Friday, June 20, 2008 Seares: Reply bill and radio-TV blocktimers By Pachico A. Seares News Sense
THE right-to-reply bill (SB 2150) the Senate passed on second reading last June 11 intrudes into the editor's function of choosing content and messes up with news standards.
A requirement that the reply must be published in the same print space and the same broadcast program wreaks havoc on decisions of the editor on the day's or hour's top stories. Journalists' judgment is substituted with legislators' judgment.
But here's another absurdity. The same bill that punishes editors and publishers who violate the requirement on right to reply doesn't punish, hold your breath, radio blocktimers.
Penalty on publisher or editor who fails or refuses to publish the reply is not more than P10,000 for first offense, P20,000 for second offense, P30,000 for third offense, and P50,000 for repeated failure or refusal. No jail term, bless them, yet the fine is really stiff.
Exempted
But radio and TV blocktimers, good Lord, are exempt from penalty. They aren't covered by the Senate proposal. They are only "subject to the code of ethics of the broadcast industry or to the self-regulation of the network or station."
It isn't explained why regular journalists are sanctioned under the proposed law while those who buy radio or TV time are not.
Maybe legislators forget that it's usually blocktimers who violate standards and get away with it. And it's the pay-for-time broadcasters whom station owners and managers can't or won't discipline because of the income they provide struggling broadcast stations.
Totally confusing. And they are making the source of confusion into law.
