Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas » News & Issues

KBP TO INVESTIGATE HOSTAGE TAKER RADIO INTERVIEW

admin — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:31:58 +0000

The KBP Board ordered its Standards Authority to conduct an in-depth investigation on the propriety of a radio interview conducted by personnel of an RMN radio station in Metro Manila with the hostage taker during the August 23, 2010 hostage taking incident.

The decision was arrived at in a special meeting of the KBP Board today.

Based on an initial assessment of broadcast media’s coverage the hostage-taking incident at the Luneta Grandstand last August 23, 2010, the KBP earlier stated that it was of the belief that broadcast media abided by the coverage guidelines in hostage situations. Subsequently, on August 27, the KBP called for a meeting among broadcast media personnel who actually covered the incident.

The following were the findings during the meeting:

The police established a perimeter which was off-limits to those not involved in resolving the crisis, including media personnel. Media personnel strictly obeyed the police instructions and only when the authorities signaled that the hostage-taker was neutralized, and apparently allowed access, did the media (and the onlookers) enter the perimeter.
Media personnel felt that, although a certain PNP official gave briefings between noon and 4 pm, media was not provided important or significant information on the status of the negotiations. Reporters covering the incident felt that there was no person who was clearly in charge of the operations, and regularly interfacing with media during critical moments, especially since the crisis involved foreigners and was being monitored not only by Philippine media but by international news organizations.
Media was not asked by authorities to withhold coverage of what turned out to be sensitive events such as the taking into custody of Gregorio Mendoza, the hostage-taker’s brother, and the conduct of assault operations on the bus. It was observed, however, that the incident involving Gregorio Mendoza was an event that suddenly developed.
The KBP determined that during the incident, personnel from radio station DZXL were interviewing the hostage-taker on-the-air.

Although the transcript of the exchange with the station contain important information relevant to the on-going investigation by the authorities, the KBP Board has instructed the KBP Standards Authority to conduct an investigation whether the interview violated established standards and rules on crisis and hostage-taking coverage and to impose appropriate sanctions, if warranted, in accordance with the observance of self-regulation by the KBP. The KBP Standards Authority is a KBP body tasked with enforcing the KBP Broadcast Code.

The findings of the KBP will also be discussed with high-level government authorities to improve government and media interface and protocols in similar situations.

The KBP expresses its continuing and sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims of the hostages taking incident.

KBP TO INVESTIGATE HOSTAGE TAKER RADIO INTERVIEW

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 03:31:37 +0000

The following were the findings during the meeting:

The police established a perimeter which was off-limits to those not involved in resolving the crisis, including media personnel. Media personnel strictly obeyed the police instructions and only when the authorities signaled that the hostage-taker was neutralized, and apparently allowed access, did the media (and the onlookers) enter the perimeter.
Media personnel felt that, although a certain PNP official gave briefings between noon and 4 pm, media was not provided important or significant information on the status of the negotiations. Reporters covering the incident felt that there was no person who was clearly in charge of the operations, and regularly interfacing with media during critical moments, especially since the crisis involved foreigners and was being monitored not only by Philippine media but by international news organizations.
Media was not asked by authorities to withhold coverage of what turned out to be sensitive events such as the taking into custody of Gregorio Mendoza, the hostage-taker’s brother, and the conduct of assault operations on the bus. It was observed, however, that the incident involving Gregorio Mendoza was an event that suddenly developed.
The KBP determined that during the incident, personnel from radio station DZXL were interviewing the hostage-taker on-the-air.

The findings of the KBP will also be discussed with high-level government authorities to improve government and media interface and protocols in similar situations.

The KBP expresses its continuing and sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims of the hostages taking incident.

