PBA insists on single TV channel coverage

The Philippine Basketball Association’s board of governors has given TV5 until Wednesday next week to put up a coverage program that would air all games only on its channel or on IBC 13.

In a meeting at the league’s offices in Libis, Quezon City yesterday, the board set the deadline after rejecting a proposal by TV5 executives Peter Chanliong and Vito Lazatin to air PBA games on different channels on weekdays and on TV5 on weekends.

“I think it’s also to the advantage of TV5 if they can make a final resolution to the issue,” PBA commissioner Chito Salud said.

Under the TV5 proposal, the first games on Wednesdays and Fridays in the coming Governors’ Cup will be aired on IBC 13 starting at 5:45 p.m., with the second game to be aired on TV5 starting at 8 o’clock.

Games on Saturdays and Sundays will be aired live over TV 5.

The board, through chair Robert Non of Barangay Ginebra, wants TV5 to adhere to a contract provision that calls for the games to be telecast on a single VHF channel.

“We are not amenable to airing the games on two different channels,” Non said. “We don’t want to confuse our viewers.”