‘Wowowin”s new timeslot and extended running is part of another revamp of GMA’s lineup. (Logo courtesy of Wil Productions Inc., GMA Network)
Yesterday marked yet another change in GMA’s programming.
Once again, the Kapuso network brought back ‘Kapuso Movie Festival’ (airing weekdays at 9:00 a.m.) in hopes of competing with ABS-CBN’s ‘Kapamilya Blockbusters’. To accommodate the said movie block, the duration of the Astig Authority and Heart of Asia Mornings blocks were reduced to 90 and 60 minutes respectively.
The impressive ratings of ‘Wowowin’, though still not enough to beat ‘Pasion de Amor’ nationally, also led to a timeslot change. As a result, ‘Wowowin”s start time was pushed to 5:00 p.m., and its running time was extended for another 30 minutes; this enabled the show to compete against ‘Kapamilya Deal or No Deal’ as well.
Consequentially, the extension of ‘Wowowin’ likewise led to a timeslot change for the programs that once occupied the 5:00 p.m. slot. In what has become a ‘you lead and I follow’ scenario, GMA moved its News and Public Affairs block back to late nights, two months after ABS-CBN’s own News and Current Affairs block returned to the said timeslot.
Unlike ABS-CBN’s current affairs block, however, GMA’s so-called ‘Pampamulat sa Gabi’ block only airs from Mondays to Thursdays (thank you ‘Bubble Gang’), and will comprise of these programs. They are ‘Front Row’ (Mondays), ‘Alisto’ (Tuesdays), ‘Tunay na Buhay’ (Wednesdays), and ‘Reporters’ Notebook’ (Thursdays).
Speaking of Mondays to Thursdays, the Heart of Asia Mornings block (‘You’re the Best’, ‘Carmina’) was also reduced to make way for a pair of refugees from the 5:00 p.m. slot. Both ‘Dream Home’ (formerly ‘Power House’) and ‘Love Hotline’ were moved to Friday mornings, and will take over the timeslot of the former block on that day.
By all indications, this is another desperate attempt by GMA to keep up with rival ABS-CBN. Considering that the latter network continues to dominate virtually every timeslot in the ratings, GMA’s answers don’t seem to matter at this point.
Now they need to be patient with this new approach. Otherwise another revamp is in store for the Kapuso network.
From the Tube 
To make things worse: GMA’s local news still start at 5pm (as per info from Philippine Television Through The Years and Beyond Group in FB) and viewers in Dagupan, Cebu and Davao missed the first thirty minutes of Wowowin.
At least ABS RNG made sense that the 9am weekday program in Manila (Mr. Bean) is skipped in favor of KDOND.
Too bad. It’s as if GMA is just doing a favor to Metro Manila and Urban Luzon viewers without thinking the other areas. No wonder hanggang diyan lang sila at hindi makaabante sa VisMin at Rural Luzon despite their claims as No. 1 nationally in AGB Nielsen.
Too bad for GMA now seems to be the right time to put some new anime due to TV5 still sorting out their problems on programming and ABS-CBN having a congested line-up not having enough for airtime. But they’re stuck on putting reruns. Some sort of cost-cutting measure?
Most likely. But to their credit, they’re also putting new animes along with ‘by request’ ones, some of which end up airing on weekends. However, the movies on Kapuso Movie Festival have been mostly old ones that have been reaired over and over again, simply because GMA Films had too few films over the years unlike Star Cinema, so it’s still a lose-lose situation for them.
That is a pointless suggestion. As far as we’re concerned, there’s already Animax and Hero for that (and to a lesser extent Yey!). And if you can’t find an anime that you like on TV, just go online and watch.
Whoa there, Albert Brian Gimao! It’s NOT THAT easy to set up your proposal because of constitutional limits (for now before subjecting to overhaul) — the media industry must be 100% Filipino.
The only way to get your demands is to have a Filipino-registered company to contract with TV Tokyo to grant exclusive license on the latter party before running the animes you wanted to see.
He’s not even fucking aware that the 1987 Constitution prohibits any foreign company to set up a broadcast license or to put up a broadcasting station here in this country. So, his suggestion would be fucking impossible. (IDK kung magbabago ang current Constitution under the Duterte administration).
Ralph, i-delete mo na lang ang comment ni Albert Brian Gimao, at sorry na rin sa pagmura.
Mukhang di pa alam ang 1987 constitution eh nitong mama ito.
Albert, being an anime fan, may have overestimated his suggestion. The fact that the no foreign ownership thing for broadcasts is very confusing at times may be difficult to accept. They may not know that the FOX, Sony, Warner, Viacom and even Turner networks are licensed by local distributors, though they are technically foreign networks.
This rule is also the reason why Uncle Bob Stewart ceded control of GMA to the Gozons, Jimenezes and Duavits of the world 40 years ago. No one appears to realize that GMA was once owned by a foreigner.