House committee of the whole approves bill granting ABS-CBN provisional franchise until Oct. 31, 2020

May 13, 2020

The House of Representatives, acting as a committee of the whole, on Wednesday approved a bill granting ABS-CBN a provisional franchise until October 31, 2020.

''With the approval of the ABS-CBN franchise bill by the Committee of the Whole, the Committee report will now be presented to the Plenary, for second reading consideration and vote,'' said Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon in his Twitter account.

The bill was filed by House Speaker Alan Cayetano.

The interim franchise '' will give both the House of Representatives and the Senate (time) to hear the issues being raised for against the renewal.''

The National Telecommunication  Commission (NTC) ordered ABS-CBN to shut down last week after its 25-year congressional franchise expired on May 4.

Though its free TV  channel and radio stations, led by dzMM, were shuttered, ABS-CBN's News Channel and dzMM Teleradyo continued its programs through cable TV. DMS