Network war looms over trial coverage

Asia’s first trial for the impeachment of a president has triggered a battle among the Philippines’ leading networks.

Although Senate President Aquilino Pimentel has announced that the government TV network PTV-4 has been chosen to cover the proceedings on the scene, with the other stations hooking up for their own live coverage, ABS-CBN 2 and GMA 7 said they do not want to be left out of the on-the-spot coverage.

Sen. Raul Roco has also questioned the grant to the government network of the exclusive video coverage of the trial, saying that a second or third media team should be allowed in the session hall to have a more comprehensive coverage of the proceedings.

Roco said a second TV news crew must be allowed as a back-up of the PTV-4 crew, just in case the latter’s facilities bog down or experience a glitch.

"ABS-CBN is also willing to commit its equipment and facilities," Sen. Sergio Osmeña III, who heads the special committee on television coverage, said yesterday.

Osmeña said there was a miscommunication in the grant of live coverage rights to PTV-4. He said ABS-CBN boss Gabby Lopez informed him that the network would also commit its cameras and other facilities to the coverage of the impeachment trial, which begins Dec. 7.
But rival GMA 7 immediately demanded equal rights, saying that if any broadcast network other than PTV-4 is allowed to set up its equipment in the Senate hall, then it should also be allowed to do so.

In a press statement, Marissa Flores of GMA’s news and public affairs office said that while the network had already agreed to the broadcast pool arrangements, it would also seek to set up its own facilities inside the session hall if another station is allowed to do so.

Flores pointed out that PTV-4 has offered its equipment for the broadcast pool, but private stations would assign their respective personnel to direct the coverage using PTV-4 equipment.

"In effect the private stations will practically take charge of the coverage using PTV-4 equipment. All stations will have access to the coverage generated by PTV-4 equipment," she said.

GMA’s radio station dzBB also reacted strongly to Osmeña’s statement, saying GMA also has the facilities for a credible coverage of the trial.

The GMA radio station also hit senators who are allegedly "meddling" in the coverage of the proceedings.

To resolve the controversy, Pimentel has invited all the heads of the various TV networks for another round of talks to resolve who among themselves will provide the facilities in the session hall.

Pimentel said he will be firm in limiting the number of cameras and newsmen in the session hall to preserve the solemnity of the trial.

The Senate president earlier turned down a proposal to transfer the trial to the nearby Philippine International Convention Center to allow more people to witness the proceedings.

"We are deliberating a serious case against the President, not watching a drama series," Pimentel said. He pointed out that even in the impeachment trial of US President Bill Clinton — who was subsequently acquitted in a Senate trial — only one camera was allowed inside the venue.