JAWO FANS CRY FOUL OVER TV BLACKOUT
Manila, March 9, 1998 - Millions of sports fans nationwide rose in protest over the refusal of government-sequestered Channel 13 to air the PBA Tribute to basketball legend Robert Jaworski.
Newspaper offices were flooded with calls all afternoon and evening as angry television viewers demanded to know why the highly-publicised tribute to honor Jaworski on his 52nd birthday was not broadcast.
The extravaganza, put up by Vintage Sports, featured more than 100 show business and sports stars and attracted an overflow crowd of 24,000 at the Araneta Coliseum.
The crowd was described as the biggest ever assembled at the site, surpassing even the attendance of the Elorde-Gomes fight and the Muhammad Ali - Joe Frazier "Thrilla In Manila" in 1975.
The Channel 13 management ignored the order of Comelec Chairman Bernardo Pardo to allow the telecast. Pardo ruled that the "Tribute" was not political in nature.
Jaworski is the star senatorial candidate of the opposition ticket under presidential candidate Joseph Estrada.
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