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<img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-9/not-a-right-abs-cbn-sm.webp" alt="ABS-CBN" />
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(ABS-CBN)
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In business, if a contract is up for renewal, it is prudent for parties involved to consider other options to see whether they could get a better deal. It is just good business sense. It is all the more imperative to consider other avenues especially if it means granting a franchise that is 25 years long. Consider this, if the broadcast franchise of ABS-CBN had been renewed for another 25 years, this means that one family would have held public resources for 75 years.

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The Constitution (Art 12, Sec 11) states that no franchise, certificate or any other form of authorization be granted longer than 50 years. Given this, I think it is high time we consider other entities which would have the similar opportunities accorded the Lopezes in managing and operating these public resources. It cannot simply be left to just one group or family. Others should be given the chance to do so. Otherwise, the Lopezes become de facto owners of these frequencies which, for all intents and purposes, should not be the case. In addition, the new stewards of the broadcast franchise should be of better moral character, able to balance the promotion of public good and profit. It should not be all about ratings and revenues.
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<h3>
Greed
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From what we have seen, the Lopezes and their associates operated on greed. They made it their top priority to enrich themselves not only through advertisements and subscription revenues, but also by being able to influence government policies, elections and public opinion to further their businesses. The Lopezes and their associates use the news to attack their opponents by spreading lies and half-truths - when the whole truth does not suit them - in order to get the public to their side. One would think twice to go against them lest they be attacked in the airwaves.
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Not satisfied, they go and utilize every tax loophole they can find in our tax system in order to pay less taxes. GMA Network Inc. paid more taxes in a year than ABS-CBN did in five years. This meant that the nation was deprived of revenues that could have been used for public infrastructure and government services. Revenues that we need now more than ever. Furthermore, the company skirted labor laws by hiring contractuals and not making them regular employees despite working a number of years in their service. In doing so, the company reduced its operating expenses by not paying these contractuals the benefits that regular employees enjoy.
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Having derived their wealth and influence from public resources, which they were granted rent-free, what exactly do we, as the public, get in return for granting them such privileges? If we grant them another 25 years it will be more of the same, the Lopezes and their minions get richer and more influential at the expense of the public.
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I think it is high time that we look for new stewards who understand that what is granted to them is a privilege - they are public resources and not something they can do with as they please. The foremost objective when managing and operating a broadcast entity is finding a balance between service to the public and profit. It’s the moral thing to do. In finding a new steward for the broadcast franchise, some reforms are needed in the broadcast industry to serve the people better.
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Reforms
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<b>First</b>, the news division should be isolated and independent from the influence of the owners and those friendly with the owners. There should be an independent board to make sure that accuracy and fairness are observed at all times. As we have seen, a broadcast entity can influence government policies, public behavior, and who we elect into office. We have seen the increase in influence of ABS-CBN and its owners on the government and other entities for their own personal benefit. An independent news division can report any wrongdoing, including those involving owners of broadcast entities, their associates, and their friends. The public relies on news to make decisions. If the news is slanted towards one side and presents the opposing side in a less flattering light, then public decisions are affected accordingly.
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If we are to make sound decisions that will affect how we live as a nation, then we should have accurate information upon which to base such decisions. It is the obligation of every broadcast franchise holder to ensure that information that is being disseminated from their respective stations are accurate and fair. In addition, private citizens and public officials should be given the opportunity to answer any charges leveled against them in a similar time slot. If a broadcaster charges a private citizen for cheating, for instance, or that the broadcaster badmouths a business establishment during prime time, that citizen or owner of such business should be given the opportunity to answer such charges in prime time as well.
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<b>Second</b>, just wages and compensation for those working in the broadcast industry. Industry employees, especially contractuals, should have the flexibility to work in any broadcast station that would hire them while under contract with another. It is not fair to deprive someone of extra income especially if they are being paid an amount that is barely enough to put food on the table and send their kids to decent schools. It is immoral that a broadcast network is earning billions and yet management pays their workers a pittance for their hard work. If a broadcast entity does not want that person to be hired by other stations, then hire that person as a regular employee with just compensation and benefits.
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<b>Third</b>, it should not be all about ratings. As we have seen, entertainment shows trump informative and educational shows any time. However, informative and educational shows are important to the public whether they are interested or not. In a way this is a challenge for every broadcaster worth their salt in trying to find ways to make these kinds of shows enticing to watch or listen to. Like food, junk food is popular but unhealthy. We enjoy eating them, but they do not have nutritional value. We need vegetables and meat in our diet to grow strong and smart. Cooks find ways to create appetizing dishes involving vegetables and meat. We need shows that would further develop our minds in order that we may grow as both an individual and as a community. Either broadcast networks devote some of their primetime slots to these types of shows or subsidize a public network similar to that of the BBC, NPR or NHK.
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<b>Fourth</b>, it is high time that the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) be revamped. This body serves the broadcast industry rather than look after the good of the public. During the ABS-CBN franchise hearings, it was mentioned that there were a number of telecommunication companies whose franchises had expired but continued to operate past their due date. That it was tolerated by the NTC is a good enough reason for such a revamp. The people there are simply not doing their jobs. It is laughable that certain ABS-CBN officials seized on this transgression as a reason to continue to operate because other companies are allowed to do so on such a basis.
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Change
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I understand why people protest the closure of ABS-CBN by the government and the manner it was done. However, it is a knee-jerk reaction for many when something like this happens. It is one thing when the government attempts to stifle press freedom. Is it not the same or worse when an entity under the guise of press freedom attacks their enemies and detractors while limiting opportunities for the aggrieved party to respond accordingly? If we dig deeper into the issue, we will find that not everything that the government does is evil. In the same light, not all business entities are saints. With public resources, the government is given the responsibility to assign or go into agreement with an individual or entity allowable by law. It was just plain stupid of ABS-CBN to offend the branch that could influence the renewal of their broadcast franchise. The government does not owe anything to the Lopez family. The same cannot be said the other way around. The Lopezes owe their wealth and influence on the government by allowing the Lopezes to use this public resource free of charge.
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A privilege, not a right: ABS-CBN using frequencies rent-free, no compensation to the public