|
|
 |
Home >> News >> Entertainment >> Stories
Article Index | Breaking News | Nation | Editorial & Opinion | Lifestyle | Entertainment | INQ7Money | Metro | Regions | World News | Sports | Infotech | Global Nation |
 |
KBP to GMA 7: Don't let
rulings taint your view
Posted: 9:52 PM (Manila Time) | Sept. 29, 2003
By Abigail L. Ho
Inquirer News Service
THE BROADCASTING industry organization Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) is urging GMA Network Inc. to not let unfavorable decisions by the KBP board to taint the network's view of the organization.
The KBP also urged GMA-7, a parent company of INQ7.net, to come back as a KBP member.
In a statement issued over the weekend, KBP noted that GMA-7, the country's second largest broadcasting firm, seemed to have withdrawn its membership from the organization not because of "concerns about the present thrusts and actions of the KBP," as the network had earlier said, but because of allegedly unfair rulings and attacks on the network.
These include the one-year suspension of GMA's membership privileges in KBP after network talent Rosanna "Osang" Roces committed what were deemed vulgar acts on national television; a ruling by the KBP Standards Authority that GMA had "overloaded" with commercials its top-rating shows in the last week of June; and "unfair attacks" by rival ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. against GMA news anchor Mike Enriquez.
"Indeed, it is unfortunate that the actions of the KBP in the above cases have been interpreted by GMA as biased," said the KBP statement. "The handling of these cases is in accordance with established rules and procedures in the organization, rules and procedures which insure that members are accorded due process. Such process should be allowed to run its full course."
But GMA-7 chair, president and chief executive Felipe Gozon said in a speech before advertisers and ad agencies that the KBP had given the network unfair treatment, while its fiercest rival, ABS-CBN, committed similar offenses without being meted out due punishment.
Gozon said ABS-CBN host Willie Revillame as well as some of the network's other talents committed an offense similar to Osang's, yet the Lopez-owned network was not even investigated.
The KBP said an investigation could only be conducted if complaints were raised by viewers and listeners through letters or phone calls or by the KBP staff through program monitoring.
On the commercial overloading issue, Gozon said KBP seemed to have favored ABS-CBN when it did not issue a no show-cause to the Lopez-owned network despite its alleged commercial overloading.
Overloading refers to having more than 18 minutes' worth of advertisements in one television hour.
"For almost 10 years when ABS had no effective competition and when ABS was overloading its high-rating programs, the KBP did not enforce the no-overloading rule," Gozon had said. "I was informed that the rule was enforced only twice in 10 years against ABS and it was even doubtful if ABS paid the fine."
He added that the overloading rule did not have actual basis.
He said the KBP was again showing favor for ABS-CBN regarding the complaint that the Lopez network had filed against GMA-7's Enriquez.
"While these cases should be a cause for concern on the part of GMA, it would be wrong to assume that these cases by themselves constitute a bias on the part of KBP against GMA," the KBP said.
However, Gozon pointed out in a separate statement that those cases were not really the reason for GMA's withdrawal of its membership from the KBP.
"The KBP missed the main points raised by GMA Network," he said. "GMA cited the said cases, not as its main reasons for its withdrawal from the KBP, but merely to illustrate the danger to the KBP of being charged with discrimination, of irregular, inconsistent, selective and ineffective enforcement of its regulations."
GMA left the KBP on Sept. 1.
|
|
|
|
|
Tuesday Sept. 30, 2003, Philippines
