Bonus: ABS-CBN Prepares for Franchise Renewal Refusal

Topic: Media Organization/Media Issues

Last 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte, threatened ABS-CBN Corporation in revoking its broadcast franchise due to alleged refusal of airing his political ads for 2016 elections.

With its broadcast franchise on shaky ground, the Philippine media conglomerate prepares and points out to its other different business branches such as its digital platform and content distribution.

The relaunched media library turned on-demand/live streaming digital platform of ABS-CBN, iWant, revamped its media library not just episodes from its flagship station, ABS-CBN Channel 2, but also created its original content, together with other contents from its subsidiary such as Sports and Action and Star Cinema films.

And recently, widened its reach with its availability and partnership with Apple’s Apple TV.

ABS-CBN subsidiaries such as Cinema One and Star Cinema also strengthened their content distribution in their respective digital platforms such as streaming of re-mastered classic films and ‘Super-Cuts’ of all-time favorite Star Cinema films.

In the international arena, ABS-CBN’s International Distribution partners with South East Asian countries in launching and distributing Philippine television series contents such as “Pangako Sa’yo” Remake, with and international title, ‘The Promise’, which will air in Dominican Republic; And, “It’s Showtime” which landed a franchise in Indonesia.

With still no clear sight for a possible broadcast franchise renewal, which will expire on year 2020, the Philippine media conglomerate continues to gear towards strengthening its digital platforms (both for its flagship channel and subsidiaries) and content distribution (both international and local media entities).

Sources:

• https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/179107-duterte-abs-cbn-franchise-congress-press-freedom
• https://www.facebook.com/iWant/videos/855523071453044/UzpfSTc2NDkxMjMwOToxMDE1Njk1NzEwMDM5MjMxMA/?q=iWant%20apple%20tv&epa=SEARCH_BOX
• https://www.abs-cbn.com/internationalsales/news/2019/3/20/abs-cbns-the-promise-is-first-ph-drama-in-the-d
• https://www.abs-cbn.com/internationalsales/news/2019/3/20/phs-top-rating-noontime-show-lands-landmark-franc

Bonus: ABS-CBN Strengthens Their Digital Landscape

Topic: Media Ownership/Media Issues

No where but to go digital.

ABS-CBN Corporation solidifies and expands its horizon to new platforms in the digital arena.

In 2015, the broadcast network had launched their Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) box, TV Plus, which has eleven channels such as ABS-CBN Channel 2 –the flagship channel of ABS-CBN Corporation, MYX, O Shopping, Jeepney TV, Movie Central, Asianovela, Cinemo, Yey!, DZMM Teleradyo, Knowledge Channel, and S+A (Sports and Action) Channel.

In the same year, ABS-CBN HD was launched and can be accessed in Sky Cable, which is also a Lopez owned company.

In 2018, the broadcasting company relaunched its streaming service, IWant. The streaming service revamped its feature from just being an ‘archive of television shows’ and live-streaming kind of application to a fully ‘Over The Top’ (OTT) or ‘On-demand’ streaming service with original ABS-CBN digital contents, improved and exclusive live streaming features such as UAAP games and Miss Universe, as well as according to ABS-CBN Digital Head, Elaine Uy, a ‘healthy archive’ of Star Cinema and restored classic films, concerts, and not to forget new and old ABS-CBN Channel 2 programs.

This year, 2019, ABS-CBN Corporation continues to expand their content not just with their own streaming service but it is expanding its content distribution on other live streaming service such as Netflix. Netflix has recently added Star Cinema films, which is ABS-CBN’s film arm. And now, its International Sales Distribution (ISD) department is in negotiation with the content distribution of their flagship channel’s aired programs.

Revamping of their live streaming service and expanding content distribution. Are these moves for a unclear broadcast franchise approval that is set to expire by 2020? Circumstances are shaky for their free broadcast franchise but one thing is clear, ABS-CBN Corporation is solidifying their foundation in the digital arena just in case the odds of broadcast franchise will not be in their favor.

