Kapamilya Channel recently had a technical problem and was unavailable in some places in the Philippines. Kapamilya Channel is a cable channel owned and operated by ABS-CBN Corporation, a company under the Lopez Group.
The network was set up as a replacement of the main terrestrial ABS-CBN network which ceased free-to-air broadcast operations as ordered by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) on May 5, 2020.
The people who availed of the channel were alarmed when the network was down and asked if other people were experiencing the same problems with the cable channel as well.
Wala ng kapamilya channel ang DANAO CABLE. AWWW GOODBYE NA SA DANAO CABLE
unsa nga cable ang naay kapamilya channel dri sa cebu?@ABSCBN @ABSCBNNews @ABSCBN_Showbiz— XANDER (@maywardxander) August 4, 2020
I think ABS-CBN channels in cable are down. No Kapamilya Channel, DZMM, ANC, Jeepney TV while others are perfectly working… what is happening!?
Or samin lang ganon? Haha.
— Karl Cedrick Basco (@cedrickkbasco) August 4, 2020
For some reasons Kapamilya Channel on our cable is down. Good thing, there’s Kapamilya Online Live on YouTube.
— 💖💚Little Red Shoes (@_LittleRedShoe) August 4, 2020
https://twitter.com/MirandaVeron/status/1290577173179273216?fbclid=IwAR1DYZLKokC9jR2CiF2MO9zJl-8fHWDvFdlPxjU98h-D6ggskfy_DzgUP8s
https://twitter.com/naninudge/status/1290874940040704001?fbclid=IwAR17aFKk2ygodMVcILony0gLmIJ4IpBJuw2cBNqLijYGFsApE6JgC8S746o
https://twitter.com/youngDambssSs/status/1290873128097390593?fbclid=IwAR2sfqgS0kpaD30rWaHmHfywQej6lxBEhoz3AFOvnygaNRlp2zYry4jd49w
https://twitter.com/jhoancasao27/status/1290857761333338117?fbclid=IwAR2sfqgS0kpaD30rWaHmHfywQej6lxBEhoz3AFOvnygaNRlp2zYry4jd49w
Buti nalang at may signal na ung kapamilya channel kagabi tuloy d ako nakanood Ng 2gether the series😭
— elle (@kshll_lzn) August 5, 2020
https://twitter.com/kaycereycapua/status/1290809675345092610?fbclid=IwAR2u8LTyI01xwv555kJ8wWkNjBhmAOhxFDn4OxrgETEfdQwD_E1-cPJrTo8
So kahit Kapamilya channel ba tinanggal na din? Kagabi pa kami walang kapamilya channel eh 🥺
— MoonShot (@Insidesss) August 4, 2020
ano nangyari sa gsat walang signal yung kapamilya channel na patigil na din po b
— asawani@butterfly (@asawanibutterf1) August 4, 2020
The Kapamilya Channel was introduced on June 13 by ABS-CBN corporation while it was fighting for its franchise in congress at the time.
Now that the media giant was forced to shut down by the House committee, ABS-CBN viewers and supporters are only clinging to the cable channel to still be able to watch some of the shows that ABS-CBN offers.
Three new programs, Paano Kita Mapapasalamatan hosted by Judy Ann Santos, i hosted by Angel Locsin, and The World of a Married Couple the highest-rated drama in Korean cable television history made their debut in the Kapamilya Channel.
ABS-CBN has already released an official statement with regards to Kapamilya Channel’s technical problems. The network said that they are doing everything that they can to fix the problem as soon as possible.
The network mentioned people could still watch their Kapamilya programs on the Kapamilya Channel live stream on iWant.ph or the iWant app.
With Kapamilya Channel being down, some people panicked and thought that Congress had launched another attack on ABS-CBN to shut down its cable channel and cable provider.
However, Rep. Lito Atienza warned the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) not to cave in to the pressure by some lawmakers at the House of Representatives to shut down SKYcable, citing cable TV companies do not need to secure a legislative franchise to operate.
“Hindi dumadaan sa prangkisa yung cable at SKYcable, NTC yan. So I’m also warning NTC, huwag kayong padadala sa mga pananakot nitong ilang congressmen,” said Atienza said in an online public discussion on the ABS-CBN franchise.
Atienza was reacting to Rep. Rodante Marcoleta’s revelation that NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba is seeking the advice of Solicitor General Jose Calida on a legal strategy to halt the operations of SKYcable.
Marcoleta earlier threatened to cite Cordoba with contempt for upholding Executive Order 205, which was signed by former Pres. Cory Aquino allowing cable operators to exist without the need to seek a legislative franchise but only permits and licenses from the NTC.
A nationwide group of cable TV operators has also voiced concern over the government’s moves questioning the legality of EO 205 in order to close SKYcable.
“Pag may mangyari sa SKYcable malamang mangyayari na rin sa aming lahat,” said Philippine Cable Telecommunications Association (PCTA) president Joel Dabao in a TV interview.
ABS-CBN announced on July 31, the launch of “Kapamilya Online Live,” an online entertainment channel that will be streamed for free on YouTube and Facebook. Both old and new ABS-CBN programs will be streamed on the new channel but will only be available in the Philippines.
Unlike iWant, ABS-CBN’s on-demand streaming platform, “Kapamilya Online Live” on Facebook features regular time timeslots for its programs, as well as breaks between time blocks. The day’s stream will be available for replay 24 hours after it was first aired live.
The new online channel comes as ABS-CBN shifts efforts to digital and cable platforms after they were denied a franchise that would allow them to air on free TV.
Kapamilya Channel also brought new offerings such as the Thai hit 2gether: The Series which premiered on July 27, 2020. Six other shows including Come To Me and upcoming series I’m Tee, Me Too are also expected to be aired as part of the acquired eight dramas.
