FEDERATION of the International Cable TV and Telecommunications Association of the Philippines (FICTAP) said ABS-CBN Corp. should not be allowed to operate multiple channels in one area as it could kill small cable television providers in the country.
FICTAP, a group of micro, small and medium cable TV and internet operators, urged Congress on Monday to carefully review the bills filed in the 18th Congress seeking to renew the franchise of the embattled media giant ABS-CBN.
FICTAP Chairperson Estrellita Juliano-Tamano said in a briefing in Quezon City that the House Bill No. 4997 filed in 2014 used the terms “frequencies” and “channels” which could mean allowing the Lopez-led company to operate more than one channel in an area.
She said lawmakers should ensure that the frequencies will not be monopolized by giant companies like ABS-CBN.
“Ang kanilang application ay renewal lang. Meaning, kung ano ‘yung dating nakasaad sa kanilang dating prangkisa ay wala kang dapat idagdag,” Ms. Tamano said.
(Their application is for franchise renewal, meaning the provisions under the previous franchise should be retained without any addition.)
She noted that several bills had been filed in both houses of Congress for the extension of ABS-CBN’s franchise.
“Gusto ko po sanang malaman sa kanila kung iyon pong lumang franchise ng ABS-CBN ay katulad din doon sa bago nilang na-file o kung meron silang bagong idinagdag o ibiniwas sapagkat maliwanag na ang application ng ABS-CBN ay para lang sa iisang channel,” she said.
(I want to know from them if the previous franchise of ABS-CBN is the same as the newly filed one, or if they added or removed some provisions because it’s clear that the application of ABS-CBN is for only one channel.)
She said the organization is worried about the possibility that legislators would allow ABS-CBN to operate multiple channels.
“Nag–iinvest kami sa fiber optics at sa pagkabit sa mga bahay-bahay, pero sila gagamit sila ng frequencies na libre. Kami nagbabayad ng aming infrastructure, so magkakaroon ng monopoly,” Ms. Tamano said, adding that small cable television providers could lose “billions of pesos” a year.
(We invested in fiber optics and in connecting the households, but they will be using frequencies for free. We pay for our infrastructure, so there will be a monopoly.)
She also said 18,000 to 20,000 workers could lose their jobs.
The House committee on legislative franchises began discussing the ABS-CBN franchise bill only on Feb. 24, the same day the Senate opened its inquiry on the allegations against the network.
Speaker Alan Peter S. Cayetano has denied that the House of Representatives, under his leadership, was delaying the deliberation of the ABS-CBN franchise renewal.
Last week, five more senators moved to extend the validity of the ABS-CBN franchise until 2022, while its renewal remains pending in the 18th Congress.
Senators Juan Miguel F. Zubiri, Sherwin T. Gatchalian, Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva, Maria Lourdes Nancy S. Binay and Juan Edgardo M. Angara said they would be filing a concurrent resolution allowing the network to operate until the final determination of its franchise.
Before this, Senator Franklin M. Drilon filed Concurrent Resolution No. 6, which carried the same proposal; while Senator Ramon B. Revilla, Jr. filed Senate Bill No. 1374 to extend the franchise until 2020. — Arjay L. Balinbin
