NTC chief says ABS-CBN must clear ‘violations’ for deal with TV5

File photo shows the facade of the National Telecommunications Commission office.

STAR / File

MANILA, Philippines — Moments after a landmark deal between ABS-CBN Corp. and TV5 Network Inc. was announced Thursday, the commissioner of the National Telecommunications Commission came on state-run radio to say that the Lopez-led broadcaster has to clear unspecified violations before proceeding with its investment in the Pangilinan-led network.

By violations, NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba was referencing those found by a House of Representatives panel in the 18th Congress which became the reasons for denying ABS-CBN’s application for a fresh franchise. The decision came despite several government agencies had cleared the broadcast giant of wrongdoing.

"Ang nakikita ko po na parang pong kailangan nating tingnan is mayroon po silang violations, so hindi po sila makakuha ng sarili nilang prangkisa, so ang ginagawa po nila is nasakay po sila dito sa TV5. Pero hanggang ngayon po, bitbit po nila ang kanilang mga violations," Cordoba said in an interview over Radyo Pilipinas.

(What I see here is it seems like there are violations so they cannot get a franchise, so what they are doing is they’re riding on TV5. But until now, they are still carrying those violations.)

Full Story: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/08/11/2201961/ntc-chief-says-abs-cbn-must-clear-violations-deal-tv5