MANILA, Philippines — A dozen of ABS-CBN’s primetime regional news programs will air their final newscasts this week, the latest casualties in a House panel's denial of a fresh franchise for the media giant.
ABS-CBN Corp. announced Wednesday that it will be pulling the plug on 12 of its regional TV Patrol programs, which have been catering to regional audiences for over three decades.
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The following news programs have been airing on 21 regional stations in the past 30 years in news presented in their own local dialects, ABS-CBN said, and they will air their last show this week:
- TV Patrol North Luzon (Baguio, Dagupan, Ilocos, Isabela and Pampanga)
- TV Patrol Bicol (Naga, Legazpi)
- TV Patrol Palawan
- TV Patrol Southern Tagalog (CALABARZON)
- TV Patrol Central Visayas (Cebu, Dumaguete, Bohol)
- TV Patrol Negros (Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental)
- TV Patrol Panay (Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, Antique, Guimaras)
- TV Patrol Eastern Visayas (Samar, Leyte)
- TV Patrol Northern Mindanao (Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental Lanao Del Norte, CARAGA, Dipolog)
- TV Patrol South Central Mindanao (SOCSKSARGEN, Cotabato)
- TV Patrol Southern Mindanao (Davao)
- TV Patrol Chavacano (Zamboanga)
The shuttering of these news programs come as community newspapers are forced to fold or reduce their pages to grapple with the debilitating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the Philippine Press Institute, the national association of newspapers, community journalists are bearing the brunt of the loss of livelihood in media brought about by the pandemic.
"At least eleven publications (three from Mindanao, seven from Luzon, and one from the Visayas) have ceased printing temporarily and shifted since then to digital format," it said on its website in June.
"Two multi-awarded community papers, Baguio Midland Courier and Visayan Daily Star have resumed publishing printed editions but with reduced circulation and number of pages," it also said.
In its statement on Wednesday, ABS-CBN said: "This unfortunate development is the latest service affected by the denial of ABS-CBN’s franchise by the House of Representatives last July 10, which also led to the closing of ABS-CBN Regional’s operations."
READ: With ABS-CBN off the air, Filipinos lose a way of life, sociologist says
Other community-building initiatives affected
“ABS-CBN Regional serves Filipinos in remote areas not reached by other television signals. But more than delivering breaking news, ABS CBN Regional news teams are also the first to bring aid and relief to communities struck by calamities,” said ABS-CBN Regional head Tata Sy.
The network also said that ABS-CBN Regional will also close the curtain on its nine morning shows. Public service initiatives on health, education, environment, and livelihood such as the “Grand Halad sa Kapamilya” were also not spared.
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Sy said that part of ABS-CBN Regional’s mission, as inspired by Chairman Emeritus Gabby Lopez, has always been building proverbial bridges to link individuals and communities to donors, or to relay issues to government. “In its distinctive way, ABS CBN Regional helped build a nation,” she added.
The network announced last month that it would boost investment on other business such as international licensing and distribution, digital and cable segments as well as content syndication on various streaming platforms.
The National Telecommunications Commission first ordered ABS-CBN shut on May 5, a day after its legislative franchise expired as lawmakers sat on pending bills for its renewal.
The network ran to the SC to stop the implementation of the NTC’s Cease and Desist Order, but before the high court resolved their petition, the network was slapped with another CDO and eventually lost its bid for a fresh franchise at the Congress.
On Tuesday, the SC unanimously voted to junk ABS-CBN’s petition, saying it was now moot.