8/14/2019 Statement to the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas

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STATEMENT TO THE KAPISANAN NG MGA BRODKASTER NG PILIPINAS

Blocktimers during the Campaign Period and Elections

The Center for Media Freedom & Responsibility (CMFR) organized a roundtable discussion withmedia and civil society organizations (CSOs) engaged in electoral activities. During the

discussion, participants from the broadcast and print media from around the country expressedtheir concern about the impact of blocktimers who host political talk shows sponsored bypolitical candidates, some of which are reportedly funded by local government units. Theseprograms are obviously part of the campaigns of candidates. Unfortunately, these are notidentified as political advertising, and can be misconstrued as independent commentary overradio.

As a self-regulatory body for broadcast media, the Kapisanan ng mga Broadkaster ng Pilipinas(KBP, Alliance of Broadcasters of the Philippines) upholds ethical practice among theirmembers and requires them to make sure that their programs observe professional values. Oneof the tenets of news and public affairs programs is to make the distinction clear between newsand information and advertising material such as commercials. Political space and airtime paid

for by political candidates should be identified as such. If it is paid for by a local governmentoffice, then the people should know that it is tax payers money that is being spent, in clearviolation of the electoral law.

The KBP should discern which blocktimers are paid by political campaign groups. It is within theKBPs powers to police the ranks of broadcast practitioners all over the country. In a landmarkelection such as the 2010 ballot, the media should let voters know when talk shows are part ofsomeones political campaign.

Furthermore, the KBP Broadcast Code requires all personnel who go on air, includingblocktimers, to pass the KBP's accreditation exam to ensure that minimum standards ofbroadcast professionalism are met. This institutional policy should also be strictly enforced.

We are not calling for the banning of blocktimers or their sponsorship by political candidates.We are simply obliging them to make full disclosure of the nature of their programs. We arecalling for the observance of ethical norms for the broadcast news media. This call does notviolate anyones freedom of expression. On the contrary, we want the KBP to follow thefundamental prescriptions of free press practice. If the press is to retain public trust, then pressprogramsand these include any program that carries political informationshould beautonomous and independent of political pressure and influence. The public should know if talkshow programs have been bought to serve the purpose of advertising for candidates.

The persistence of politically-sponsored block-time news and public affairs programsmasquerading as independent news and commentary reflects a highly dysfunctional press

system. The commercial nature of most media enterprises in the Philippines makes elections ahigh-revenue season. But it is incumbent on the owners of such businesses to observe theirresponsibilities to the public and to disclose fully the source of sponsorship for the programsthey air. Otherwise, the public may be misled and influenced by those they may perceive to beindependent commentators but are after all only paid hacks.

The undersigned hope that the KBP will prove true to its mandate of self-regulation and requireof its members the simple process of identifying political programs that are paid for bycandidates or government agencies.