Source:

• https://businessmirror.com.ph/2015/02/12/lopez-group-to-allocate-p600m-for-digital-push/
• https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/10/04/18/abs-cbn-to-launch-new-iwant-tv-streaming-service
• https://tvplus.abs-cbn.com/channels/

Topic: Fact-Checking/Fact-Checking Organizations

The Struggle for The Truth is Real

Facebook launched its Fact-Checking program in partnership with 40 media organizations, worldwide, including the Associated Press, PolitiFact, Snopes, and the Weekly Standard. The program springboard after the said year’s presidential election in the United States of America, which, ‘fake news’, misinformation, disinformation, and political propaganda ‘reached hundreds of millions of users on the platform’.

Its program goal was to rely on the partnered media organizations to flag false news. The flagged false news will be ranked at the lower level in news feed and eventually will reduce its future views, that will affect advertisement and monetary sustainability, and eventually cause fake news sites to its closure.

This goal on aiding the dissemination of false information and the rise and sustainability of ‘the truthful information’ was a optimistic step for a better community until it struggled to make a difference — when personal interests of the powerful came into the picture.

The project is facing difficulties with the goal that eventually caused discontinue with some partnership of media organizations such as The Associated Press, Snopes, and Politifact.

In a February 2, 2019 on an online article produced by BBC, the two key fact-checkers, The Associated Press and Snopes, opted to discontinue with the partnership from the social media platform because of conflicting interests and controversies.

Among the concerns of these firms was how Facebook ignores and refuses to release meaningful data for fact-checking, and also, hires PR firms that would discredit critics and opponents by using an ‘antisemitic narrative’. — the irony of how this project wanted to eradicate false news practices, and yet, the project itself is doing the same thing that leads to the struggle of combating misinformation.

The reason for the actions of Facebook? Advertisement? Monetary? Bad PR? We do not know the specific agendas for the irony of practices in the fact-checking project but one thing is clear, the struggle of public interest and power of personal interest of the elite; and, the political economy blurs the transparency for the public interest.

Sources:

• https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-47098021
• https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/dec/13/they-dont-care-facebook-fact-checking-in-disarray-as-journalists-push-to-cut-ties
• https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/nov/14/facebook-george-soros-pr-firm-discredit-critics-crisis

Topic: Fact Checking Organizations

International Media Integration to counter Fake News

Facebook together with media organizations from the Philippines and India integrated in taking a higher task for social responsibility and combating fake news in keeping the public interest.

In the Philippines, Tsek.ph was launched February 11, 2019 through the efforts of media organizations and selected universities that aim to promote factual information and combat fake news, specifically, for this upcoming Senatorial election, through a fact-checking online project.

Supported by the Facebook Journalism Project, Meedan, and Macanas Journalism Grant, media organizations such as STAR, Philstar.com, Interaksyon, ABS-CBN, Central Luzon TV (CLTV36), MindaNews, Probe productions, Rappler, VERA Files together with the academe from University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila Universit,y and De La Salle University, pursued this project because of 2016’s Presidential Elections which ‘fake news’, and other forms of misinformation and disinformation were rampant via social media accounts to influence voter’s choices and ‘deceive the public and undermine debates’.

In India, Facebook teamed up with five tech giants, India Today Group, Vishvas.news, Factly, Newsmobile, and Fact Crescendo, to review and filter news stories posted for facts and rate their accuracy. This partnership in widening a fact-checking program was made ahead for the country’s upcoming general elections by May.

Flagged fake news posts by these certified fact-checking international networks and Facebook will be moved to the bottom part of the posts by users that will decrease their ability for advertisements and monetary support.

These movements are positive notions for a socially responsible media in keeping the public interest on its right path, not just for a media literate society but, for a building better and hopefully great communities.

News Article Sources:

• https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/02/11/1892791/academe-media-launch-tsekph-collaborative-fact-checking
• https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/11/facebook-expanding-fact-checking-in-india-before-election-.html

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton