The disputes between the administrations of Presidents Benigno Aquino III and Rodrigo Duterte and the media conglomerate arose over the terms and conditions of the franchise renewal agreement.

[27] The next day, exercising constitutional powers, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) issued a cease-and-desist order demanding ABS-CBN cease all of its free TV and radio broadcasting operations immediately.

[28] For most of the 2010s decade starting from July 28, 2012 up until the early 2020s on September 10, 2020 (during the presidencies of Benigno Aquino III and Rodrigo Duterte), the network had an eight-year controversy regarding the renewal of their broadcast franchise.

[24][25][29] Prominent figures in ABS-CBN Corporation, the political opposition in the Philippines, media advocacy groups,[25] and the international press[24][27] have labeled the refusal of Congress to renew the franchise as a result of Duterte's pressure for ABS-CBN to cease broadcasting and a direct attack on the country's democracy and press freedoms, although sources from the previous administration reported that there was lack of support for renewal because "Mr. Aquino’s allies felt the criticisms against the President were too personal and offensive and went to the point of nitpicking.

The resulting franchise expiration and withdrawal of its broadcast rights marked the first time ABS-CBN, considered a historical and cultural icon in the Philippines, had been off the air since the 1986 revolution, having been seized and liquidated by the authoritarian government of the Martial Law dictatorship from 1972 until the regime's collapse in 1986.

[37] The Philippines is touted to have the "freest and liveliest press" in Asia,[38][39][40] where media is considered a watchdog[41] and a "fourth estate" helping to maintain the checks and balances of democratic governance.

The remaining revenue is generated from consumer sales through the distribution of cable and international channels, operations of over-the-top platform services, and a family entertainment center in Taguig.

1-A, signed September 22, 1972, and addressed to the Secretary of the Department of National Defense, accused ABS-CBN and the Associated Broadcasting Corporation (now known as TV5) of delivering "deliberately slanted and overly exaggerated news stories and commentaries," of promoting the ends of the Communist Party of the Philippines, and of having been instrumental in an assassination attempt on Marcos.

[25] Media sources in the legislature indicated that the network's 2016 initiative was the result of having been "particularly singled out" by supporters of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte because of the perception that they "consistently showed him in a negative light".

[135][136] On February 24, 2020, the network's president and chief executive officer Carlo López Katigbak apologized to Duterte for not airing his political advertisements during his 2016 polls.

[149] During a Senate hearing on the same day, public services panel chair Grace Poe stated they were to tackle ABS-CBN's compliance with the terms and conditions of its franchise.

[158] On March 5, 2020, lawyer Larry Gadon filed a petition for prohibition before the Supreme Court of the Philippines, seeking to stop Telecommunications Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba, House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, and House Committee on Legislative Franchises Chairman Franz Alvarez from issuing ABS-CBN's provisional authority, saying the provisional authority to operate violates the doctrine of separation of powers.

[159] Sixteen days after the shutdown, Gadon announces that he is withdrawing the petition which he filed, seeking to stop Cordoba, Cayetano, and Alvarez from issuing provisional authority, stating that was rendered moot and the act sought to be prevented no longer exists.

[182] ABS-CBN later clarified in a statement that the three channels, along with Kapamilya Box Office channel, continued broadcasting and received in Metro Manila, Laguna province, Iloilo province, and selected areas of Baguio through a block time agreement with AMCARA Broadcasting Network (former owner of Studio 23 from its 1996 launch until ABS-CBN acquired a stake in AMCARA in 2010) owned by the Carandang family.

On the same day, MOR Philippines also resumed its online and cable operations through a national programming service set up by the network's flagship station in Metro Manila.

The said bill was awaiting for third and final reading after which it would have been transmitted to the Senate;[175][190] but on May 19, 2020, the proposal was withdrawn with the chamber opting to go straight to hearing measures seeking to grant the media giant a fresh 25-year franchise.

[222][223] A month of launching of the said new channel, the NTC were reportedly to investigate ABS-CBN and ZOE Broadcasting Network if the said blocktime agreement of two stations are processed in legal ways.

[225] Both ABS-CBN and TV5 later confirmed this move in collaboration with Brightlight Productions and Cignal TV on January 21, with a movie block FPJ: Da King starring Fernando Poe Jr. also included in the Sunday's lineup.

[138] On June 20, 2023, ABS-CBN Corporation and GMA Network extended their collaboration to broadcast noontime variety show It's Showtime on GTV starting July 1, 2023 (that only lasted until December 31, 2024), as well as its temporary replacement It's Your Lucky Day from October 14 to 28, 2023 due to the former's suspension.

On February 9, 2021, during his public address and an IATF meeting over government-owned People's Television Network, Duterte said that he will not allow ABS-CBN to operate, even if a franchise was given to them by Congress until they settle their taxes.

[244][245] The following day, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, in his Malacañang virtual press briefing, said that Duterte would leave it to the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate ABS-CBN over alleged unpaid taxes and condonation of the network's soured loans.

[258] Before the expiration of the broadcast franchise, ABS-CBN talents and employees conducted weekly demonstrations in front of its headquarters in Quezon City as well as in its regional stations from January to February 2020.

[280] On May 5, 2020, GMA Network's primetime news program 24 Oras, interviewed the Federation of International Cable TV and Telecommunications Association of the Philippines (FICTAP) President Estrellita Juliano Tamano, who claimed that ABS-CBN violated their 1995 legislative broadcast by airing six channels.

[283][284] Public criticism in the early days after the shutdown revolved around the NTC, for lack of fairness on the agency's cease and desist order on the network, and Congress – especially the lower house – for inaction to pass the franchise renewal bill.

[304] Some members of Congress expressed dismay over the decision, including Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, who called the denial "defying evidence".

From July 11 until the end of the month, supporters organized a nightly noise barrage in front of the ABS-CBN studios in Quezon City in opposition to the verdict.

[307][308] On July 26, demonstrations in Cagayan de Oro were marred after three funeral wreaths containing ribbons glorifying unidentified individuals left the New People's Army in front of the ABS-CBN station in the city.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, however, disagreed with netizens claiming that the shutdown of ABS-CBN exposed “information gaps” in calamities such as Super Typhoon Rolly.

[343] Roque also vehemently refuted the claim of Vice President Leni Robredo that the absence of ABS-CBN's regional unit left some residents in the dark.

[345] Journalism professor Danilo Arao said the chilling effect caused coverage by some media outlets to become skewed to favor the President Duterte administration and its supporters.