ABS-CBN off the air

[Mike J]

ABS-CBN has been ordered to stop broadcasting.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-52548703

The Philippines' top broadcaster has gone off air after it was ordered by the media regulator to stop operations.

ABS-CBN said it had been told it could continue broadcasting while it waited for Congress to renew its licence, which expired on Monday.

But the regulator said it must stop on Tuesday.

The channel has in the past angered President Rodrigo Duterte, who correspondents say is well-known for silencing media critics.

Duterte: The 'strongman' of the Philippines
Philippines country profile
Just before its main channel went dark, Chairman Mark Lopez told viewers: "It's painful for us that we are being shut down, but it's also painful for millions of our countrymen who believe that our service is important to them."

In an earlier statement, ABS-CBN said it would stop operations on Tuesday evening to comply with the order from the National Telecommunications Commission, and urged lawmakers in Congress, the lower house of parliament, to renew its franchise.

"We trust that the government will decide on our franchise with the best interest of the Filipino people in mind, recognising ABS-CBN's role and efforts in providing the latest news and information during these challenging times," the channel said in a statement.

Critics says the channel's suspension undermines the Philippines' fight against coronavirus
President Duterte has been engaged in a long-running feud with ABS-CBN, after the channel angered him during the 2016 presidential election by refusing to broadcast his campaign ads.

Opposition lawmakers say the suspension order undermines the fight against the coronavirus outbreak, which has infected more than 9,600 people in the country and killed more than 600.

"This shutdown order goes against public welfare," Senator Risa Hontiveros said in a statement.

Antonio Albano, vice-chairman of the lower chamber's committee on legislative franchises, said Congress would order the telecoms body to explain its action.

"We are up in arms against this," he told DZMM radio, adding that only Congress could grant or revoke the franchise.

Media watchdogs describe the move as a serious blow to press freedom.

"Ordering ABS-CBN to stop its operations is an outrageous attack on media freedom... The Filipino people need accurate information from independent sources. The government must act immediately to keep ABS-CBN on air and cease all attempts to curtail media freedom," Amnesty International's Philippines section director Butch Olano said in a statement.

"This latest move against ABS-CBN occurs after repeated attacks in the past against the network by President Duterte himself. It is yet another attack on freedom of expression in recent weeks, following the authorities' legal threats against people who criticised the government's response to the pandemic."

Founded in 1953, the media conglomerate employs some 11,000 people; it owns radio and television stations nationwide, and distributes online content.

[BrettGC]

Saw this on DW's Engish service last night when I finished work, at first I was quite shocked then I thought about it for a microsecond....

Editorial staff are probably lucky they haven't been arrested on some trumped up charge. 

Edited May 6, 2020 by BrettGC

[Snowy79]

It's hard to stick up for them if they are biased.  There should be a law that makes media only report on the truth with no cut and paste hatchet jobs, but then again most of the media would be out of business if they had to do that.

[Freebie]

Regardless of how they report , they are one of the most popular and far reaching media companies in the Philippines..... oh and dont forget that because of this situation 13,000 people are now out of work.

not forgetting its being reported in mainstream media ( and no Facebook is NOT mainstream media ) internationally.

2 days after World Press Freedom Day...This country does things in ways that are totally beyond my limited foreigner comprehension.

[Jack Peterson]

6 minutes ago, Freebie said:

This country does things in ways that are totally beyond my limited foreigner comprehension.

 It may seems strange but even the locals can't comprehend things at times  especially those that have contact with the other world (Us that is, the Foreigner) 

[Heeb]

3 hours ago, Snowy79 said:

It's hard to stick up for them if they are biased.  There should be a law that makes media only report on the truth with no cut and paste hatchet jobs, but then again most of the media would be out of business if they had to do that.

Who gets to decide what's the truth? It appears to be whomever is in charge.

[graham59]

7 hours ago, Mike J said:

it's also painful for millions of our countrymen who believe that our service is important to them."

I honestly can't think of a more stupid action to take, during the present 'lockdown' of millions of ordinary (okay, let's say POOR and DEPRIVED) people,  millions of whom also, every day watch their favourite TV progs on ABS-CBN.... and they are NOT news programmes.  

Just unbelievable. 

Edited May 6, 2020 by graham59

[Tommy T.]

2 hours ago, Heeb said:

There should be a law that makes media only report on the truth with no cut and paste hatchet jobs, but then again most of the media would be out of business if they had to do that.

Agreed, Heeb.

However then there would be howling about violation of First Amendment rights. In addition to your idea, I think the press should not sensationalize or even report things like terrorist acts or mass murders. I believe that media coverage foments and encourages more of the same from wanna-be's and followers... 

Yet again... then they would be out of business for following that too.

Edited May 6, 2020 by Tommy T.

[Jollygoodfellow]

There is a lot more to this than bits and pieces of stories told. Like most stories cover one part of the reason, but from reading over the past few months there is a long story about why the franchise is not renewed. 

 

[Heeb]

35 minutes ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

There is a lot more to this than bits and pieces of stories told. Like most stories cover one part of the reason, but from reading over the past few months there is a long story about why the franchise is not renewed. 

 

Yes it’s been in the news for quite some time now, it appears to be revenge politics imo 

Edited May 6, 2020 by Heeb