KBP president addresses impact of ABS-CBN shutdown

It has been a month since ABS-CBN was forced to shut down, and according to Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) President Jun Nicdao, losing a major player in the broadcasting industry has a “deleterious effect” not just for Filipino audiences but for the entire broadcasting industry and the whole country.

“Studies conducted by Nielsen and Kantar consistently show that free-to-air broadcasting is the most effective and most efficient medium in disseminating information to the broadest audience base. Before being forced to go off-air, millions of viewers and listeners tuned into the ABS-CBN network of television and radio stations to find out about measures to avoid infection; data on the virulence of the virus; quarantine rules and restrictions; and when, where, and how to get cash and food assistance from government units,” he said in a statement published in Adobo Magazine.

These millions of Filipinos were left hanging without their source of information last May 5, after the National Telecommunications Commission issued its cease and desist order against the network, at a time when the pandemic crisis continues to perturb the country.

Occidental Mindoro Rep. Josephine Ramirez-Sato also emphasized this in the June 1 Congress hearing on ABS-CBN’s franchise, citing that the absence of up-to-date information “can spell the difference between life and death” especially among those living in remote areas of the country.

“3,129,000. This is the number of Filipinos who rely solely on ABS-CBN’s broadcast simply because other networks cannot reach them,” she said.

The shutdown not only took away a reliable source of news and information, it sadly left a void of options to the detriment of viewers and listeners, who ascertained the importance of competition in broadcast media.

“Ultimately, Filipino audiences benefit from competition, which is possible only if there are at least two relatively equally-matched competitors in the Philippine TV industry,” Nicdao pointed out.

He stressed that a healthy competition is in fact necessary to “fuel the drive” for broadcasting stations to produce and carry programs addressing various needs such as news and public affairs, entertainment, education, and sports. The absence of competition—now that ABS-CBN is off air—only restricts the quality, quantity, and range of choices for audiences.

While solid Kapamilyas are bewailing the loss of their beloved TV and radio programs, the industry is likewise lamenting the effects of ABS-CBN’s shutdown in the country’s broadcasting arena.

Nicdao underlined the impending threat of the continued shutdown in the free-TV market, citing that a monopoly would remove the ability of advertisers to develop the optimal mix in their media plans.

For advertising to be effective, reach has to be maximized while using minimal costs, and he stressed that “the ABS-CBN shutdown makes it that much harder for advertisers to achieve both goals” with the lack of options and shortage of airtime inventory.

The impact of ABS-CBN’s broadcasting halt is not only limited to its captured audience and the advertising industry. Nicdao also underscored that it will inopportunely slow down the Philippines’ shift to digital terrestrial television.

ABS-CBN has readily supported the government mandate to shift to Digital Terrestrial Television (DTTV), being an early-adopter that helped accelerate the transition timetable.

“Without an early-adopter willing to take the risks inherent in shifting to new technologies, the transition to DTTV in the Philippine broadcasting industry would be much slower,” Nicdao added.

The industry professional ended his statement with a propitious support for the Kapamilya network’s return on free television. He said, “It is my fervent hope that the KBP’s continuing efforts to spur constructive and productive conversations will convince decision-makers in government that allowing ABS-CBN to resume broadcasting is the course of action that yields the greatest good for the greatest number of Filipinos.”

The Movie Workers Welfare Foundation, Inc. likewise expressed its support for ABS-CBN’s return in broadcasting. In a statement by Mowelfund president Rez Cortez, he said that the group’s members are “one with others in prayers for the immediate renewal of the network’s franchise.”