Shutdown or merger: The fate of InterAksyon.com is currently being debated between TV5 and PhilStar management. (Logo courtesy of TV5)
Another online news outlet is in the headlines, but for a different reason.
Newsbytes.ph reported that Interaksyon.com, the online news website of TV5, will shut down its operations later this year. This comes just as news of competitor Rappler’s revocation of registration and ongoing legal battle grip the entire nation.
According to editor-in-chief Roby Alampay, Interkasyon.com will end its run in March and all of its digital news properties will be consolidated to News5.com.ph. This consolidation will also lead to a rationalization of manpower, which means that Interaksyon.com’s 20 regular employees may be given their walking papers.
However, a report by The Philippine Star later claimed that Mediaquest is studying its options for the future of Interaksyon.com, according to PhilStar Global CEO Kevin Belmonte. Mediaquest CEO Ray Espinosa also added that there is a possibility that Interaksyon.com would continue as part of PhilStar Global while they “determine the feasibility of implementing this plan in a cost efficient manner”.
This latest news regarding Interaksyon.com is indicative of TV5’s ongoing transformation. Its embattled news division, in particular, is in hot water for the loss of manpower and programming, and while it is true that declining revenue and streamlining of operations are the reasons behind these moves, watching News5 go down in flames is not a good sight for the Philippine media community.
And with TV5 joining forces with ESPN for its sports content, it became clear that News5 is now the odd one out. Dissolving this division may be the next best thing, but as far as its remaining staff are concerned, they would rather continue the fight than concede to reality.
Regardless of the decision, one can only hope that TV5, Mediaquest and The Philippine Star will do the right thing when it comes to confirming the fate of Interaksyon.com. Best of luck to the braintrust of each outfit, this is worth the wait.
From the Tube 
TV5 is the Uniwide of television.
Pareho lang sila ng ABC-5 ni Cojuangco: panay-gastos, palaging lugi at walang direksyon.
Agreed.
Sports minded kasi ang mga heads and administrator ng TV5 kaya sa Sports nila lahat binuhos ang network, not knowing that they have other divisions that needed attention as well.
Well, that was after Chot Reyes took over. And Chot is a basketball coach with no knowledge of running a big media outlet. No wonder that channel is now more defined by sports na napabayaan na ang ibang divisions such as news.
I wish Rey Espinosa and Perci Intalan are still managing TV5 without PBA siguro hindi ganito kalala mangyayari sa Singko
Blame MVP for being so overly aggressive. Inuna ang kontrata ng mga artista kesa sa broadcast equipment. Kaya hindi magiging national station ang TV5 dahil sa kapalpakan niya.
Remember the overpriced contract of Sharon Cuneta that TV5 gave to her just to lure her out of ABS-CBN? No wonder. Overpriced contracts plus negligence sa signal issues. Ngayong naging sports channel na at naging competitor na ng S+A na mas malawak pa ang network, ewan ko na lang kung ano ang mangyayari. It’s basically ABC-5’s 2007-08 struggles all over again.
TV5 is even worse than religious-oriented stations Net 25 and UNTV to tell you the truth. If only TV5 has the support of some religious organization the same way Net 25 and UNTV do.
There is also the added issue of nepotism over there. If I were cynical I would think that the only reason the news department hasn’t been shutdown is because Marga Vargas (daughter-in-law of Ricky Vargas) works there. Every few months it seems that someone who is actually a journalist gets fired and Ms Vargas takes his/her place.
That pretty much tells the story. They only gave Marga an opportunity due to her relationship with one of the PBA bosses. Still, News5 could have given her a behind-the-scenes role instead of an on-cam role given her lack of journalistic skills. Too bad they put her on the hot seat early and that cost their reputation dearly.
I wonder if TV5 would be doing better if their planned merger with GMA pushed through. They probably could have been able to complement each other: TV5’s sports division and GMA’s entertainment division would have covered each other’s weaknesses. It wouldn’t have been a perfect union given their individual problems, but it’s interesting to speculate if a combined GMA-TV5 would be able to put up a better fight with ABS-CBN.
Then again, MVP and the Gozon-Duavit group would be too prideful to consider a merger that such talks would be contentious.