CEBU CITY, Philippines — For the first time in Sinulog history, a single broadcasting station has been given sole rights to do a live broadcast of the festival’s grand parade and showdown on January 19, 2020.
The Cebu-based station, MyTV, which is aired through Sky Cable channel 30, has reportedly bought the rights for at least P800,000 from the Sinulog Foundation Incorporated (SFI), which the independent organizer of the Sinulog readily accepted.
Elmer “Jojo” Labella, the executive director of the SFI and brother of Mayor Edgardo Labella, told CDN Digital that they accepted the offer because, in the past 40 years, the SFI did not earn funds from media outlets covering or “sponsoring” the whole day event.
In the past, the SFI allowed all media outlets to broadcast the event for free.
Jojo said the exclusive rights given to MyTV is not a new concept since in sports events, certain broadcasting stations are given exclusive rights to air.
“I understand that there is a confusion since this is a first, but it is not new. The MyTv is given the rights to broadcast and to distribute its broadcast feed to other media outlets,” said Jojo.
The SFI Chairman of the Board, Pericles Dakay, signed the contract between SFI and MyTV.
Jojo said that Dakay had the right to undertake the contract because he is the chair of the SFI, and Jojo also denied that the Board was not informed of such sponsorship.
The SFI said they have received backlash from other local media for the decision to give out exclusive rights, but Jojo said that this is only a reaction brought by this sudden change.
“This is an example of changes in Sinulog that we hope to continue in the next years. We really hope for more bidders next year for the exclusive rights to air,” said Jojo.
Mayor Labella said that he will be talking to MyTV and SFI after receiving complaints from local media over the exclusive rights to air.
“This is a small thing, I will talk them over about this,” he said in a phone conference. The SFI is also set to meet on Wednesday, January 15, 2020, regarding the issue. /rcg