[Topic requested by MJH. Dedicated to the thousands who are affected.]
TODAY marks the 69th anniversary of television in the Philippines. Nice? But was it?
It’s been more than two years since Mother Ignacia is gone from the airwaves, and some media observers believe that’s enough time to notice the difference.
Is the television industry still in disarray and coping with its loss? It’s difficult to tell.
Can one live with other networks? Somewhat they can.
Thousands of displaced talents (whether celebrities or behind-the-scenes crew) have dispersed for greener pastures amid the pandemic’s chaotic backdrop. When the national pandemic metrics became manageable and the political administration changed, they gathered for an informal reunion in a restaurant, but their lives were never the same again.
Some ventured to the new networks (more on that later); others create a monetized YouTube channel to increase their income streams.
Some went into politics. At least two of them were elected, one to Congress and the other to a city council, both of which were sucked into the current administration’s bloc.
Some went to local government units to establish and/or enhance their information office; Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte mentioned this during the proclamation rally of her re-election campaign last March 25.
Some became freelancers; while it is difficult to obtain security and projects, it frees them from corporate subjugation.
Some started an online business but those who ventured into an e-sabong business are out of luck.
Some were forced to migrate permanently for new careers. Stigmatization of mental health (despite legislation), mismatch of company values, limited opportunities, and hostile political environment are the primary factors for their departure and a fresh start. The last two reasons are now more credible, thanks to a PDAF plunderer who admitted that banning K-drama “crossed his mind” this week.
For those who stay, is this to say that the current TV industry landscape is no longer appealing to viewers (disillusioned) or those looking to begin a career (disenchanted)? The respondents of my commissioned Monthly Sundry Survey somewhat disagreed.
Agencies and Organizations
The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) got the first-hand consequential effect. They lost revenue from reviews in 2020 and are desperately pursuing streaming TV shows, which are outside of their jurisdiction.
The Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), which will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year, could continue to hold its Golden Dove Awards even though it will not have the same feeling as it once was.
The Anak TV Seal Awards could continue with their annual recognition.
TV Rating Firms
These companies served as amplifiers for the generation-long network wars.
Since the fall of Ignacia, Kantar (their preferred TV rating provider) was never heard of again until last August when they published the consequences in Adobo Magazine. They no longer publish daily program ratings, but MoSS respondents wanted to keep doing so.
AGB Nielsen still does it with one Twitter close to the firm publishing it and GMA (their loyal client) still publish such ratings on their social media handles in a way that pharisaically disparages viewers who have no other choice. (Sidenote: Coincidentally, the gospel for this Sunday is about the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican).
Starting next year, the original American Nielsen will admit the ad-supported plan of Netflix to the rating calculation. Will the Philippines replicate the same decision for both firms? Three-quarters of the surveyed respondents agreed.
Philippine Movie Press Club
The Philippine Movie Press Club, which is in charge of the Star Awards for Television, is a staunch supporter of continuing Ignacia’s free-to-air operation.
Next month, their incoming 35th edition (for the 2020-21 period) will be determined. While the music and film awards proceeded without a hitch (read: with a slight bias toward one media company), this award is going to be difficult to predict with the loss of their predictable network. In this new order, GMA could win Best TV Station and hold it for a long time or could be omitted.
In terms of nominations and selection of winners, PMPC Star Awards is criticized (including yours truly) for being opaque and biased. Because it is a well-known TV award that is widely publicized in the country, it cannot be abolished easily; however, reforms must be implemented for the new order: background checks on members (free of network influence) and the inclusion of streaming platforms (like in the Emmys).
Individual Responses
Amid the chaos and the shambles, the industry’s behavior is determined heavily by the affected individuals’ response in coping with the major loss. I’ve already talked about it for a long time.
GMA
The Philippines’ undisputed largest network has a clear airwaves dominance and is thus a preferred destination for established advertisers. As a result, naive and sensible viewers have compiled a laundry list of resolutions as the Industry Leader: a need for sportscasting (as happened with the NCAA), the introduction of new non-encrypted subchannels (Heart of Asia, Hallypop, and I Heart Movies), and a willingness to spend money on production (hopefully with Maria Clara at Ibarra).
As critics predicted, their negative behaviors, such as tooting their horn, exaggeration, and playing it safe in times of moral peril, remained ingrained in their corporate DNA.
Some broadcast practices that were not practiced before 2020, such as simulcasting, have seen negative abuse (e.g. All Out Sundays on their subchannels except Hallypop), and they are unconcerned because they’ve got the virtual monopoly and can do whatever they want.
Some practices were compromised. With Family Feud in their hands in March; most of the time, the Kapuso celebrities became players (which was influenced by the former rival’s questionable practices), but they have a Guess to Win promo to compensate for the lack of studio audience admission. Unlike the previous carrier, it allows viewers to participate indirectly.
GMA already has too much money and endless possibilities in business. Producing and transmitting its own content would feel good for the network, but not for others; for example, Regal Entertainment suffered greatly from the pandemic and had to make collaborations with the network.
GMA has become a haven of safety and security because it will remain profitable and easily accessible for a long time (even if advertisers cut back due to the streaming pivot).
This is why Pokwang and Beauty Gonzalez ended their loyalty to Ignacia (they directly didn’t jump over the fence) to provide financial security for their respective children. The same is true for Xian Lim, who is thriving by being a director for his future with his girlfriend and future wife, Kim Chiu, who has remained in Ignacia.
This is why Richard Yap and Bea Alonzo staked their fortunes on the network and got their respective teleserye projects.
This is why TV directors Bobot Mortiz and Jerry Lopez Sineneng came in to provide consistent exposure.
This is why Johnny “Mr. M” Manahan jumped in as a consultant to Sparkle (formerly GMA Artist Center) to help them boost their star power.
Speaking of Mr. M, he stated on The Howie Severino Podcast on September 30, 2021, that streaming is unavoidable. After two years of hesitation, their Kapuso Stream service was finally launched last June.
As they recovered from the pandemic, the programming structure in the main channel had been slightly unchanged. I said “slightly” because of the following reasons:
- Replays of public affairs programming (as the first program of the broadcast day) before Unang Hirit are no longer available because the PA programs have been moved to other timeslots or to GTV.
- The Telebabad scheduling is sporadic that one of our commenters took notice last August.
- Entertainment specials that are usually broadcast on Sunday late nights are no longer relevant. If they do have one, it’s usually aired on Sunday morning or in the afternoon when there’s already a committed event, like Julie Anne San Jose’s Limitless trilogy before the committed NCAA Season 97 Men’s Basketball Finals last May.
Despite having free-to-air broadcast rights for Miss Universe Philippines since 2020, they have lost Miss World broadcast rights. They still don’t have the broadcast rights to cover the Star Awards for any amusement.
TV5
According to the story of ContentAsia’s April 2021 issue “Reversal of Fortune,” TV5 executives were prepared for the eventual change of era in Philippine television. It was approved months before Ignacia’s fate was sealed or even the pandemic.
The 24th Asian Television Awards, hosted by Cathy Yang (wherein she joined the PLDT Communications group before the Double Whammy), took place here on January 2020. Since the Double Whammy, Gretchen Ho, Ted Failon and DJ Chacha (Czarina Guevarra) joined in along are the PVL and UAAP crew.
Julius Babao returned to the small screen earlier this year to reunite with his wife, Christine, and the aforementioned ex-Ignacia colleagues became part of the recent election coverage (Bilang Pilipino 2022).
Having their own programming may sound simple, but it didn’t perform well in the ratings, so they gave Ignacia the coveted timeslots four times in the last two years. It gained network leverage but disillusioned loyal Kapatids who want to forge their own path. The government was outraged by the joint agreement last August but that they don’t want to raise it again.
On March 23, 2022, Martin Andanar, Duterte’s Press Secretary, paid a courtesy visit to Reliance and wished for his return when the President’s term ended. He did not immediately return to his former employer because he was concerned that the ex-Ignacia talent working there would seek personal retaliation against him (vendetta). He is now a columnist in a tabloid.
Reliance has a difficult time saying no to sportscasting commitments as national and global sporting events resume, despite their limited broadcast assets to air. They were regarded as the credible sportscasting authority after Ignacia and were best suited for the middle and lower classes.
Look at Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, it spilled over on One PH because One Sports’ (and One Sports+) schedule is too hectic.
The current season of the UAAP (Season 85) has returned to its regular, pre-pandemic gameplay schedule arrangement (Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday), just as it did with the previous broadcast partner, and that meant PBA coverage in the FTA sports channel gets sacrificed.
Marlo Magtibay (Anime Kabayan) had the commentary:
CNN Philippines
They should have been growing if it hadn’t been for COVID-19, but they laid off employees in March 2021.
Even before 2020, beauty pageants can be aired on the free-to-air news channel but at that time, not on the Top-Tier. Since then, Mr. and Ms. Chinatown (formerly aired in MI’s Sunday’s Best) and one of the Big Four — Miss World from the GMA’s hands in 2021, even though the 70th international pageant aired in March.
News Night switched from English to Filipino in September to compete with other early evening newscasts, but it did not sacrifice quality.
The Government Communications Group
We have discussed this four weeks ago. Here are the highlights of the developments since the original post:
- Dennis Principe left PTV due to “power-tripping” and is now heard on DZME 1530 kHz.
- IBC 13 did not cover the one-day-delay telecast of Shakey’s Super League Collegiate conference until the start of this month. Tech-savvy women’s volleyball fans don’t need to wait as they have live YouTube streaming to catch up.
- Since Trixie Cruz-Angeles resigned as Junior’s Press Secretary, Marikina Representative Stella Quimbo has requested that IBC be funded for at least six months. Despite the House’s request, the IBC remains unfunded as it moves to the Senate, leaving observers perplexed.
- The PCSO Lotto Draw, which broadcast on PTV, gained attention last October 1, 2022, when the Grand Lotto 6/55 combination resulted in 433 winners splitting the P236 million jackpot. The winning combination happened to be divisible by nine (09-18-27-36-45-54).
NET 25
This channel in Commonwealth Avenue has been humming with activity; it underwent a paradigm and structural shift to emulate the commercial behemoths. Wilma V. Galvante is credited with initiating the change.
Janno Gibbs, Kit-Kat, and Anjo Yllana were among the first big-name performers to appear on that channel for the noontime show Happy Time. It soon provided a platform for Robin Padilla (before he was elected Senator), his wife Mariel (before she moved to ALL TV), and Pat-P Daza. Pia Guanio and Tonipet Gaba, who had lost their spots in GMA due to the pandemic, also jumped in.
This year, the network expanded its offerings to include K-Drama, telenovelas, and sports (eSports and semi-pro basketball league). The channel held its first mall show on August 28 at SM Muntinlupa and last Sunday, at SM Center Sangangdaan.
SMNI
Coming from the network responsible for significantly altering the PHTV landscape and enabling continuity in the national governance, they did not refurbish their programming schedule, unlike NET 25, except for accommodating Carl Balita after he lost the Senatorial race.
In the middle of this month, the honorary chairman had the delusion that his channel will be a supergiant network. Despite their online engagements, Team New Jerusalem’s broadcasting infrastructure and efforts are not enough to convince the observers. They ranked near rock bottom in the September 2022 Mo.S.S. of their digital TV readiness and signal consistency.
ALL TV
The new player in the PHTV landscape made a hasty debut last September; they hope to have a formal broadcast by February 2023, but viewers are skeptical to see it on schedule.
With so many detractors due to the polarizing talent roster, AMBS President Beth Tolentino promised not to pirate talent from current networks like TV5 did in the early 2010s. But, for now, they’re not convinced.
They are currently struggling to assemble a “credible” news department; hence, they aired CNN Philippines’ News Night for now. Despite the babbling rumors, Korina Sanchez and Noli de Castro, both veteran news anchors, turned down the opportunity to join Anthony Taberna. The possibilities are endless there; but despite his denial, Andanar could change his mind and join the network.
If they get a newscast by next year, the reporting will not be impressive or unique due to corporate bias, which is not a novel concept. Not only that, as the media entity is owned and controlled by a pro-administration political family, they could report favorably on the incumbent President.
Talents Appearing in Different Networks
Another well-known repercussion of the shutdown is that some of their former MI stars, such as Billy Crawford and Korina Sanchez, are now forced to work for their children. The two individuals took an unusual and common stride: they committed to at least two projects in at least two different networks.
Despite having Eat Bulaga, Vic Sotto and Joey De Leon must supplement their income on NET25; the former for his daughter, Tali, and the latter to resurrect the magic of Wow Mali, which TV5 could no longer accommodate (because of obvious reasons).
When it comes to balancing the committed projects from these talents, our Turf’s public opinion is divided, but they agree that they are extremely satisfied.
DryedMangoez’s “network war culture” would crumble at this point, signaling the end of the exclusionary phase and the beginning of the collaborative era. There is already a good example of this, but it is not his favorite show, The Amazing Race, but rather the recently concluded inaugural season of Drag Race Philippines (which is renewing for Season 2). The host judge is a Dabarkad (just as I predicted), but the guest judges are all affiliated with well-known media companies like Pokwang, Nadine Lustre and Regine.
The main question: Isn’t it past time to stop passing judgment on those who left after two years for the betterment of their careers and for their means of living?
The respondents say: We should, but it’s tricky to rewire the mindset of the closed-minded fanatics.
About that topic (A postscript)
The requester’s topic reminded me of my ambitious plan to write a book about it and that would be a good placeholder title.
I remembered that ambition after the election with that colossal idea set to complete by next year, and it was reinforced on July 30 when I was watching Bawal Judgmental on Eat Bulaga on YouTube, and one of the people in the cubicle (one of the options) was a 12-year-old kid who published a book on victimology.
[Redacted] Kalbo, also known as Kevin Eric Raymundo, published a collection of his political and social cartoons, especially the recent election campaign. Another comprehensive book on Marcos Senior’s rule was also published by Ateneo Press. Mong Palatino, a former congressman, will release his new book “IT is Out There” this Wednesday.
If I had the inspiring and passionate guts like these three or four, I could formally and honestly encapsulate my posts over these two years. However, publishing such controversial yet frank insights would result in death threats or ambushes, as Percy Lapid did (rest his soul).
Timow's Turf 
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