news, Philippines, politics, public affairs, television

ASEAN Summit Nothing – News5 No Longer Involved (Mostly) in ASEAN Summit

The possible final straw: News5’s lack of involvement in the 2017 ASEAN Summit was an indication that the organization is nearing its end, and the emphasis towards sports only made it worse. (Logo courtesy of ASEAN)

One seemingly moribund news organization is obviously non-committal when it comes to the ASEAN Summit.

Perhaps the biggest political event in the Philippines this year, the 2017 ASEAN Summit had it all. Whether it is the first visit of U.S. President Donald Trump to the country or the countless hours of talks between the ASEAN member states and top nations such as the U.S., China, Canada and Australia, the four-day event was for the most part memorable.

But not all of the Philippines’ top networks were around to cover those whirlwind four days. Just ask News5.

As expected, Luchi Cruz-Valdes and co. made little noise when it comes to coverage of the ASEAN Summit. And despite assigning some of their reporters (if there is any) to cover the said event, not to mention providing some live coverage on social media, the ASEAN Summit was buried in the pecking order in favor of sensational crime stories.

At least sister network Bloomberg Television Philippines did its share. As for the main network, nada.

Blame ESPN5 for all of this. After all, it was Chot Reyes who basically killed ‘Aksyon sa Umaga’, cut ‘Aksyon Tonite’ in half, and turned ‘Aksyon sa Tanghali’ into a ‘Hoy Gising’ wannabe.

They may still have ‘Aksyon Prime’ as their primary news program, but then again it has become a constant distraction to ESPN5’s sports coverage.

I have already written a eulogy that paid tribute to News5 and its ‘proud’ heritage. But as the ASEAN Summit neared, I thought to myself,

“Perhaps there is still a way to save News5 from the verge of collapse'”.

As it turned out, Chot Reyes was no longer committed to help News5 and instead made ESPN5 his ‘baby’. With sports now dominating TV5 and (for the most part) sister network AksyonTV, there is no room for said network to make the ASEAN Summit a must-see event the same way its rivals from Timog, Mother Ignacia, Shaw Boulevard and Visayas Avenue did.

It is safe to say that the time is now to pay our last respects to News5. Chot Reyes can dissolve this ‘pain in his butt’ anytime he wants, because as it stands, this division’s pain and suffering is unbearable and impossible to heal.

Hopefully the remnants of News5 will find a new home soon in the event that it will be dissolved. Good luck.

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news, Philippines, politics, public affairs, television

Live Blog: 2017 ASEAN Summit on ANC (Part III)

The 2017 ASEAN Summit is up and running, as heads of ASEAN nations as well as other world dignitaries converge to discuss various political issues that affect both their countries and the world. At around the same time, the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit also takes place, focusing on business concerns surrounding the ASEAN region.

The ABS-CBN News Channel and CNN Philippines are the primary channels that will cover in detail the ASEAN Summit. For this live blog, I will focus on ANC, so keep refreshing this blog for the latest updates on their coverage.

1:05 p.m.

Let me correct myself. Lunch is actually being served in the ASEAN Summit, but there is no such thing as a lunch break. In short, the show must go on.

1:10 p.m.

While ANC’s coverage of the ASEAN Summit takes a short break, here are the highlights of Karmina Constantino’s conversations with Christian Esguerra, Doris Bigornia and Michelle Ong with regards to news on the event.

Some concise reporting on the ASEAN Summit indeed.

And for good measure, here is Cathy Yang’s interview with Joey Concepcion. What a day so far.

1:25 p.m.

KC and Christian wrap it up. What a day so far.

For the last six or so hours, ANC has had plenty of interviews and reports regarding the ASEAN Summit, and they are not done yet. No wonder they are the premier news channel for the Filipino since 1996.

Their coverage of the ASEAN Summit continues after a few messages. Oh, and KC will still be on board.

1:30 p.m.

A little breather for our friends at ANC while they plug in ‘Executive Class’ with the great David Celdran. This should also serve as their lunch break.

As for this live blog, check back after 30 minutes.

2:00 p.m.

Back to normal it seems for our friends at ANC. The ASEAN 50 title cards are now replaced with ‘normal’ ANC program cards.

KC is still in the studio with the stories making ‘News Now’.

2:15 p.m.

Michelle Ong has been at Solaire since sunrise to bring in the latest in the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit. Every time I get to watch her, I always think of Mimi as ‘cute’ considering her baby-faced looks.

According to her MediaNewser profile, Mimi started out as a weather girl before embarking on a career as a business news reporter. These days, she is either seen at the Philippine Stock Exchange or in various business functions and meetings.

2:35 p.m.

Looks like ‘News Now will last an hour today. In the meantime, Willard Cheng, RG Cruz and Pia Gutierrez filed reports in relation to the ASEAN Summit.

In short, there is plenty of news that may not fit the typical 30 minutes that ‘News Now’ is allotted to. After all, the ASEAN Summit is a very big event.

2:55 p.m.

‘News Now’ is about to wind down. But the ASEAN Summit and the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit are still up and running.

As for KC, she has a long day ahead of her. The 4:00 p.m. edition of ‘The Bureau’ is still to come, and at 7:30 p.m. she will host ‘Talkback’, a show she inherited from journalism icon Tina Monzon-Palma.

3:00 p.m.

KC is still on board, and the ASEAN 50 title cards return. Right now, U.S. President Donald Trump is addressing his subjects at the fifth ASEAN-U.S. Summit.

I won’t be surprised if they keep the ASEAN 50 cards the rest of the afternoon. What a marathon so far.

3:05 p.m. 

I spoke too soon. Anyway, stay tuned for more.

3:10 p.m.

Cathy Yang is still at Solaire, so KC takes care of her show ‘Market Edge’. And she has more guests on tap today.

3:15 p.m.

Cathy is now live on-site, but the boisterousness inside Solaire forced her to carry a hand-held microphone rather than rely on the hands-free lapel mics. Just for convenience’s sake.

Anyway, I expect more guests to come.

3:20 p.m. 

While Cathy is recapping her interviews with Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala and Enrique Razon, I begin my 3:00 p.m. stretch. I can only hope that she still has a lot of energy left after arriving at the venue earlier this morning.

Here she is again, mic on hand.

3:30 p.m.

Trading day at the Philippine Stock Exchange is about to end, but so far no mention on the stocks yet due to ASEAN Summit news. I expect some update within the next 30 minutes.

3:35 p.m.

Warren de Guzman has returned to finish the trading day. Sadly, the PSE fell below 8400.

Stocks will still trade tomorrow and Wednesday even as the ASEAN Summit rolls on. With so much trading days lost due to weather or unexpected holiday, the PSE is making up for lost time.

As for Warren, I’m not sure if he will stay at the PSE or change places with Mimi. In any event, find out tomorrow what will happen next.

3:45 p.m.

ANC is now airing one of the forums at the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit. If you want to watch all the forums that took place today, visit the GoNegosyo Facebook page.

4:00 p.m.

Technical issues cut short the stream of the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit. Anyway, go to GoNegosyo’s Facebook page to catch the forum in its entirety.

Stay tuned for Part IV.

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news, Philippines, politics, public affairs, television

Live Blog: 2017 ASEAN Summit on ANC (Part I)

The 2017 ASEAN Summit is up and running, as heads of ASEAN nations as well as other world dignitaries converge to discuss various political issues that affect both their countries and the world. At around the same time, the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit also takes place, focusing on business concerns surrounding the ASEAN region.

The ABS-CBN News Channel and CNN Philippines are the primary channels that will cover in detail the ASEAN Summit. For this live blog, I will focus on ANC, so keep refreshing this blog for the latest updates on their coverage.

5:30-7:25 a.m.

ANC began its ASEAN coverage last Saturday night and stepped up its game further yesterday with a more detailed analysis on the event. ‘Early Edition’ kicks off Day 3 of the ASEAN Summit.

While I was still in bed, Annalisa Burgos, TJ Manotoc and Paolo Abrera are inside ANC’s main studio to begin the coverage. Co-anchor Michelle Ong is also live at the Solaire Resort and Casino in Parañaque.

During this time, the ‘Early Edition’ team conducted interviews related to the ASEAN Summit.

Also inside Solaire Resort and Casino is ‘Market Edge’ anchor Cathy Yang. She will anchor ‘Market Edge’ on location and conduct interviews with various business personalities.

7:25 a.m. 

Christian Esguerra is inside the 8 Rockwell studio for Matters of Fact. His guest, former Foreign Affairs secretary Roberto Romulo, speaks about Donald Trump, his relationship with President Rodrigo Duterte, the South China Sea, and other ASEAN-related issues.

7:49 a.m.

What’s buzzing on social media? Maria Isabel Lopez’s controversial bypass to the ASEAN lane generated plenty of reactions on social media.

Take it away, TJ.

8:00 a.m.

‘Headstart’ with Karen Davila is about to start. As always, ‘Headstart’ takes place inside the 8 Rockwell studio.

Her guest: ASEAN expert and columnist Karim Raslan. But first, headlines on the ASEAN Summit.

8:13 a.m.

Hot Copy with Karim Raslan starts now, and he’s taking on both sides of the ASEAN story.

While the interview was going on, I was eating my breakfast. All in all, watching ‘Headstart’ is like drinking my coffee to begin weekdays.

8:28 a.m.

Although there are no classes and work (at least in the Pasay-Parañaque area), the Philippine Stock Exchange will remain open during the entire ASEAN Summit week. ANC business reporter Warren de Guzman is already live-tweeting some stock market stats during this time, indicating that he will be inside the PSE to report on the stocks and foreign exchange figures.

8:40 a.m.

As I continue to watch ‘Headstart”s interview with Karim Raslan, I always think to myself that Karen Davila is a terrific interviewer. And like TJ Manotoc who goes between delivering news on ‘Early Edition’ and sports on S+A’s ‘The Score’, Karen is a multi-faceted personality that can shift from one particular medium to another.

After ‘Headstart’, some lunch and occasional tapings for ‘My Puhunan’, Karen would go to the main ABS-CBN Broadcast Center for DZMM’s ‘Pasada Sais Trenta’ in the afternoon and ABS-CBN’s ‘Bandila’ at night. A woman of many talents indeed.

8:52 a.m.

A live shot of the ASEAN Summit opening ceremony at the CCP Complex. Today and tomorrow will be a very busy one for our top dignitaries.

8:58 a.m.

Our beloved president greeting some of his fellow subjects at the CCP, as seen on ANC.

9:03 a.m.

We are back inside ANC’s main studio with Annalisa Burgos. Sometime later on Cathy Yang will make an appearance at the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, so keep an eye on her.

Meanwhile, our beloved president greets more guests.

9:15 a.m.

Oh look, Cathy Yang is now LOL (live on location) at the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit. George Barcelon of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry is her first guest.

Meanwhile, more guests are arriving at the CCP.

9:22 a.m.

Lost in the hoopla of the ASEAN Summit is the announcement that the ABS-CBN Christmas Station ID will air at around 7:40 p.m. on ABS-CBN and its family of networks. And yes, our ANC anchors and reporters will be there wearing the Just Love shirts.

Meanwhile, our president continues to welcome his guests.

9:35 a.m.

Traffic is a concern at the ASEAN Summit with all the closed sections. Thank goodness ANC has a traffic report to keep us informed.

Over at the CCP, the Donald is in the building, Americana and all. Plus the stock market opens higher.

9:45 a.m.

ASEAN Summit opening ceremonies is about to begin any minute now. Stay tuned.

9:48 a.m.

Now underway.

9:53 a.m.

Uh-oh. Those anti-ASEAN Summit protests are at it again. Good thing the police are prepared.

9:55 a.m.

Our president now speaks at the opening ceremony of the ASEAN Summit.

Stay tuned for Part II.

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comedy, entertainment, humor, Philippines, television, United States, variety show

SNL Outdated on Jack TV

In the United States, ‘Saturday Night Live’ has become the ‘Banana Sundae’ of the American people.

After all, the NBC-produced comedy variety show aired 41 seasons since it first started in 1975. Today, ‘Saturday Night Live’ is on its 42nd season and its skits are as funny as ever.

In the Philippines, ‘Saturday Night Live’ is currently aired on Jack TV. But unlike a majority of Jack TV’s shows, ‘Saturday Night Live’ is one of a select few that do not air either via satellite, within hours, or within a week of original U.S. telecast.

In fact, while the show is on its 42nd season in the U.S., Jack TV is still airing the previous season’s set of episodes. Their reasoning is unclear, but due to the Philippines’ strict broadcast regulations, it is likely that Jack TV opted not to air the current season due to fears of profanity and the possible presence of offensive skits.

Sadly, that one-season delay meant that Jack TV will have to wait a year before they can air parodies of the just-concluded 2016 U.S. presidential election. It’s too bad, since the ‘Saturday Night Live’ skits involving eventual winner Donald Trump (portrayed by Alec Baldwin) and Hillary Clinton (portrayed by Kate McKinnon) were trending in various news outlets.

Quite frankly, viewers were missing out on the fun. And it’s not a good thing, considering the recent trend of various cable networks that air new episodes of popular imported shows.

To make matters worse, the presence of streaming sites made watching ‘Saturday Night Live’ online even easier. That said, with these predicaments, Jack TV is clearly at a disadvantage with the said show.

It remains to be seen if Jack TV can finally catch up to what has been an overly outdated and irrelevant broadcast of ‘Saturday Night Live’. Unless the Solar Entertainment-owned network changes its routine soon, the show could become a footnote to an otherwise impressive programming lineup.

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