KBP PRESS STATEMENT AUGUST 31 Luneta Hostage Taking Incident

admin — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:13:33 +0000

The following were the findings during the meeting:

The police established a perimeter which was off-limits to those not involved in resolving the crisis, including media personnel. Media personnel strictly obeyed the police instructions and only when the authorities signaled that the hostage-taker was neutralized, and apparently allowed access, did the media (and the onlookers) enter the perimeter.
Media personnel felt that, although a certain PNP official gave briefings between noon and 4 pm, media was not provided important or significant information on the status of the negotiations. Reporters covering the incident felt that there was no person who was clearly in charge of the operations, and regularly interfacing with media during critical moments, especially since the crisis involved foreigners and was being monitored not only by Philippine media but by international news organizations.
Media was not asked by authorities to withhold coverage of what turned out to be sensitive events such as the taking into custody of Gregorio Mendoza, the hostage-taker’s brother, and the conduct of assault operations on the bus. It was observed, however, that the incident involving Gregorio Mendoza was an event that suddenly developed.
The KBP determined that during the incident, personnel from radio station DZXL were interviewing the hostage-taker on-the-air.

The KBP expresses its continuing and sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims of the hostages taking incident.

KBP STATEMENT ON THE BROADCAST MEDIA’S COVERAGE OF THE AUGUST 23 HOSTAGE-TAKING

admin — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:19:50 +0000

The broadcast media follows a code of conduct in the coverage of crisis situations, which has been developed and refined after numerous dialogues with authorities. The KBP itself has a provision in its Broadcast Code admonishing its members to take all care so that their reporting does not put lives in greater danger than is already inherent in the crisis situation. Besides this, the individual networks belonging to the KBP also have their protocols consistent with our Code and journalistic standards for such situations. We believe that they have adhered to these standards.

We also note that our members have abided by the conditions imposed by the authorities who were in charge of the situation last Monday.

We recognize that the role of media in such situations would generate both positive and negative reactions. To ensure that the broadcast media continue to fulfill its responsibility of serving the public’s right to information, we will continue to work with the authorities to improve coordination during crisis situations.

(Released August 25, 2010)

Seminar on the Assessment of Media Election Coverage and Governance Issues

admin — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 05:41:31 +0000

How did the media perform its responsibilities in covering the recent elections? How can we improve coverage of future elections as well as issues on governance? These questions will be the focus of a seminar organized by the KBP on June 18, 2010.

The KBP is organizing the seminar in partnership with the Philippine Press Institute (PPI), the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ).

The seminar will include the following topics:

RESULTS OF THE MONITORING OF THE 2010 ELECTIONS BY THE CENTER FOR MEDIA FREEDOM AND RESPONSIBILITY (CMFR) – by Prof. Luis Teodoro, Deputy Director, CMFR.
MEDIA ISSUES AND CONCERNS IN THE COVERAGE OF THE 2010 ELECTIONS – by Ms. Malou Mangahas, Executive Director, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ)
MEDIA COVERAGE OF ELECTIONS AND GOVERNANCE: THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE – by Dr. Wayne Wanta, Professor of Journalism, University of Oklahoma.

KBP and PPI members are invited to attend the seminar (limited slots only). Those who want to attend should contact the KBP office. Participants should be news executives or managers, producers of news and public affairs programs, key news staff, or other individuals with major news and public affairs responsibilities.

KBP Recommends ISDB-T as Digital TV Standard for Philippines

admin — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 05:38:06 +0000

The KBP has recommended the adoption of the Japanese ISDB-T as the standard for digital television for the Philippines. In a letter sent last March 17 to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), the KBP’s Board of Trustees said that the decision was based on the study conducted by its Television Committee, which is composed of members operating television stations in the country.

The KBP has also asked the NTC to immediately convene a Technical Working Group to draft the rules for the transition to digital television broadcasting. However, it is unlikely that the NTC will act on the KBP’s recommendations until after the incoming administration has taken over.

KBP AND PPCRV CONTINUE ELECTION COUNT

admin — Thu, 27 May 2010 09:26:24 +0000

The KBP and the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) have resumed the unofficial tally of votes for candidates for national positions based on the printed copy of the election returns gathered by PPCRV from polling centers. The PPCRV, the elections’ accredited citizen arm, is entitled by law to get the fourth copy of the printed election returns prior to transmission of the returns by the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines to the COMELEC server and the server at the Pius Center. The PPCRV and KBP separately counted the votes based on these electronically-transmitted returns.

