Roselle May Advincula

 ABS-CBN: A Timeline of History, Milestones and Controversies ABS-CBN’s franchise controversy is very much like the network’s Ang Probinsiyano—it’s still an ongoing saga. Up to this day, there is still no final decision from involved government bodies, with more and more issues and alleged violations arising against the network giant. Let’s take a look back on the history of the Philippine’s biggest TV channel, along with their milestones and controversies. In 1946, James Lindenberg, an American born in Pennsylvania, founded the Bolinao Electronics Corporation or BEC. Lindenberg is now credited as the Father of Philippine Television. He later applied for a license to establish the company as a television network to the Philippine Congress. BEC was the first company to apply for a TV network license. On June 14, 1950, Bolinao Electronics Corp. (BEC) was granted a temporary permit to operate a television network under Republic Act 511. Lindenberg joined hands with Antonio Quirino, brother of then President Elpidio Quirino in 1953. Together they renamed BEC to Alto Broadcasting System (ABS). “Alto” is derived from Antonio’s and his wife, Aleli’s names. On October 23 of the same year, ABS airs their first television broadcast in the Philippines through DZAQ-TV Channel 3. The broadcast is of a party in San Juan hosted by Elpidio Quirino—a celebration done after setting up a transmitter in San Juan and importing 300 TV sets. It’s also the first TV broadcast in Southeast Asia and second in Asia, after Japan. In 1956, Eugenio Lopez Sr. and his brother, then vice president Fernando Lopez founded what would be ABS’s other half a few years later, the Chronicles Broadcasting Network (CBN). At the time, Eugenio also owns the then operational newspaper company, Manila Chronicles. The next year, Eugenio Lopez Sr. acquired ABS. Interestingly, according to sources, the merger was made during a breakfast meeting of Lopez and Quirino, and the contract was written in a piece of table napkin. By 1958, the merged companies started their operations as ABS-CBN. On June 21, 1969 RA 5730 was approved, amending the previous RA 511 and granting BEC’s franchise to ABS-CBN. Kapamilya Milestones: Making History in Philippine’s Television Industry Despite the current controversies, one can’t deny the accomplishments of ABS-CBN that marked its place as one of the country’s pillar in TV broadcasting. The late 60s was probably ABS-CBN’s golden year in terms of making history. Year after year, the network quickly accomplished broadcasting prowess by providing and using innovative technology for broadcast. ABS-CBN brought the first colored television in the country in 1966. Eugenio “Geny” Lopez, Jr. partnered with Radio Corporation of America to launch the first colored TV broadcast in the Philippines. In the following year, the network added another feather on its cap when it became the first network to do a full coverage of a national election by airing their “Halalan ‘67” special report that showed election updates. The network made their first attempt on international live satellite transmission in 1968, when they broadcasted Robert Kennedy’s funeral in June and that year’s US Presidential Elections. On July 20, 1969, the broadcasting company made history within history when they aired man’s first landing on the moon. It was the country’s first live telecast via satellite. ABS-CBN remained to be the only network airing colored programs until the mid 1970s. In April 1994, the Kapamilya network extended their reach to Filipinos around the globe by launching The Filipino Channel (TFC), ABS-CBN’s subscription-based channel abroad. Signing Off: ABS-CBN’s Shutdowns and Controversies On September 22, 1972, in the height of Martial Law ABS-CBN, along with other networks and affiliate station was forced to stop their operations. Programming during that time was under the government’s strict supervision. It would mark as the network’s the first shutdown. But it wouldn’t be the last. ABS-CBN reopens seven months after the success of People Power Revolution in 1986. Things went well for the following years and in 1995, then president Fidel V. Ramos signed the RA 7966—the bill that grants ABS-CBN a franchise to construct, install, operate and maintain television and radio broadcasting stations for 25 years. The permit became effective on May 04. So they had 25 years to prepare for the nest renewal. What went wrong? Here’s a full timeline of the network’s renewal attempts and the alleged issues surrounding it, leading to their closure on May 05, 2020: Sept. 11, 2014: About five years before the network’s franchise expiration, Isabela Fourth District Rep. Giorgidi Aggabao files House Bill (HB) 4997 before the 16th Congress. This is the first bill filed aiming for the renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise for another 25 years. It reached the House Committee on Legislative Franchise but ABS-CBN withdrew the application because of “time constraints”. They decided to submit application on the 17th Congress. May 5, 2016: ABS-CBN aired the controversial anti-Duterte ad, financed by former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV. The ad was broadcasted just four days before the 2016 elections. May 06, 2016: Sen. Peter Cayetano, Duterte’s running mate in the 2016 elections, reached out to Taguig court to issue a Temporary Restraining Order against ABS-CBN’s airing of anti-Duterte ads. Nov. 10, 2016: The second attempt to renew the networks franchise took place as Nueva Ecija Second District Rep. Micaela Violago files HB 4349 before the 17th Congress. Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles and PBA Party-List Rep. Jericho Nograles drafted a similar bill following HB 4349. Both are still pending at committee level. November 8, 2018: President Duterte called out ABS-CBN for not airing his campaign during the 2016 elections. The president already called out the station before for their supposed unfair labor policies and challenged them to accompany him in opening his bank accounts when the network made reports about his undeclared wealth. During the speech, he also said that he would block the company’s renewal. July 7, 2019: Another bill seeking to renew ABS-CBN’s franchise, HB 676 was filed before the 18th Congress It remained pending in the committee level, the same as its predecessors. Aug. 6, 2019 to December 09, 2019: Seven more House Bills were submitted to the 18th Congress, all requesting for the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN, but all remained stagnant at the committee level. December 3, 2019: President Duterte drops another remark against ABS-CBN: “I will see to it that you’re out.” January 27 to February 13 2020: ABS-CBN’s franchise is nearing its end. Three months before the expiration of their franchise, three more bills for its renewal were submitted to the Congress, totaling to 11 submitted bills just within the term of the 18th Congress alone. All three shared the same fate as the eight that was applied before them. February 10, 2020: Solicitor General Jose Calida submitted a “quo warranto” petition against ABS-CBN before the Supreme Court. Calida cited six alleged violations by the network: 1. bias news reporting; 2. labour-related contraventions and breaches (it can be remembered that in 2010, ABS-CBN was involved in a labor case with their former reporter, Wheng Hidalgo); 3. broadcasting for a fee and operating a "pay-per-view channel in ABS-CBN TV Plus, the KBO Channel, without prior approval or permit from the NTC; 4. failing to publicly offer any of its outstanding capital stock to any securities exchange within the Philippines within five years from the start of its operations, which is an indispensable condition in its franchise; 5. issuance of Philippine Depository Receipts (PDRs) to foreigners; and 6. the citizenship of the media network’s chairman emeritus Eugenio Gabriel "Gabby" López III, an alleged American. The last two allegations, should be proven, are grave violations to the 1987 Constitution. Feb. 11, 2020: ABS-CBN denied Calida’s allegations and the Supreme Court orders ABS-CBN to comment on the quo warranto petition within 10 days. Feb. 18, 2020: Cebu City First District Rep. Raul Del Mar filed House Joint Resolution (HJR) 28, requesting to extend the franchise of ABS-CBN until the end of the 18th Congress or on June 30, 2022. On the same day, Calida asks for a gag order from the Supreme Court that would prohibit ABS-CBN from discussing the contents of the quo warranto. He said none of the parties should discuss the case before it’s filed in the tribunal court. Feb. 24, 2020: During the Senate hearing to investigate if ABS-CBN violated its franchise, CEO Carlo Katigbak apologized to President Duterte for airing the ad campaign against him in 2016. He also admitted that the network had shortcomings and vowed to fix them. The previous comments made by the president against ABS-CBN leading to speculations that he is behind the network’s delayed franchise renewal. But the Palace denied the accusations. Feb. 25, 2020: President Duterte accepted the network’s apology. He said that the franchise is in the hands of Congress, not his and that he cannot ask the Calida to cancel the quo warranto the he submitted.  Feb. 26, 2020: The House of Representatives asks the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to issue ABS-CBN a provisional authority so it can continue airing while their franchise is still being renewed. March 4, 2020: The Senate passes Resolution 344 or “the sense of the Senate” authorizing the NTC to grant a provisional authority to ABS-CBN to operate until their franchise is renewed. Cayetano also announces that the House Committee will be reviewing the pending 11 franchise renewal bills. March 10, 2020: The House Committee on Legislative Franchises started to discuss 11 pending bills seeking for ABS-CBN’s renewal. NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba told the House Committee they will give the network provisional authority to air, heeding the Congress’s earlier request and the DOJ’s advice to allow the network to operate based on equity. March 14, 2020: No sessions due to the Lenten break. No franchise renewal was passed before the House of Representatives halted their hearings. May 03, 2020: Calida said that NTC officials might face graft charges should day issue a provisional authority to ABS-CBN since the network will not have any valid license to air after May 04, 2020. May 4, 2020: ABS-CBN’s 25-year franchise expires May 05, 2020: The NTC issues a Cease and Desist Order, commanding ABS-CBN to stop their operations. At 7:52pm, ABS-CBN signed off. NTC gave the network a 10-day window to refute their decision. Off Air: Did ABS-CBN stop all their operations? NTC’s CDO only applies to the network’s subsidiaries under the government’s loaned frequency. That means the network giant can still operate under their different platforms: social media channels, their own streaming site iWant TV, movie production company Star Cinema and cable channels ANC and ABS-CBN Sports TV. May 26, 2020: The Congress proceeds with the network’s franchise hearing. Alleged violations by ABS-CBN were raised once again. Deputy Speaker Rodante Marcoleta claimed that the company did not comply with the provisions of their franchise that has recently expired and thus argued that they shouldn’t be given a new one. Marcoleta offered the same arguments that Calida filed in his quo warranto stating that ABS-CBN owner Eugenio Lopez Sr. is an American citizen and thus violates the constitutional law that says mass media companies should be 100 percent owned by a Filipino. He also presented the network’s alleged issuance of PDRs. In response to the allegations, ABS-CBN refuted saying that Eugenio Lopez Sr. to Filipino parents and thus a Filipino citizen under the 1935 constitution. As for the issued PDR, the network claims that their documents were approved by the SEC and PSE, disposing allegations against them. Marcoleta also raised the broadcasting company’s alleged labor violations stating that the network only has 2,600 regularized workers compared more than 8,500 contractual and project-based employees. Plot Twist: INC’s Involvement? On the day of the hearing, ABS-CBN news anchor Karen Davila interviews Rep. Eric Yap. In the interview, she brings up an article published by politko.ph that claims Iglesia ni Cristo has been “lobbying” against the network’s franchise renewal. Speculations on the subject surfaced as other news outlets claimed that Marcoleta is a member of the influential religious group. Davila directly asked Rep. Eric Yap if the INC has involvement in the Congress’ hearings. Yap denied the allegations and even stated that his party list was not even endorsed by INC, dismissing the religious organization’s alleged close ties with the House of Representatives. May 30, 2020: Karen Davila publicly addressed the alleged issue with INC saying it was not her intention to imply that Iglesia ni Cristo has influence over the franchise renewal proceedings. She explained that she was just simply “asking a question based on a published report.” She regrets having offended the organizations leaders and members. The decision for the company’s franchise renewal, up to this day, is still far from being resolved.