Bombo Radyo insists it has valid franchise

Newsounds Broadcasting Network (NBN), more popularly known as Bombo Radyo Philippines, said its 50-year legislative franchise was granted on June 17, 1961 and thus, would expire on June 17, 2011 yet.

The radio network, in a statement, insisted on this point as it disputed the Feb. 13 order of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) for it to close indefinitely 11 of its radio stations nationwide for operating without a franchise.

However, NBN, originally known as Northern Broadcasting Co. (NBC), said it was granted a 50-year legislative franchise under Republic Act 3196 on June 17, 1961.

Thus, network "is definitely not a new network and has an existing franchise," Bombo Radyo said.

It said the corporate name NBC was changed to NBN to avoid confusion with the Nation Broadcasting Co. and that an amendment to the existing franchise is being sought for its holding company to sell at least 30 percent of its shares to the public, as its franchise mandated.

"How could you reconcile the fact that a network that has been operating for the past 30 years is now accused of not having a congressional franchise nor a valid and subsisting permit?" the network asked.

Bombo Radyo added that it has also been religiously paying supervision and regulation fees to the NTC yearly.

It said its 11 provincial radio stations continue to operate because of a "question of due process."

It questioned how a "show cause" order which the NTC had allegedly issued was being distributed in Cauayan, Isabela which hosts one of its radio stations.

"Assuming though the probity of the document, the ‘show cause’ order (is) not a ‘suspension’ order which makes continuous broadcast legal unless and until the network shall have been heard and proven to have erred in its broadcast operations as mandated in its franchise," it added. — With Mark Francisco