LIST: Broadcast firms, telcos allowed to operate beyond franchise validity

ABS-CBN News 
Posted at May 06 2020 03:39 PM | Updated as of May 13 2020 09:46 AM

MANILA - There are precedents in allowing ABS-CBN to operate after its franchise expired on
May 4, based on previous cases of broadcast and telecommunications companies.

During a Senate hearing last February, Public services committee chairman Senator Grace Poe
listed previous instances where the renewal of franchises were approved after their expiry date.
"Yan ay maraming halimbawa na kung saan hindi pa tapos ang prangkisa ay nagkaroon pa rin ng
apruba ng prangkisa on a temporary basis hanggang matapos ang pagdinig," Poe said in
February.

(Those are examples where franchise hearing weren't done yet but there were approvals of
franchise on a temporary bases until the discussion on renewal ended.)

National Telecommunications Commissioner (NTC) Gamaliel Cordoba, testifying in the same

hearing, acknowledged that in similar instances, broadcast and telecommunication companies
were allowed to operate past their franchise validity.

"Meron po kasing mga cases before na ang nangyari while na legislative process ay umaandar,
nangyari po ang pag end or pag lapse ng franchise ng mga pending committee bills of franchise,
ay tumuloy naman po ito, but that was based on the opinion of the House of Representatives and
the Senate," Cordoba said.

(There were cases before where, when the legislative process are on-going, once the franchise
ends, they continued to operate.)

Under the law, Congress has the exclusive authority to grant, deny, extend or revoke broadcast
franchises.
List of precedents where franchises were approved and firms were allowed to operate past their
expiry dates:
• Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines - Franchise expired in 2017 but its new
franchise was approved 2 years after in 2019
• Subic Broadcasting Corp - The franchise expired in 2017 while the renewal was approved in
2018
• Radio Marine Network Inc - Franchise validity lasted until 2018 while its new franchise was
approved in 2019
• Smart Communications - Franchise lapsed on March 2017, new franchise was approved in
April 2017
• Globe Innove - Franchise expired in April 10, 2017, new franchise was approved Dec. 14, 2018
• Philippine Telegraph and Telephone Corp (PT&T) - Franchise expired in 2015, while the
renewal bill lapsed into law in 2016

The NTC earlier said all live permits to operate and maintain broadcast and pay-TV facilities that
would expire during the quarantine period would be automatically renewed. The licenses will be
valid for 60 days from the end of the quarantine period.

EDITOR'S NOTE: TV 5 clarified that its franchise, enacted in 1994, was renewed in April 2019
months before its expiry date.

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