The Senate hearing on the resolution to reconsider the ABS-CBN franchise has led to a debate as some senators seek to renew the franchise for 25 years and some want a provisional franchise only.
Senate Bill 981 or An Act Seeking to Renew for Another 25 Years the Franchise of ABS-CBN and Senate Bill 1521 or An Act Granting Provisional Franchise to Operate were discussed in the hearing.
Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said ABS-CBN must not only be given five months since it has been following the requirements of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC). Senator Manny Pacquiao and Senator Ralph Recto also shared the same sentiment and believe the workload will only double if a five-month franchise is given little by little.
Meanwhile, Former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile pointed out that ABS-CBN must follow the law. “The nooks and corners of our republic are reached not by television but by radio. Our people know what’s going on by radio more than the ABS-CBN, GMA7 or government station or all other TV stations. So the information is not an issue The issue here is that we must comply with the Constitution,” Enrile said.
General counsel of ABS-CBN Atty. Ayo Bautista disclosed that all their frequencies such as five AM stations, 18 FM stations, and 42 TV stations which were mostly in remote areas were included in the cease and desist order issued against them.
ABS-CBN CEO Carlo Katigbak said their employees will still receive salaries for three months until August. The Network may resort to retrenchment due to the impact of non-broadcast in their operations.
