The NTC commands a big blow against the broadcast giant once again.
On June 30, 2020, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) issued an alias cease-and-desist order versus ABS-CBN Corporation and its subsidiary, Sky Cable Corporation.
According the document, the first alias CDO was supposed to be a reiteration of the May 5 CDO that shut the company’s main channel and radio stations. This time around, the broadcast of several ABS-CBN programming through channel 43 that is being ordered to stop.
Channel 43 is a frequency allocated to ABS-CBN’s digital test broadcast. However, the NTC has since given channel 16 as the Kapamilya network’s permanent digital frequency since 2019. Meanwhile, UHF 43, at least according to ABS-CBN President Carlo Katigbak, was then returned to AMCARA Broadcasting Network upon the move of ABS to VHF 16. On the contrary, NTC said that the channel was not reassigned to AMCARA and is still a frequency under ABS-CBN.
Speaking of AMCARA, ABS-CBN also said that the broadcast of Kapamilya shows on Metro Manila UHF 43 was due to the blocktime agreement between former and the latter. Under which, Jeepney TV, Yey, Asianovela Channel, CineMo, and Teleradyo were able to be exclusively shown to TVplus viewers even after the May 5 CDO was executed.
On the alias CDO, however, the NTC did not mention AMCARA Broadcasting as a party and the order was solely directed only to ABS-CBN Corporation.
In response to the alias CDO, ABS-CBN released the following statement:
At 2:26 PM today, ABS-CBN received an alias cease and desist order from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) directing ABS-CBN to cease and desist from operating digital TV transmission in Metro Manila using channel 43.
While channel 43 is not mentioned in NTC’s cease and desist order (CDO) of May 5, 2020, and it is ABS-CBN’s informed understanding that channel 43 is not included in the CDO, digital TV transmission in Metro Manila using channel 43 will cease tonight (June 30), consistent with the intent of the alias CDO.
This means that viewers with TVPlus set-top boxes in Metro Manila will be unable to watch Teleradyo, Jeepney TV, Yey!, Asianovela Channel, CineMo, and KBO.
ABS-CBN has a pending petition with the Supreme Court questioning the NTC’s CDO and hopes that such petition will be resolved soon in its favor so that it can resume broadcasting on both analog and digital platforms in the service of the Filipino.
– ABS-CBN Corporation’s statement on channel 43 shutdown
As of press time, all channels except Asianovela remain on-air via cable TV in Metro Manila.
In line, another alias CDO was given to Sky Cable Corporation, a cable and satellite TV operator owned by ABS-CBN Corporation. In the letter, it was said that Sky Cable’s franchise lapsed together with its parent on May 4. Hence, the operation of Sky’s direct broadcast satellite service Sky Direct was affected and ordered to stop immediately. The commission also ordered to the refunding of customers who are subscribed to the service.
Sky Direct has also responded to the NTC alias CDO:
SKYdirect’s 1.5 million subscribers nationwide, including those in remote areas that do not receive television signals, will be deprived of access to the channels we carry that bring them news, information, education, and entertainment starting tonight June 30, 2020, as Sky Cable Corporation complies with the cease and desist order (CDO) issued by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) stopping the company from operating its direct broadcast satellite service immediately.
In the spirit of fairness, we continue to appeal to the NTC to extend the same privilege given in the past to other companies whose franchises have expired but are currently pending in Congress to continue its operations until a resolution is passed.
We assure our subscribers that we will exhaust all legal remedies to resume our services.
We commit to attend to the concerns of our valued subscribers and partners arising from this decision. We will refund all unconsumed prepaid loads and advance postpaid payments. We appeal to our SKYdirect subscribers and partners for understanding and patience as we undergo this process.
– Sky Direct’s statement on shutdown
Sky’s cable, broadband and fiber services remain unaffected by the franchise lapse and alias CDO.