The regulatory body has stopped the operations of the network anew.
In a directive dated on Thursday, January 18, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) ordered Swara Sug Media Corporation (SSMC) to stop their operations on free-to-air television and radio.
Swara Sug is the owner of TV network Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) and its radio station counterpart Sonshine Radio.
This latest order from the NTC came after the 30-day broadcast suspension that the commission handed the network back in December 2023.
It was amidst the issues being raised against SMNI due to its alleged violations with its legislative broadcast franchise at the House of Representatives.
After several hearings, the HoR later passed Resolution No. 189, which urged the NTC to suspend SMNI’s broadcasts after the House committee found that the network violated provisions in its franchise.
NTC suspended SMNI on December 19, 2023.
While the prior order was in effect, the NTC found that SMNI had continued to operate “in Region VI as late as December 27, 2023.”
With that, the agency then slapped the network with an indefinite broadcast suspension, which would last until the pending administrative cases have been resolved.
It also gave SMNI 15 days to explain why they were not able to conform to the December 19 suspension order.
Aside from the NTC, the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) also gave a 14-day suspension to two SMNI programs in December.
These were ‘Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa’ and ‘Laban, Kasama ng Bayan’.
The former program, hosted by former NTF-ELCAC official Lorraine Badoy, was suspended after it reported that House Speaker Martin Romualdez had a travel fund of Php 1.8 billion.
The HOR’s Secretary General had since denied the allegation last November.
As for the latter show, which features former President Rodrigo Duterte, the suspension was issued following an alleged death threat committed by one of its guests during the airing of the program.
The MTRCB stated that they have issued the order following a “thorough review and investigation.”
As of press time, SMNI has shifted their operations to digital platforms for the meantime.
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