease and desist order
  • National Telecommunications Commission and Solicitor General Jose Calida issued two alias cease and desist orders on ABS-CBN TV Plus and Sky Direct, effectively ceasing operations on June 30
  • The House of Representatives, particularly the Committee on Legislative Franchises, voted 70–11 to deny the franchise application of ABS-CBN[5][1]
  • The frequencies assigned to ABS-CBN were recalled by NTC on September 10
  • ABS-CBN resumed broadcasting through pay-TV Kapamilya Channel on June 13, and free-to-air A2Z (via ZOE TV) on October 10
  • House Minority Leader Joseph Stephen Paduano urges NTC and BIR to investigate the agreement of ABS-CBN and ZOE Broadcasting Network (A2Z)[6][7]
  • Former rival TV5 started simulcast of selected ABS-CBN programming on January 24, 2021
  • Former rival GMA Network started all Star Cinema movies on April 5, 2022, later has a collaboration with Dreamscape Entertainment and ABS-CBN starting 2023 and eventually simulcast of It's Showtime starting April 6, 2024[8][9]
  • The former television frequencies of ABS-CBN were reassigned to different companies in January 2022[10][11][12]
  • ABS-CBN's supposed acquisition of 34.99% minority stake on TV5 Network in August 2022 was terminated[13][14]
  • The former radio frequencies of ABS-CBN were reassigned to different companies in 2023
  • Subsidiary Sky Cable Corporation supposed sale to PLDT and with its supposed plans to terminate Sky's cable television services was cancelled in 2024[15][16][17]
  • AMBS' All TV started simulcast of selected ABS-CBN programming on April 15, 2024[18][19][20][21][22][23]

The shutdown of ABS-CBN broadcasting arose from the lack of renewal of Philippine media network ABS-CBN's congressional broadcast franchise. The disputes between the administrations of Presidents Benigno Aquino III and Rodrigo Duterte and the media conglomerate arose over the terms and conditions of the franchise renewal agreement.[24][25][26] Amid the controversy, the Congress of the Philippines, the country's legislature, was unable to renew the franchise before its expiration date. The congressional franchise expired on May 4, 2020, while the Philippines was dealing with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon.[27] The next day, exercising constitutional powers, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) issued a cease-and-desist order demanding ABS-CBN cease all of its free TV and radio broadcasting operations immediately. ABS-CBN complied with the government order and shut down all of its radio stations and free television channels later that day.[24] On June 30, 2020, the NTC released two alias cease-and-desist orders against ABS-CBN TV Plus and Sky Direct.[28]

For most of the 2010s decade starting from July 28, 2012 up until the early 2020s on September 10, 2020 (during the presidencies of Benigno Aquino III and Rodrigo Duterte), the network had an eight-year controversy regarding the renewal of their broadcast franchise. In 2014, they applied the renewal through private bills that had been pending in the House of Representatives but had not been addressed by either the 16th, 17th, or 18th Congresses of the Philippines.[24][25][29] Prominent figures in ABS-CBN Corporation, the political opposition in the Philippines, media advocacy groups,[25] and the international press[24][27] have labeled the refusal of Congress to renew the franchise as a result of Duterte's pressure for ABS-CBN to cease broadcasting and a direct attack on the country's democracy and press freedoms, although sources from the previous administration reported that there was lack of support for renewal because "Mr. Aquino’s allies felt the criticisms against the President were too personal and offensive and went to the point of nitpicking."[30] Duterte's ruling coalition maintains a supermajority in both chambers of Congress,[31][32] and Duterte criticized the ABS-CBN network for their allegedly biased and unfavorable news coverage against Duterte beginning with his presidential campaign in the 2016 Philippine presidential election,[33] repeatedly voicing his opposition against the renewal of the network's congressional franchise.[34] ABS-CBN subsequently appealed to the Supreme Court of the Philippines to nullify as unconstitutional the cease-and-desist order, which the Court likewise refused to do.

The resulting franchise expiration and withdrawal of its broadcast rights marked the first time ABS-CBN, considered a historical and cultural icon in the Philippines, had been off the air since the 1986 revolution, having been seized and liquidated by the authoritarian government of the Martial Law dictatorship from 1972 until the regime's collapse in 1986.[24] Critics of the Duterte government consider the NTC's cease-and-desist order and the denial of the franchise application as contributing to a growing democratic backsliding in the Philippines under the Duterte administration.[35]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Cervantes, Filane Mikee (July 10, 2020). "Several issues led to denial of ABS-CBN franchise bid: House body". Philippine News Agency. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  2. ^ Cervantes, Filane Mikee (May 26, 2020). "ABS-CBN didn't comply with franchise terms, laws: House leader". Philippine News Agency. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  3. ^ Pulta, Benjamin (February 12, 2020). "Calida details ABS-CBN 'monopoly' practices in quo warranto suit". Philippine News Agency. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  4. ^ Quismorio, Ellson (July 2, 2020). "Amcara signal comes from ABS-CBN tower, NTC tells House". Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  5. ^ Cervantes, Filane Mikee (July 10, 2020). "House panel junks ABS-CBN's bid for a 25-year franchise". Philippine News Agency. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  6. ^ "Solon calls for investigation into ABS-CBN-A2Z Channel 11 blocktime deal". PEP.ph. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  7. ^ "House told NTC, BIR to investigate ABS-Zoe blocktime deal". The Asian Affairs. Archived from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  8. ^ Antonio, Josiah (March 20, 2024). "'It's Showtime' to air on GMA from April 6". ABS-CBN News.
  9. ^ "[ANALYSIS] A new era of noontime TV: GMA-7 takes in ABS-CBN's 'It's Showtime'". Rappler. April 10, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  10. ^ Fuentes, Art (January 25, 2022). "Villar company bags 2 broadcast channels previously held by ABS-CBN". ABS-CBN News. Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  11. ^ Rey, Aika (January 25, 2022). "Manny Villar gets ABS-CBN frequencies". Rappler. Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  12. ^ Dela Cruz, Raymond Carl (January 26, 2022). "NTC allows 2 firms to use channels formerly used by ABS-CBN". Philippine News Agency. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  13. ^ "MediaQuest officially partnering with ABS-CBN". Media Newser Philippines. August 10, 2022. Archived from the original on August 12, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  14. ^ "ABS-CBN-TV5, Cignal-Sky terminate investment deal". ABS-CBN News. September 1, 2022. Archived from the original on December 10, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  15. ^ Rosales, Elijah Felice (March 16, 2023). "PLDT takes over Sky Cable's internet business". The Philippine Star. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  16. ^ Rivas, Ralf (March 16, 2023). "PLDT acquiring Sky Cable's broadband business for P6.75 billion". Rappler. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  17. ^ "Sky Cable, PLDT deal not pushing through". ABS-CBN News. February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  18. ^ "TV Patrol to air on ALLTV beginning April 15". ABS-CBN News. April 13, 2024. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  19. ^ "AMBS, ABS-CBN to bring Kapamilya shows, TV Patrol to ALLTV". ABS-CBN News. April 23, 2024. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  20. ^ Byx Almacen (April 30, 2024). "Eere sa ALLTV: Regine Velasquez 'di iiwanan ang 'Magandang Buhay'". Abante (in Tagalog).
  21. ^ Richard de Leon (June 18, 2024). "Tahimik lang: It's Showtime balik-Channel 2, napapanood na rin sa ALLTV". balita.net.ph. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  22. ^ Deveza, Reyma (May 31, 2024). "'Goin' Bulilit' returning to TV on June 17". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  23. ^ ""It's Showtime" kids and Baby Giant headline return of "Goin Bulilit"". ABS-CBN Entertainment. ABS-CBN Corporation. June 28, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  24. ^ a b c d e Cabato, Regine (May 5, 2020). "Philippines orders its largest broadcaster off the air as nation fights virus". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 5, 2020. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  25. ^ a b c "Congressional Franchises as a Weapon to Defeat a Free Press". Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility. June 17, 2016. Archived from the original on September 2, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  26. ^ Gomez, Jim (May 5, 2020). "Philippines Orders Leading TV Network to Shut Down as Watchdogs Accuse President of Muzzling Independent Media". Time. Archived from the original on May 6, 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  27. ^ a b Gutierrez, Jason (May 5, 2020). "Leading Philippine Broadcaster, Target of Duterte's Ire, Forced Off the Air". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 7, 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  28. ^ "NTC to issue alias shutdown order vs ABS-CBN after getting SolGen advice". ABS-CBN News. June 29, 2020. Archived from the original on June 30, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  29. ^ Cabacungan, Gil C. (June 11, 2016). "ABS-CBN in a bind over franchise renewal". INQUIRER.net. Archived from the original on September 9, 2016. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  30. ^ Cabacungan, Gil C. (June 11, 2016). "ABS-CBN in a bind over franchise renewal". INQUIRER.net. Archived from the original on September 9, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  31. ^ Gutierrez, Jason (May 14, 2019). "Philippines Election: Duterte Allies Sweep Senate, Unofficial Results Indicate". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 30, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  32. ^ Corrales, Nestor (July 19, 2019). "Palace on impeach raps: Duterte has supermajority in Congress". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on July 19, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  33. ^ "Philippines' top broadcaster ordered off air". BBC News. May 5, 2020. Archived from the original on May 7, 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  34. ^ Aurelio, Julie M.; Inquirer Research (December 4, 2019). "I'll see to it that you're out, President tells ABS-CBN". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on December 20, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2020. "Your franchise will end next year. If you are expecting that it will be renewed, I'm sorry. You're out. I will see to it that you're out," he said, addressing ABS-CBN.
  35. ^ Gomez, Carla (July 18, 2020). "Church leaders in Bacolod condemn non-renewal of ABS-CBN's franchise". INQUIRER.net. Archived from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2020.

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