Solar News Channel Goes to Channel 9

Solar News Channel will go national starting tomorrow with a move to RPN channels across the Philippines.

For the fifth time since Solar took over operations of the Radio Philippines Network, Channel 9 will take on a new identity. The all-news network Solar News Channel will move to RPN starting tomorrow, featuring the same programming along with upcoming dialect-based news programs and talk shows.

Meanwhile, its previous iteration ETC has taken over SNC’s place at SBN 21. ETC previously called channel 21 home from 2008-11, and was one of Solar’s erstwhile cable networks to embrace the move to free TV.

Solar’s history with RPN started as a blocktimer in 2007. At that time few people knew about the network’s financial problems. Initially the agreement with Solar was made in hopes of revitalizing RPN. But as the years went by Solar gradually took over RPN’s programming, save for the network’s self-produced ‘Newswatch‘, and by 2010 virtually every program on RPN belonged to Solar Entertainment.

The end came near for RPN when Solar acquired 34% of its shares, after which most of the network’s employees were laid out in favor of Solar’s staff. As it turned out, RPN was absorbed under the Solar umbrella, and ‘Newswatch’ ended production by 2012.

The RPN-Solar block was initially called ‘Prime Shift’, before it transitioned to C/S and then C/S 9. All three iterations were catered to a more masculine audience, and normally featured crime, suspense and reality-based programs. In 2009 it adopted a new identity as Solar TV, adding entertainment and talent-based programs. Then in 2011 the Solar TV name was dropped in favor of ETC, and removed most male-based programs to cater to a more feminine audience.

While the Solar TV name was inactive, Solar executives continued to operate the network in absentia. Then in late 2011 Solar began integrating its own news operations into the fledgling Talk TV network, which eventually evolved into the Solar News Channel. By the middle of the year SNC’s flagship programs ‘Solar Network News‘ and ‘Solar Nightly News‘ were airing on channel 9 in between ETC’s programs, hinting at a possible transfer.

SNC’s move to channel 9 should benefit the said network. With a reputation for delivering straight news without the excesses of sensationalism, the professionally sound approach of SNC is a great alternative against the mainstream networks’ tabloid-based journalism. More importantly, the move to the VHF band will help improve SNC’s reach and clarity, in an effort to become more competitive.

In a few hours Solar News Channel will go on air in its new home. It may have been a daring move by the Solar management to finally go national after a few years of building its news department, but it should be all worth the wait.

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The Tulfo Brothers and Pickup Lines

It has been months since the ‘Pick-Up Lines‘ segment on ‘Bubble Gang‘ ended upon Ogie Alcasid‘s defection to TV5, but its enduring popularity spread beyond the GMA gag show. In fact, even the Tulfo brothers of T3: Reload have ended most of their episodes with these pickup lines.

While the trio composed of Ben, Erwin and Raffy Tulfo were known for being serious and hard-hitting when it comes to solving all kinds of criminal mischief, on some occasions they can also showcase their softer and humorous side. Thus the cheesy lines concept came to my attention, in a sense that it normally ends T3: Reload on a more positive note.

The segment debuted last July, but with only Raffy and Ben hosting the said segments. In these segments they read the cheesy love lines made up by viewers off of T3: Reload’s Facebook account. As Erwin returned from vacation, these segments expanded to include pickup lines against criminals and political offenders. Here are some of the examples which you can access via the News5 website.

http://n5e.interaksyon.com/videos/5664048FF3734F6/cheesy-lines-ng-mga-netizen-para-sa-tulfo-brothers

http://n5e.interaksyon.com/videos/C393CFF98D9D47D/tol-raffy-erwin-at-ben-humirit-na-naman-ng-cheesy-lines

I wonder if the Tulfo brothers were to trade their suits in favor of baggie pants, baseball caps and oversized shirts while doing this segment. It would have made the segment even better. But even in their suits, and in Ben’s case shades, they can still elicit a laugh or two from the audience, in a way that it helps lower their stress levels at the end of T3: Reload.

Tengs Surprised by Jessy Mendiola at McDonalds

There’s no stopping the sudden popularity of the Teng brothers. After the UAAP men’s basketball finals between the UST Growling Tigers and the De La Salle Green Archers, brothers Jeron and Jeric Teng made guest appearances on various television programs and posed in several magazines. And even as Jeric started a new chapter as a member of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, Jeron’s appearances in his brother’s games continued to elicit a loud crowd reaction. But the best was yet to come.

In one of their recent television guestings, the Tengs revealed that their celebrity crush was Jessy Mendiola. Then on this McDonalds promotional click Mendiola made a surprise appearance promoting the McSpicy Chicken Burger while the Tengs prepared for a meal. Check out this hilarious and stunning video below.

While the Tengs have become overnight sensations, let’s not forget that they are still basketball players. Jeric is currently adjusting to life as a PBA player, while Jeron is balancing both academics and basketball in La Salle. Nevertheless, with their expanding amount of endorsements and media appearances, the Tengs have undoubtedly become bankable stars in the entertainment industry.

Love Anover’s Yolanda Story on Magpakailanman

While ABS-CBN News reporter Atom Araullo‘s brave journey at the height of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) became a hot topic in the media, other news reporters endured similar paths while in the line of duty. And in tomorrow’s episode of ‘Magpakailanman‘ one such reporter shares her own story of survival.

In the upcoming episode ‘Sa Mata ng Daluyong’, GMA News reporter Love Anover will share her story on overcoming the strong winds and heavy rains of a typhoon, with Sunshine Dizon playing Anover. The episode airs after the sitcom ‘Vampire Ang Daddy Ko’.

Anover’s story was barely noticed in social media, as netizens focused on Araullo’s daring stand and Mike Enriquez’s snub of Jiggy Manicad’s report at the end of ‘24 Oras‘. Nevertheless, the upcoming episode of ‘Magpakailanman’ should inform the viewers on the risks of news reporting during natural disasters, in the process helping aspiring reporters prepare when thrust in a disastrous situation.

As a precursor of tomorrow’s episode, here was Anover and fellow reporter Jiggy Manicad narrating their harrowing experiences during the November 8 newscast of GMA News TV’s ‘State of the Nation’. The video can be seen below.

Billboard Hot 100 – December 7, 2013

Here are the Top 10 songs from the Billboard Hot 100 for the week of December 7, 2013.

1. Lorde – Royals. No. 1 last week.

2. Eminem feat. Rihanna – The Monster. No. 2 last week.

3. Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball. No. 3 last week.

4. OneRepublic – Counting Stars. No. 6 last week.

5. Avicii – Wake Me Up!. No. 4 last week.

6. Imagine Dragons – Demons. No. 7 last week.

7. Katy Perry – Roar. No. 5 last week.

8. Pitbull feat. Ke$ha – Timber. No. 10 last week.

9. Drake feat. Majid Jordan – Hold On, We’re Going Home. No. 8 last week.

10. Passenger – Let Her Go. No. 11 last week.

All videos of the Top 10 songs can be viewed above. Our thanks to Billboard for this week’s Hot 100 Top 10.

PBA Games Today on AksyonTV

Sports5‘s job of covering the PBA games just got tougher. Having adjusted to a new broadcast setup, the network announced that the special Thursday doubleheader will only be aired live on AksyonTV, with replays on TV5 later tonight and on Friday afternoon.

The first game will feature the Alaska Aces and the Talk N’ Text Tropang Texters at 5:30 p.m., followed by the much-anticipated matchup between the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and the Globalport Batang Pier at 8:00 p.m. Both games will be played at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The two games were supposed to be played on the normal Friday playdate. But due to the lack of an available venue for tomorrow, the PBA had no choice but to move the doubleheader to Thursday. Unfortunately this is also the day where TV5 teleseryes ‘Positive’ and ‘For Love or Money’ normally air, and with no available options, Sports5 decided to air the games only on AksyonTV. In addition today’s live games will also be streamed through the internet at http://www.interaktv.ph.

In relation to today’s PBA games on AksyonTV, the scheduled United Football League Cup quarterfinal doubleheaders were moved to IBC-13. The two games in Taguig‘s Emperador Stadium will feature Philippine Air Force FC facing against Union Internacional Manila, and Stallion FC versus Pachanga Diliman. This will be the second sports event covered by IBC-13 in cooperation with another broadcast partner since the end of the AKTV era; they aired a replay of the Manny Pacquiao-Brandon Rios fight last Sunday with Solar Sports. The temporary move to Thursday was another highly-criticized move that has affected Sports5’s broadcast relationship with the PBA.

Last season the Manny V. Pangilinan-owned network and the league had an argument over channel assignments after the expiration of Sports5’s blocktime rights with IBC-13. Then two weeks into the new season the network aired only a handful of live games on TV5 because of its loaded primetime lineup, an adjustment made out of necessity.

But in an era of growing cable and internet subscription, Sports5’s moves were needed to push the PBA coverage to a new level. And the PBA allowed this arrangement so that they can be flexible with TV5’s current schedule, even as viewers continue to complain over the new arrangement.