The ABS-CBN Franchise is aimed to be revived
Albay Rep. Joey Salceda filed a new bill seeking to grant ABS-CBN franchise to operate after four years since the franchise renewal was denied.
In 2020, the Kapamilya network went through a tragic phase. The majority of the congressmen voted to deny their franchise renewal. This devastating time for the media company resulted in mass terminations. Some employees opted to resign and seek other opportunities outside the company while some chose to stay.
However, this did not make the company completely disappear. ABS-CBN transitioned into a content provider online and for other media entities. Collaborations were made between the Kapamilya network and other networks such as TV5 and its supposed “rival” GMA Network.
Shows of ABS-CBN are now being aired on the Kapatid and Kapuso networks, and even on ALLTV. In a recent report from Inquirer, Rep. Salceda is making an effort to bring back the Kapamilya network to where it was before.
The Albay Representative filed House Bill No. 11252 on Tuesday afternoon. He stressed that the media company “did not violate ownership restrictions and did not have pending tax liabilities.”
The congressman also stressed that because of the franchise non-renewal, 11,000 people became unemployed in an instant. He highlighted the importance of having a media outlet that could give information to the public as soon as possible.
Salceda believes that it was a big loss that a major source of news and information was not available during the crucial time when the pandemic hit the world.
He cited that some 36 percent of Filipinos were getting news and entertainment from ABS-CBN when it still had its franchise. This included the regional networks which were available to those who were living in far provinces. For him, the networks in provinces helped a lot in “disaster risk reduction strategies at the local level.”
“Given the merits of renewing the franchise, as well as the clarifications made by government agencies over certain allegations against the grantee, this representation urges Congress to reconsider the non-renewal of the franchise by the previous Congress,” Salceda said.
