Councilor demands apology from radio blocktimer

“ISSUE a public apology or face a case in court.”

Cebu City Councilor Gerardo Carillo issued this threat  to  Nanette Garong, a blocktime broadcaster  at radio dyLA who was accused of  airing “below-the-belt and malicious” statements against Carillo.

Regional Director Jesus Laureno of the National Telecommunications Commission 7 (NTC-7),  sent a directive to dyLA management to preserve the recording of   Garong’s Sept. 28 program  since Carillo announced his intention to file  a complaint.

Carillo said he took offense at the broadcasters accusation on air that he beat  his children and was corrupt.

NTC-7 has also asked the radio station to preserve the Sept. 28 recording of the 30-minute program of  Garong for 30 days.

Garong, for her part, said she was  willing to  apologize to the councilor.

“Honestly, I don’t intend to malign anyone, not even Carillo because I even voted for him in the  last election. I can even go to his office and give an apology,” she said.

Garong denied that her statements on air were politically motivated. She said she was the one  paying for the  airtime over dyLA.

“An  apology is not a hard thing for me to do because I had no bad intentions (against Carillo) at all,” she added.

Carillo wrote NTC-7 to request for a copy of the tape-on-air of Garong’s program to be used as evidence  when he files a complaint for  libel.

NTC Memorandum Circular no. 05-06-2008 requires all radio  and TV stations to record their programs such as talk shows, live phone calls, live interviews, public affairs program, news analysis, editorials, commentaries, documentaries, magazine shows and counseling programs.

Section 3 of the memorandum requires  TV and radio stations to retain the recording for 10 days or longer when required by the commission.