UPDATE 1-New ban on Philippines' top broadcaster fuels press freedom worries

* Broadcaster lost main licence in May
* Journalists express concern over press freedom
* ABS-CBN said it served half the population

(Updates with comments)
By Neil Jerome Morales
MANILA, June 30 (Reuters) - The Philippines' top broadcaster
ABS-CBN Corp ABS.PS was ordered to stop transmitting satellite
and digital television on Tuesday just weeks after its free TV
and radio operations were halted, adding to worries over press
freedom.
The 66-year-old broadcaster had been at odds with President
Rodrigo Duterte since his campaign for election in 2016, and its
main licence was not renewed when it expired in May.
The government's National Telecommunications Commission
(NTC) instructed Sky Cable Corp, an ABS-CBN subsidiary and the
largest cable company in the country, to "immediately cease and
desist" its direct-to-home satellite transmission on Tuesday.
NTC also directed the broadcaster to stop airing digital
television.
According to its chief executive, ABS-CBN reaches 11 million
homes or some 55 million people, roughly half the population.
It said it hoped a petition with the Supreme Court over its
licence would soon be resolved in its favour. It can still
broadcast on social media.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said
Tuesday's order deprived millions more Filipinos of their right
to choose how they receive news and entertainment.
"It is clear that the end goal of this administration is not
only to shut down ABS-CBN, but to send a message throughout the
media industry that other news organizations may face the same
fate unless they surrender their watchdog role," it said in a
statement.
That is to provide "the critical and independent reportage
that is an essential part of the media's mission", it said.
Duterte's spokesman Harry Roque did not respond to a request
for comment. The government has previously said it believes in
free speech, and that ABS-CBN's problems are legal not
political.
However, Duterte had warned it in the past that he would not
allow the renewal of its franchise.
The bad relationship stems from the broadcaster's failure to
air some of Duterte's paid election campaign commercials. The
company apologised recently.
Concerns over press freedom increased this month after a
court convicted veteran journalist Maria Ressa of libel. She
faces up to six years in jail.
Duterte, a populist, has waged a war on drugs that has left
thousands dead and he recently renewed a threat to kill drug
dealers, despite condemnation in a U.N. report.
He is soon expected to sign an anti-terrorism law his
opponents fear could target them, but which he says is needed to
fight extremism.

(Editing by Matthew Tostevin and Jan Harvey)