MANILA – GMA Network filed another complaint with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) versus SkyCable based on new reports of signal disruption before the airing of Eat Bulaga and/or during its phenomenal Kalye-serye (AlDub) segment.
In a five-page letter dated September 17, 2015 from GMA Senior Vice President for Engineering Engr. Elvis B. Ancheta and GMA Vice President for Legal Affairs Atty. Lynn P. Delfin, the Network maintained that the signal disruptions are “irresponsible acts” on the part of SkyCable and stressed that the seeming similarity in the reports indicate that they are not isolated cases.
In its letter, the Network argued that it is significant that the signal loss and degradations are confined to SkyCable Ch.12 [GMA-7] only to the exclusion of other must-carry channels, and that there is basis to believe that the signal disruptions were effected in order to reduce the viewership level of GMA/Eat Bulaga, which has enamored millions of viewers with its phenomenal AlDub/Kalye-serye segment resulting in the program’s very high ratings.
Last Saturday, September 19, the Kalye-serye featuring the split-screen romance of Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza a.k.a. Yaya Dub also scored another record-breaking feat on Twitter with over 12 million tweets generated for the hashtag #ALDUBMostAwaitedDate in a span of 24 hours – a testament yet again to the Kalye-serye and AlDub’s unparalleled success.
GMA presented numerous complaints that were submitted through e-mail, as well as messages posted on GMA’s official Facebook page and viewer feedback reported through GMA’s hotline, including the following:
“hi. cherie here. Ang gma dito sa bangkal Makati as of 7:00am naputol ang signal. as in freeze ang channel 12 gma. PLS HELP! Manonood ako ng eat bulaga (received from cheriemvillanueva@gmail.com on September 5, 2015).”
“Good day GMA, Kahapon po, during EB nagloloko n po ung signal. Nawawala wala at gumagalaw ung image. Then nung nagkalyeserye na. Nagiging blank n po. Pati po ung mga kapitbahay namin. Dito po kami sa Malolos, Bulacan. We are using Skycable. Sana po maayos ito nang makapanood kami ng Eat Bulaga ng maayos. Tnx and more power (received from pirateyang23@gmail.com on September 5, 2015).”
The Network also submitted a DVD copy of a recorded video from a complainant from Pasig City showing the absence of GMA’s signal on SkyCable Channel 12 during Eat Bulaga on September 10, 2015, while its competing program can be seen on SkyCable Channel 8, which the viewer described as “sinasabotahe ng SkyCable.”
GMA requested the Commission to investigate the complaints of inconvenienced subscribers and to take the appropriate administrative action against SkyCable. An earlier complaint dated August 25, 2015 has been filed with the NTC likewise seeking their immediate action regarding this matter.
