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WHEREAS, certain conditions existed in the country at the time of the promulgation of Proclamation No. 1081 which had necessitated temporary government control and supervision of mass media;

WHEREAS, since the abolition of the Mass Media Council and the creation in its stead of the Media Advisory Council, the various sectors of mass media have shown capability for self-regulation and internal discipline within their ranks and have demonstrated responsibility for maintaining standards for professional conduct and excellence;

WHEREAS, the prevailing national situation has become appropriate for taking a further step towards removal of government participation in policy determination and news dissemination activities of mass media.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers in me vested by the Constitution, do hereby decree:

SECTION 1. It is hereby declared to be the policy of the State to allow mass media to operate without government intervention or supervision in policy determination and news dissemination activities. For the accomplishment of this purpose, the Media Advisory Council created under Presidential Decree No. 191 and the Bureau of Standards for Mass Media authorized to be created under Letter of Implementation No. 12 dated November 1, 1972, are hereby abolished.

SEC. 2. For purposes of this Decree, mass media shall be divided into two groups: Print Media and Broadcast Media. "Print Media" includes all newspapers, periodicals, magazines, journals, and publications and all advertising therein, and billboards, neon signs and the like. And "Broadcast Media" includes radio and television broadcasting in all their aspects and all other cinematographic or radio promotion and advertising. The Print Media group and the Broadcast Media group are hereby authorized to organize and determine the composition of a body or council within each group which shall be responsible for instituting and formulating systems of self-regulation and internal discipline within its own ranks.

SEC. 3. Each regulatory council or body shall be responsible for the elevation of ethics and the standard of excellence of mass media in all its phases within each group. Towards this end, each council or body is hereby authorized to adopt policies, formulate guidelines, fix standards and promulgate rules and regulations for the operation and discipline of all mass media under its supervision, and to administer and enforce the same. Such policies, standards, guidelines, and rules and regulations shall be in conformity with the provisions of existing laws, especially those on national security.

SEC. 4. No mass media activity shall be undertaken by any person or entity in the Philippines without first being registered with the regulatory council or body concerned, which shall issue certificates of registration to all applicants qualified under its respective rules or regulations; Provided: That each council shall have the authority to suspend or cancel such certificates of registration for such cause or causes as may be provided in the rules and the existence of which each council or body shall have duly determined; Provided, further, That no certificate of registration shall be granted in any manner or under any condition to any of those engaged in mass media which were, in September 1972, ordered closed and/or sequestered upon promulgation of Proclamation No. 1081, by order of the President or the Secretary of National Defense.

SEC. 5. All existing permits for the operation of mass media on the date this decree takes effect shall continue to be valid unless otherwise suspended or withdrawn for cause by the council or body concerned.

SEC. 6. All government agencies are hereby enjoined to extend their utmost assistance and cooperation to the councils.

SEC. 7. All laws, decrees, rules and regulations, or any part thereof, which are inconsistent with this decree are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 8. This Decree shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 9th day of November, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-four.