PCOO Andanar- ABS-CBN can manage even if it loses broadcast franchise

The clock is ticking!

Barely four months and still the legislative franchise of ABS-CBN is still up for renewal.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has publicly stated in a couple of occasions that he will not renew the franchise of the telecom giant, because the network allegedly ran an advertisement against him when he campaigned for President in 2016 and for refusing to air his own campaign advertisements.

Communications Secretary Martin Andanar
(photo credit to owner)

Communications Secretary Martin Andanar for his part said the broadcasting giant can manage even if it ends up losing its legislative franchise amid President Rodrigo Duterte’s repeated threat to block its renewal

He explains that all it has to do is to distribute its contents to other channels if it loses its franchise when it expires on March 30, 2020.

“We are forgetting that ABS-CBN is not in the business of TV alone. They are in the business of content production,” Andanar said at the weekly Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.

“Meron silang contents online, meron silang magazine, meron silang iba pang mga investment (like) movies. (They have contents online, they are into magazine, they have other investments like movies.)  I’m sure ABS-CBN can find a way how to distribute their content if they lose their franchise,” he added.

The Communications Secretary, however conceded that Congress still has the say with respect to ABS-CBN’s franchise, since Republic Act No. 3846 requires radio and television broadcasters in the Philippines to obtain a franchise from Congress.

The President said early this month “he will see to it” that ABS-CBN won’t have its franchise renewed.

 “If you are expecting na ma-renew ‘yan (franchise), I am sorry. I will see to it that you are out,” Duterte said.

(If you are expecting that your franchise will be renewed, I am sorry. I will see to it that you are out.)

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Report from PDI