The state-run People’s Television Network (PTV-4) will feature new programs under the Duterte Administration after the Japanese national government agrees to give P16 million for its improvement. The government of Japan through Japanese Ambassador Kazuhide Ishikawa promised to give 38.20 million yen (P16.428 million) based on exchange rates of P1 = 0.43 Japanese yen.
The grants given by the Japanese government to the Duterte administration will allow new programs to be introduced to PTV-4 in the next few years. The new programs includes 167 documentaries, 522 shows about Japanese culture, disaster preparedness and deepening the understanding of the human condition.
Japanese Ambassador Kazuhide Ishikawa and Foreign Affairs Secretary Jose Rene Almendras signed the Cultural Grant Aid for PTV-4 on Friday. In a statement released by the Japanese Embassy, the grant given to the state-run TV station covers the acquisition of programs produced by NHK, Japan’s public broadcaster.
The grant of the Japanese government to the Philippine government’s media arm main goal is to “expand and broaden,” the range of PTV4’s educational, cultural, and foreign programs, “with an eye to transition to digital terrestrial broadcasting.”
During the past few days, Pres. Rody Duterte made headlines not only on national media but also internationally because of the bias reporting of some news media outlet which were picked by international media. In order to stop the bias reporting, Pres. Duterte promised to boycott the mainstream media and allowed only PTV-4 to cover any of his event.
More Filipinos are expected to tune in to PTV-4 i the next few months because of Duterte’s announcement that he will only course his announcements and official statements through PTV4 nd Radio Television Malacañang.
Incoming Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar revealed also that he is eyeing a former ABS-CBN executive to become the next news director of PTV4.