The unofficial canvass of the printed election returns was agreed on by the PPCRV and the KBP as a means of verifying the accuracy of the electronically transmitted returns which they also canvassed. The canvass was temporarily stopped last May 19 when the PPCRV closed its command center at the Pius Center but resumed on May 24 after the PPCRV and KBP set up a smaller tabulation center also in the Pius Center. When the count was suspended last May 19, the PPCRV had already counted 56.4 percent of the 76,347 election returns expected to be received from all polling centers. The PPCRV already has already received 92.02 percent of all expected election returns. The PPCRV and KBP are expected to finish the tally after two or three weeks.

The PPCRV had reported that the discrepancies between the printed returns and the electronically-transmitted ones were negligible. In only 29 election returns out of a total of 76,347 were differences found between the two. This finding, according to PPCRV, bolstered the reliability of the electronically-transmitted returns.

Are condom ads immoral?

admin — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 06:35:12 +0000

The controversy over the government’s promoting the use of condoms to slow down the spread of AIDS and HIV in the country threatens to spill over to the issue of whether commercials for condoms are appropriate. The National Council for Children’s Television (NCCT) has received a letter from a Lucena City resident complaining against the showing of condom ads on television because these purportedly promote “immoral practices”. She says the commercial promotes “pre-marital sex and promiscuity causing deep spiritual, emotional, social, and psychological problems to children, adults and society.”

The NCCT has forwarded the complaint to the KBP, the Philippine Association of National Advertisers (PANA), and the Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies (4A’s), and the Ad Standards Council (ASC), which is the industry body that reviews advertisements to determine compliance with ethical standards.

It is unlikely that the condom ads would be pulled out. As one network executive said, condoms are a legal product and it may be against the law to stop its advertisements. Banning condom ads from the media could also be construed as suppression of free speech. An option is for condom ads to be rated as “Parental Guidance” based on the classification of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB). This can be initiated by the KBP, which has been deputized by the MTRCB to review ads for television, which means the actual review would be done by the Ad Standards Council, the mechanism adopted by the KBP for such tasks.

The KBP’s Broadcast Code does not prohibit the advertisement of condoms on its member stations. But it does have provisions aimed at protecting children from possible harm that might arise from such ads. KBP Legal Counsel Rudolph “Rejie” Jularbal, who regularly conducts seminars for KBP announcers all around the country on the provisions of the Broadcast Code, advises caution to stations when scheduling condom ads. He reminds them of Section 10 of the Code, which says, “Advertisements of products or services which are not suitable for children or which might cause them physical, mental, psychological or moral harm shall not be aired in or adjacent to children’s programs.”

Digital TV Standard for the Philippines: DVB-T or ISDB-T?

admin — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 06:33:05 +0000

March 17, 2010

Which digital television standard will the Philippines adopt? Would it be the European DVB-T or the Japanese ISDB-T? The answer to that question may soon be settled after the KBP submits its position to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) on the matter before the end of the month.

The issue of which system the Philippines should adopt had almost been settled in 2006 when the NTC released a draft memorandum circular on the proposed rules and regulations for digital television broadcasting in the country. The draft stated that DVB-T was to be the “sole standard in the delivery of DTT services in the country.” The KBP had supported this position then but its position was primarily based on the comparison between the European DVB-T and the ATSC standard developed by the Americans. The Japanese ISDB-T standard, at the time was only implemented in Japan and was not as prominent as the other two.

The Japanese ISDB-T system came into prominence after Brazil launched its terrestrial digital television broadcasting in December 2007 using a variant of the Japanese system and the Japanese started to actively promote the standard in other countries as well, including the Philippines. Thus, in 2009 the KBP began looking into the system to determine whether it meets the requirements of its members. A special committee composed of representatives from KBP member networks was assigned the task.

The committee had completed its study and submitted its recommendations to the KBP Board last month. The Board is expected to communicate its position to the NTC on which standard is preferred by KBP members. The committee had found that both standards, DVB-T and ISDB-T, are suited to the business and technical requirements of local broadcasters. The committee also noted that field tests conducted by ABS-CBN with independent experts and at its own expense, showed that DVB-T and ISDB-T performed on par with each other in all respects, although ISDB-T enjoyed “a slight advantage”. This is likely to weigh significantly in the decision of the KBP on which standard to recommend to the NTC.

