Commonwealth Act No. 98




[ Commonwealth Act No. 98, October 27, 1936 ] AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES TO EFFECT URGENT REFORMS AND CHANGES IN RADIO BROADCASTING; TO NATIONALIZE OR ACQUIRE THE SAME, AND TO CREATE A RADIO BOARD. Be it enacted by the National Assembly of the Philippines: Section 1. There is hereby created a Radio Board, composed of three members to be appointed by the President with the consent of the Commission on Appointments of the National Assembly, to study ways and means for the nationalization or acquisition by the government of radio broadcasting, and to censor all programs, sustaining or sponsored, to be broadcast or re-broadcast by all broadcasting stations. The Radio Board shall make and submit a report of its findings within six months to the President who is hereby authorized, the provisions of existing laws to the contrary notwithstanding, to effect the necessary changes and reforms towards the nationalization or acquisition of radio broadcasting and to carry out effectively governmental control, supervision and censorship of programs broadcast or re-broadcast by all stations. Any action taken by the President pursuant to this authority shall be reported by him to the National Assembly at the next regular session, otherwise, such action shall be valid and subsisting until the National Assembly provides to the contrary. Section 2. Pending the appointment by the President of the Radio Board as provided in section one hereof, the Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized to carry out immediately the purposes of this Act and he shall examine all programs, sustaining or sponsored, of all broadcasting stations. He shall have the power to eliminate or cancel from the program such number or parts thereof as, in his opinion, are neither moral, educational nor entertaining, and prejudicial to public interest.ℒαwρhi৷ Section 3. Any licensee or owner of broadcasting station who shall broadcast any program or parts thereof not duly approved or otherwise eliminated, by the Secretary of the Interior or the Radio Board, shall, upon his or its recommendation, as the case may be, forfeit the license. Section 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval. Approved, October 27, 1936. The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation