Follow us for updates
© 2022 reportr.world
Read the Story →

ABS-CBN Shutdown: One Year Into 'Long, Dark Silent Night'

News boss hopes for 'joyous daybreak.'
by Arianne Merez
May 5, 2021
Photo/s: Ara Eugenio
Shares

One year since television screens went black, the call to bring back ABS-CBN on free TV and radio remains strong in a testament to the enduring influence of the Kapamilya network.

The hashtag #IbalikAngABSCBN was among the top trending topics on Twitter on Wednesday as the Lopez-led network marked one year since it went off the air. Tweets were of support to the beleaguered network that has since aggressively expanded its digital footprint.

While many viewed the shutdown as the end, for ABS-CBN News chief Ging Reyes, May 5, 2020 was only  "the beginning of a long, dark silent night."

"For 11,000 workers and their families, May 5, 2020 was the beginning of a long, dark silent night. Some images have stayed with me to this day," Reyes said in an article published by ABS-CBN News to mark one year since it went off the air.

A lookback 

ABS-CBN on May 5, 2020 stopped its broadcast operations upon orders from the National Telecommunications Commission as the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the country. The company's franchise expired the day before.

Continue reading below ↓

The shutdown was viewed as a fulfillment of  President Rodrigo Duterte's threat to the network: "I will see to it that you are out." Malacañang however has repeatedly distanced the President from the Kapamilya network's franchise woes.

ALSO READ:

Gabby Lopez Resigns from ABS-CBN as Broadcaster Looks Past Franchise

ABS-CBN Loses Frequencies After NTC Recall

From that point on, it took around two more months before the Philippines' largest media organization lost its bid for a fresh license to operate which resulted in pay cuts, layoffs, and the closure of several departments such as ABS-CBN Sports in the middle of a pandemic.

At least two rounds of layoffs were pursued by ABS-CBN following the shutdown. Workers who stayed with the company were meanwhile asked for voluntary pay cuts.

ALSO READ:

On Their Last Working Day, ABS-CBN Employees Star in Own Station ID

Haunting Goodbye Shows ABS-CBN Through Retrenched Workers' Eyes

Continue reading below ↓
Recommended Videos

Painful Job Cuts Take Hold at ABS-CBN, Kapamilyas Start Signing Off

#IbalikAngABSCBN

At the start of the year, Senate President Vicente Sotto III filed a bill for a fresh franchise for ABS-CBN. A counterpart House bill was filed within weeks, raising hopes that the Kapamilya network could soon return to free TV.

Less than a month after, House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco shattered hopes of a possible ABS-CBN comeback, saying calls to grant the network a new franchise will have to wait until the election of the next Congress in 2022.

Velasco made the remark after Duterte in February said he would block the shuttered network's operations.

Duterte, in a Feb. 8 public address, said he would not allow the NTC to issue a permit to operate to ABS-CBN even if Congress grants it a fresh broadcast license.

"I will not allow the NTC to grant them the permit to operate. Kung ibigay ninyo ‘yung franchise because it is within your power to do it, go ahead. Alam mo bakit? Unless and until mabayaran ng mga Lopez ang taxes nila, I will not -- I will ignore your franchise and I will not give them the license to operate. Kalokohan ‘yan," he said.

Continue reading below ↓

ALSO READ:

ABS-CBN Franchise Bid Must Wait for Next Congress : Speaker Velasco

Duterte Says He 'Will Not Allow' NTC to Grant Permit to ABS-CBN

The President's threat and the loss of its franchise however have not stopped ABS-CBN from fulfilling its mission to be "in the service of the Filipino," live streaming shows and newscasts online, and forging partnerships with other networks to air its programs on free TV.

And as ABS-CBN News chief Ging Reyes puts it: "It’s been one year since that dark, silent night. We have not given up. We still deliver the news. We will wait for that joyous daybreak."

Reportr is now on Quento. Download the app or visit the Quento website for more articles and videos from Reportr and your favorite websites.

Latest Headlines
Read Next
Recent News
Faster travel times to and from Taguig, Pasay, and Parañaque.
With the reopening of several local destinations, this app has never been more timely.
Millennial mayor says to limit attendance in events.
Rising from the ashes of the Pinatubo eruption.
J&J will focus on cornstarch-based products.
The news. So what? Subscribe to the newsletter that explains what the news means for you.
The email address you entered is invalid.
Thank you for signing up to On Three, reportr's weekly newsletter delivered to your mailbox three times a week. Only the latest, most useful and most insightful reads.
By signing up to reportr.world newsletter, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.