The government’s National Broadcasting Network (NBN) has already made the decision to go with ISDB-T and so has the two commercial networks owned by the government, RPN-9 and IBC-13. A religious broadcasting network, Eagle Broadcasting Corporation of the Iglesia ni Kristo has also already decided to adopt ISDB-T and has in fact already installed an ISDB-T transmitter which is operating on test broadcast. The KBP’s endorsement of ISDB-T would give the final push for the NTC to make a decision to begin the Philippine’s transition to digital television broadcasting.

Fr. James Reuter Receives Golden Dove for Lifetime Achievement

admin — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 03:47:37 +0000

“I came to the Philippines in 1938 and have never regretted one moment of the time. I have been in media in the Philippines for a lifetime – from 1938 until the present. And I feel that media and the Filipino people have given more to me than I have given to them and they are the most lovable people on the surface of the earth. God bless you all!” With these few simple words, Fr. James Reuter received the Golden Dove Award for Lifetime Achievement from the KBP last November 13 in Tagaytay.

Sitting in his wheelchair, Fr. Reuter, who turned 93 last May, looked frail as he received the Golden Dove trophy. But when he spoke to accept the award, his words rang clear and true. He was obviously pleased to receive the award. One of his aides said Fr. Reuter has even quarreled with the doctors at the Our Lady of Peace Hospital in Paranaque City (he now lives in the hospital) over their objections to his traveling to Tagaytay City for the 18th Golden Dove Awards night.

Fr. James Reuter had already received many honors for his many accomplishments: as an educator, a social reformer, a playwright, a writer, and a producer and director of stage plays and radio and television programs. In 1989, he won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature, and Creative Communication Arts. He is also the recipient of the highest award given by the Pope, the Pro Ecclesia Et Pontific Award. In 1996, Fr, Reuter, an American born in New Jersey, was granted honorary Filipino citizenship by the Philippine Congress. But the Golden Dove Lifetime Achievement is a special tribute to Fr. Reuter’s work in Philippine broadcast media.

Fr. Reuter’s broadcasting career began in 1941, three years after he landed as a young Jesuit in the Philippines, then an American commonwealth, to teach at the Ateneo de Manila and continue his theological studies. He worked as a writer for the number one radio program at that time, The Commonweal Hour, with young Filipinos who would later distinguish themselves as lawmakers, statesmen, intellectuals and writers, such as Leon Maria Guerrero, Filipino nationalist, diplomat and writer, and Raul Manglapus, one the country’s most respected senators who served from 1961 to 1967 and was well known for his prose and oratory.

At the end of the war, in 1945, Fr. Reuter was sent back to New York to complete his studies and was ordained in 1946. By 1948, he was back in the Philippines to resume what was to become a life-long career of teaching and producing radio and television dramas which espoused family values. Fr. Reuter directed the weekly TV series “Family Theater” through the late 1950’s and “Santa Sita” from 1962 up to the proclamation of martial law in 1972.

Fr. Reuter’s career in radio was not limited to writing, directing, and producing radio programs. In 1960, he established the Philippine Federation of Catholic Broadcasters, now known as the Catholic Media Network (CMN). Its stations, whose policies and actions he influenced, played a key role in ousting the Marcos government in 1986 by broadcasting the People Power revolution at its critical stage ahead of the major networks, which were closely watched by the authorities. Even before People Power, Fr. Reuter already had a brush with martial law. As a spokesman for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), which was openly critical of the martial law regime, Fr. Reuter had sufficiently drawn Marcos’ ire to be put under house arrest for several years.

That no one seriously questioned the propriety of an American priest getting involved in a coup d’état shows how many Filipinos have come to regard Fr. Reuter as a de facto Filipino. This view was affirmed by both Houses of Congress when it gave Fr. James Reuter honorary Filipino citizenship in 1996 and awarded him the Congressional Medal of Achievement in 2006. On November 13, 2009, Fr. Reuter was awarded the KBP Golden Dove Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Philippine broadcasting not only because he elevated broadcasting through love for his craft but because he practiced his craft with a love for those he served.