Press freedom is not the issue

posted January 09, 2020 at 12:50 am by Emil Jurado

Santa Banana, in my 70 years as a journalist, I have seen history in the making. In fact, many times, I was part of it!

I also saw the birth of television in the early 1950s, and with it the rise of the Lopez-owned radio and television network, and also of RPN-Channel 9 together with the partnership of Don Andres Soriano, who was then the owner of The Philippines Herald, with the Canoy-owned Radio Mindanao Network after buying out Don Vicente Madrigal, who used to own El Debate, Monday Mail, The Philippines Herald and Mabuhay.

The Soriano-Canoy partnership gave birth to International Broadcasting Corp. or IBC-13, where I had a talk show under the direction of broadcast icon Dick Taylor.

These were followed by the rise of the Roces-Prieto radio-television network, Channel 5, now owned by taipan Manny V. Pangilinan, and Bob Stewart’s RBS or Republic Broadcast System, Channel 7.

The birth of television in the Philippines may well be attributed to an American, Jimmy Linderberg, who partnered with Antonio Quirino, who put up Alto Broadcasting System during the presidency of Tony’s brother, Elpidio Quirino. Thus, it can be said that Linderberg was the father of Philippine television.

Tony Quirino, however, did not have the financial resources to go it alone on television. He then partnered with the Lopezes, who had a newspaper called The Manila Chronicle, one of the three newspapers that dominated media. This partnership gave birth to ABS-CBN.

My gulay, there were only two talk shows at that time—the late Doroy Valencia’s Over a Cup of Coffee and yours truly’s Headline Now. Both of us were awardees of the Citizens Mass Media Awards, the precursor of the Catholic Mass Media Awards.

For the record, I was also the recipient of the CMMA for Best Radio Commentator.

Santa Banana, I can’t believe it, but while I was writing columns daily as business editor at the Herald, I also had a radio and television program. I was young then, about 30, and felt I could do anything.

Post-Martial Law, Philippine television has also changed. ABS-CBN was given back to the Lopezes after Marcos crony Roberto Benedicto managed and operated it during the martial law years. Santa Banana, the sequestration of RPN 9 and IBC 13 made the government practically the sole owner of these networks. There is also the government network, the People’s Television Network.

Stewart’s network became GMA7 when the triumvirate of Atty. Felipe Gozon, Menardo Jimenez and Gualberto Duavit bought it.

I write about the rise of television in the Philippines in view of the fate of ABS-CBN if Congress does not renew its franchise, which will expire this March 30. Unless the President recommends a buyer for the network, this year might see its demise. It could also be that ABS-CBN would become a blocktime of Manny Pangilinan.

The probable end of ABS-CBN has nothing to do with press freedom as others insist. The grant of franchises to radio and television is a privilege given by the state for the use of airwaves. The state has dominion of this.

Both ABS-CBN, GMA and IBC have since become giants, with MVP’s Channel 5 a poor third due to the rebirth and resurgence of IBC. But if ABS-CBN’s franchise is revoked, GMA will become the dominant network. My gulay, that could be providential since GMA has neither bias nor vested interest.