Following a social media campaign calling for the removal of the program from ANC.
On April 16, ABS-CBN News has confirmed that CNTV or the Chinatown News TV will officially stop airing on ANC. The program, produced by Horizon of the Sun Communications, first aired on the channel only last Monday, April 12. However, on April 14, an article made by Rappler triggered a widespread backlash over the program.
According to the Rappler article, CNTV – which is a trilingual newscast delivered in English, Filipino, and Mandarin – aims to “spread the One Belt and Road policy,” while also promoting the Filipino-Chinese culture. For context, the One Belt and Road advocacy covers the aggressive ties China is making in Asia, Africa, and Europe, where they ultimately provide infrastructure and financial support to those countries.
The calling out has reached ABS-CBN News division chief Ging Reyes. In a series of tweets, Reyes assured the viewers that ABS-CBN still had the editorial control and that it won’t be used as a propaganda tool. She also called on people to stop discriminating the Fil-Chi community.
But that statement could only do so much as yesterday, April 15, the hashtag “ABSCBNTutaNgChina” trended on Twitter. The hashtag, however, was easily hijacked by ABS-CBN antis and used it as platform to double down on their support on the network’s free TV shutdown last year. Although some also aired their concerns as this move came days after ABS-CBN News reporter Chiara Zambrano and her crew were chased by a Chinese naval ship at the West Philippine Sea.
The pressure has proven to be the breaking point as ABS-CBN officially pulled the plug on ANC’s broadcast of the program as of last night.
It remains to be seen where the program will continue airing after this and whether its sister show Chinatown TV will remain broadcasting on ANC.