Amending Pertinent Provisions of Memorandum Circular No. 02-2016

July 26, 2017

MTRCB MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 002-17

 

Pursuant to the Board's authority to exercise such powers and functions as may be necessary or incidental to the fulfillment of its mandate (§ 3 (d) in relation to § 3 (k), P.D. No. 1986) vis-a-vis the developments in technology of digital terrestrial television services, and in heeding the earnest plea of television networks, cable television operators and other limited audience content distributors for a reduced rate of review fees, the Board hereby amends pertinent provisions of Chapter IV of Memorandum Circular No. 02-2016 on the rate of review and monitoring fees of program contents broadcast through digital terrestrial television service.

1. Section 2, Chapter IV, of Memorandum Circular No. 02-2016 is hereby amended to read, as follows:

"Section 2. REGISTRATION PERIOD. — In relation to the preceding section, the period for registration for the year 2017 shall commence on 01 September 2016 and end on 30 September 2017."

2. Section 8, Chapter IV, of Memorandum Circular No. 02-2016 is hereby amended to read, as follows:

"Section 8. SUBMISSION FOR REVIEW AND CLASSIFICATION. — Starting 01 February 2017, all laws, rules and regulations, memorandum circulars and other directives issued by the Board in regard to the requirement of securing a Permit to Exhibit from the Board before any and all material is aired over free TV, which now includes DTTB, shall be in full force and effect. No material intended for DTT broadcast, except those specifically exempted by law under P.D. No. 1986 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations, may be aired without a valid Permit to Exhibit previously issued by the Board. All materials to be aired on DTT channels beginning 01 October 2017 must have the required permit to exhibit.

Applications for Permit to Exhibit for content to be simulcast between an analog channel and a DTT channel shall be filed at the instance of the analog channel and charged according to the rates of analog channels, with the DTT channel being a mere beneficiary of the single-filing policy provided for in Section 3, Chapter 3 hereof."

3. Section 9, Chapter IV, of Memorandum Circular No. 02-2016 is hereby amended to read, as follows:

"Section 9. RATE OF REVIEW AND MONITORING FEES. — As a way to assist the DTTB industry in the initial stage of its operations while at the same time protecting the general public from inappropriate materials shown on DTT channels, the Board shall impose a reduced review and monitoring fee for materials to be aired over DTTB. Beginning upon the effectivity of this Circular, a review and monitoring fee equivalent to ten percent (10%) of the applicable fees listed in Memorandum Circular No. 12-2013 (Schedule of MTRCB Review and Classification Fees and Charges) shall be assessed for every program shown in DTT channels. The aforesaid rate of review and monitoring fee shall be increased to twenty percent (20%) beginning 01 January 2018, with an additional twenty percent (20%) increase for each succeeding year until the DTTB rate equals the prevailing rate for free TV broadcast." SDHTEC

4. All other provisions of Memorandum Circular No. 02-2016 that are not inconsistent with this Circular shall continue to be in full force and effect.

5. This Circular shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following its publication in a newspaper of general circulation and filing with the Office of the National Administrative Register in the University of the Philippines Law Center, as required under the Administrative Code of 1987.

APPROVED, by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board, in a meeting called for the purpose, on 26 July 2017.

RECOMMENDING APPROVAL:

(SGD.) RICARDO M. SALOMON, JR.Board Member and Co-Chairperson, Committee on Cable TV Regulation

APPROVED BY AUTHORITY OF THE BOARD:

(SGD.) MARIA RACHEL J. ARENASChairperson