KBP Celebrates 38 Years in Philippine Broadcasting
The Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) celebrated its 38th Founding Anniversary at the Crown Regency Hotel in Makati last April 27, 2011. The KBP is the industry association of the broadcast media composed of owners and operators of broadcasting stations as regular members and radio and television stations as associate members.
The highlight of the evening was the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement between KBP and the Department of Interior and Local Government to undertake a tree-planting program in areas of the country most affected by deforestation. The agreement bolsters Oplan Broadcast-treeing, the tree-planting program initiated by KBP several years ago. Secretary Jesse M. Robredo signed the agreement in behalf of the DILG.
Birth of KBP
Through the years, the KBP has served as a unifying force for the broadcast media to promote freedom of the press and expression in broadcasting while encouraging greater social responsibility and self-discipline among its members.
The KBP was born at a critical time for the country’s broadcast media. KBP Board Chairman Herman Z. Basbaño, who is also Vice President/Chief Operating Officer of the AM Division of the Bombo Radyo Philippines network, recalled the inception of the KBP in his speech during the association’s anniversary celebration: “Thirty-eight years ago, when our democratic institutions were succumbing under the pressure of martial law, a small group of broadcasters conceived of a means to preserve the broadcast media. Their vision was of a broadcast media that is socially-responsible, operated with little government intervention, and empowered by free and honest enterprise. To attain this vision, they brought the members of the broadcast industry under one cohesive organization, the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas.”
From that perilous beginning, the KBP has managed the transition to a more open democratic space emerging as a media institution devoted to improving professional and ethical standards in broadcasting, promoting social responsibility, working for the positive growth and development of the broadcast industry and the protection of the rights and interests of broadcasters.
Self-Regulation in the Broadcast Media
Among the most outstanding accomplishments of the KBP is the establishment of a self-regulatory system for the broadcast media. It has instituted the adoption of a Broadcast Code to serve as the standard for professional and ethical conduct for radio and television stations (the Code is available on KBP’s website, www.kbp.org.ph). The Code is supported by an enforcement system administered by the KBP Standards Authority which receives complaints for violation of its provisions by member stations. The Standards Authority also imposes sanctions on those found violating the standards. The KBP accepts complaints sent through email via its website.
The KBP has handled many cases involving complaints against broadcasters, including the most controversial ones. Among these is the broadcast coverage of the hostage-taking last August 2010 where alleged violations of journalism ethics have been endorsed by Malacanang to KBP for its own investigation. (The KBP Standards Authority has meted sanctions on members found to have violated pertinent provisions of the Broadcast Code). Aside from the investigation, the KBP has also revised Article 6 of the Code on Crime and Crisis Situations to provide member networks with more definite guidelines to ensure proper coverage of similar incidents in the future. Similarly, the KBP has acted on the “Jan-Jan” episode on TV, not just by initiating an investigation into complaints of alleged violations of the Code, but also by starting consultations with child experts and child-rights advocates to determine what can be done by the broadcast industry to ensure better protection of children and promotion of their healthy development in radio and television programs. In the meantime, KBP member television networks have initiated closer monitoring of their programs to ensure that standards that are already in place are strictly observed during their shows.
Public Tasks
KBP president Ruperto S. Nicdao Jr., who is also president of Manila Broadcasting Company, is proud that the KBP has earned recognition as an organization which advocates responsibility in the broadcast media and reforms in Philippine society. He said that this is recognition most apparent in the public tasks to which the KBP has been asked to participate, such as the advanced unofficial election count, the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) on the hostage-taking crisis, the commission against smugglers and tax cheats, commission against private armies, infrastructure monitoring, organization against violence on media. Nicdao said, “The KBP was also the moving force behind the formation of the Ad Standards Council (ASC), which is responsible for clearing all advertising materials in various media platforms.”
Future of Broadcasting
The circumstances that the broadcast media faces today may be different from when the KBP was born, but they pose no less of a challenge for the industry and the organization that helped guide it through past adversities. Many believe that broadcasting today, like print media, is influx and facing constant challenges from new media. Despite this, KBP president Nicdao is confident in the inherent strengths of broadcasting as a mass medium. “The television and radio industries continue to be the dominant media platforms in the country, he said. “In spite of the entry of new media, i.e. mobile and internet, traditional broadcast media is still the main source of information and entertainment for the Filipino people. The industry, however, embraces technological innovations and it is adapting such innovations to further improve the delivery of its services. Radio, in particular, has experienced resurgence in terms of the renewed interest of advertisers in the medium, as it has proven to be effective in an archipelago like the Philippines. In the next few years, we shall see a shift to digital broadcast, which will mean clearer/better broadcast quality, multicasting, and a host of other customer-friendly innovations.”
KBP Board chairman Basbaño shares the same confidence about the future of broadcasting. While he recognizes that technology has spawned new platforms and thus fragmented the ways of delivering entertainment and information to the consumer, he said: “Our challenge is how to survive, grow and thrive in this new world, while preserving the inherent strength of broadcasting both as a public service vehicle and a business enterprise.”
Ensuring the Future
In his speech during the KBP’s 38th Anniversary celebrations Basbaño indicated what it will take to ensure the future of broadcasting and its relevance in Philippine society: “It is a tribute to the foresight of our founders that the KBP not only survived Martial Law, but has weathered all of the changes in the country’s political climates and all of its economic difficulties.
More than the fact of its survival, we appreciate the innovation started by the KBP that are now firmly institutionalized in the broadcast media. These innovations and many more have been made possible because of the succession of leaders of the association and the faith of our founders. It is the faith in the idea that if we work together, there is no obstacle that we cannot overcome.”
