House panel acted on ABS-CBN franchise issue
ABS-CBN Franchise – The House of Representatives Committee of the Whole approved House Bill No. 6732 granting ABS-CBN provisional franchise until October 2020.
On May 5, the TV giant went off the air following the cease and desist order from the National Telecommunications Commission. In line with this decision of the NTC, the network filed a petition to the Supreme Court against it.
Various opinions and reactions flooded on social media regarding this issue. Fingers are being pointed to those entities who they think as the reason behind the shut down. On the other hand, critics of ABS-CBN stated that it should have done a measure prior to the order from NTC.
Amid the loud buzz online about this matter, based on a recent report from ABS-CBN, the House panel already approved the bill granting the network its provisional franchise until this October.
House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano filed the said bill and co-sponsored by Representatives Neptali Gonzalez, Raneo Abu, Roberto Puno, Dan Fernandez, LRay Villafuerte Jr., Ferdinand Romualdez, and Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado with the aim to concentrate more on the COVID-19 pandemic while giving enough time to tackle the issue on ABS-CBN’s franchise.
“There will be no rush judgment. Both the praise for and the charges against the network will be heard and will be put on public record,” Rep. Cayetano said in his sponsorship speech.
He added that reforms can be extended whatever will be the result of the hearing. “There must be, not just a new, but a better normal. Not only for ABS-CBN, but for the entire media industry,” the House Speaker added.
Based on the report, Cayetano said in an earlier statement that it does not mean that ABS-CBN will automatically be granted with a fresh broadcast license once the hearing commence.
What can you say about this?
READ ALSO: Angel Locsin Replies to ABS-CBN’s Tweet: “Fix your headline”
