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“Nakakaluha ang mga pangyayare. Normal lang yan. Lumuha ka upang lalong luminaw ang iyong mga mata,” said Ted Failon who was trying to hold back his tears in his daily morning program Failon Ngayon while speaking with Dj Cha Cha this Wednesday morning.
This is another blow to the media giant when Congress deliberated on ABS-CBN’s use of TVplus and Sky Cable’s operation amid the broadcast franchise expiration.
A number of congressmen pushed to shut down ABS-CBN’s programs still airing on digital platforms, including the use of TVplus, citing the network’s broadcast franchise which they allowed to expire without acting on its long-pending application for a new one.
ABS-CBN’s operating franchise expired last May 4 while Sky Cable’s franchise ended earlier on March 30, said Deputy Speaker Rodante Marcoleta as the House of Representatives resumed hearings on the network’s effort return on the air.
Marcoleta on Monday went after ABS-CBN’s cable franchise, questioning why its channels were still airing the broadcast network’s programs despite the shutdown.
“Is the NTC (National Telecommunications Commission) aware of this? And if they are aware, why is it that they consented in airing the programs?” he asked during the joint committee hearing on ABS-CBN’s application for a new operating franchise.
Marcoleta called attention to ABS-CBN’s continued broadcast through Channel 43 on its TVplus units and Sky Cable wireless service.
“Mabigat sa loob, sa lahat ng mga empleyado ng ABS-CBN dahil kapag hindi nabigyan ng linaw ang prangkisa, marami ang mawawalan ng trabaho,” reacted Julius Babao on his program TeleRadyo. “Hindi namin gustong mangyare ito. Sila (mga kongresista) ang may gustong mangyare eto. Limitado po ang aming mga pag-galaw,” Babao added.
ABS-CBN President and CEO Carlo Katigbak appealed for “fairness” from Congress, saying legislators in the past allowed other media companies to continue operations while their applications for a new franchise were pending.
During the first hearing on ABS-CBN, congressmen also asked the NTC to allow the network to remain on the air pending decision on its franchise application, Katigbak noted.
TVplus and Sky Cable services have a combined reach of 11 million households or 55 million people.
Here’s where you can still watch ABS-CBN News to get latest updates on current events and developments on the network’s franchise.
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Read Sky Cable Corporation’s official statement on NTC’s cease and desist order
“SKYdirect’s 1.5 million subscribers nationwide, including those in remote areas that do not receive television signals, will be deprived of access to the channels we carry that bring them news, information, education and entertainment starting tonight June 30, 2020, as Sky Cable Corporation complies with the cease and desist order (CDO) issued by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) stopping the company from operating its direct broadcast satellite service immediately.
In the spirit of fairness, we continue to appeal to the NTC to extend the same privilege given in the past to other companies whose franchises have expired but are currently pending in Congress to continue its operations until a resolution is passed.
We assure our subscribers that we will exhaust all legal remedies to resume our services.
We commit to attend to the concerns of our valued subscribers and partners arising from this decision. We will refund all unconsumed prepaid loads and advance postpaid payments. We appeal to our SKYdirect subscribers and partners for understanding and patience as we undergo this process.”
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