PHILIPPINE LAWS, STATUTES, CODES & ISSUANCES
PHILIPPINE LAWS, STATUTES AND CODES - CHAN ROBLES VIRTUAL LAW LIBRARY
REPUBLIC ACTS
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1858 - AN
ACT GRANTING THE PHILIPPINE PUBLISHERS, INC., A FRANCHISE TO CONSTRUCT,
MAINTAIN AND OPERATE RADIO BROADCASTING AND TELEVISION STATIONS IN THE
PHILIPPINES |
Section 1.
Subject to the provisions of the Constitution, the Philippine
Publishers, Inc., is hereby granted a franchise, which shall continue
in force during the time that the Government has not established
similar service at the places selected by the grantee, to construct,
maintain and operate, for commercial purposes and in the public
interest, radio broadcasting and television stations in the
Philippines: Provided, That this franchise shall be void unless the
construction of at least one radio broadcasting station or one
television station be begun within two years from the date of approval
of this Act, and be completed within four years from said date;
Provided further, That the grantee shall provide adequate public
service time to enable the Government, through the said radio
broadcasting and television stations, to reach the population on
important public issues; shall assist in the functions of public
information and education; shall conform to the ethics of honest
enterprise; and shall not use its stations for the broadcasting and/or
telecasting of obscene or indecent language, speech, act or scene, or
for the dissemination of deliberately false information or willful
misrepresentation, or to the detriment of the public health, or to
incite, encourage, or assist in subversive or treasonable
acts. Sec. 2. Such provisions of Act Numbered Thirty-eight hundred and forty-six, entitled "An Act providing for the regulation of radio stations and radio communications in the Philippine Islands, and for other purposes;" Act Numbered Thirty-nine hundred and ninety-seven, known as the Radio Broadcasting Law; Commonwealth Act Numbered One hundred and forty-six, known as the Public Service Act, and their amendments, as are applicable to radio broadcasting stations shall be applied, as far as practicable, to the television stations referred to in section one.cralaw Sec. 3. The grantee shall file a bond in the amount of fifty thousand pesos to guaranty for the full compliance and fulfillment of the conditions under which this franchise is granted.cralaw Sec. 4. In the event of any competing individual, partnership or corporation receiving from the Congress a similar franchise in which there shall be any term or terms more favorable than those herein granted or tending to place the herein grantee at any disadvantage, then such term or terms shall ipso facto become a part of the terms hereof and shall operate equally in favor of the grantee as in the case of said competing individual, partnership or corporation.cralaw
Sec. 5. (a) The grantee shall be liable to pay the
same taxes on its real estate, buildings and personal property,
exclusive of the franchise, as other persons or corporations are now or
hereafter may be required by law to pay.cralaw Sec. 6. In the event the Government should desire to maintain and operate for itself any or all of the stations herein authorized, the grantee shall turn over such station or stations to the Government with all the serviceable equipment therein, at cost, less reasonable depreciation.cralaw Sec. 7. A special right is reserved to the President of the Philippines in time of war, rebellion, public peril, emergency, calamity, disaster or disturbance of peace and order, to cause the closing of said stations or to authorize the temporary use and operation thereof by any department of the Government upon due compensation to the grantee for the use of said stations during the period when they shall be so operated.cralaw
Sec. 8. The grantee shall not require any previous
censorship of any speech, play, act or scene or other matter to be
broadcast and/or telecast from its stations; but if any such speech,
play, act or scene or other matter should constitute a violation of the
law or infringement of a private right, the grantee shall be free from
any liability, civil or criminal, for such speech, play, act or scene
or other matter: Provided, That the grantee, during any broadcast
and/or telecast, may cut off from ther speech, play, act or scene or
other matter being broadcast and/or telecast, if the tendency thereof
is to propose and/or incite treason, rebellion or sedition, or the
language used therein or the theme thereof is indecent or
immoral.
Section 10. This Act shall take effect upon its
approval.cralaw Approved: June 22, 1957 |
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