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Going National: Thoughts on the Potential of the Unified MOR Brand

ABS-CBN’s MOR (My Only Radio) FM stations are set to become one national entity.

In a recent press conference led by the DJs of the flagship MOR 101.9 (DWRR-FM) Manila station, they announced that MOR 101.9 and its 16 regional affiliates will join forces together to form MOR Philippines. Via ABS-CBN PR:

“Under MOR Philippines, 17 MOR stations will unite to bring listeners from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao one vibe and one sound.”

The press release cited the MOR stations’ strong performance in the ratings as the main reason for the launch of MOR Philippines. For instance, the Manila flagship MOR 101.9 got 33% of the average audience share among all Mega Manila stations in the recent Kantar Media survey.

So what are the possibilities that lie ahead for MOR Philippines? Here are three potential plans for the network.

Simulcast of MOR 101.9 Shows in Other Stations

Simulcasting a Manila radio program in the provinces is nothing new in the Philippines. In fact, on a few occasions, MOR 101.9 sister station DZMM 630 simulcasts some of its newscasts to other ABS-CBN-owned AM stations in the country.

The unified MOR Philippines could also do the same thing on some of its programs. For instance, ‘Dear MOR’ and ‘Heartbeats with Chacha’ are very popular shows in 101.9, and putting them on a nationwide scale via simulcast will only grow their audience further.

Improving the Standard of MOR Provincial Stations

While MOR stations in the provinces performed well in their own right, there is still a need for improvement, especially since MOR Manila is the only one with social media handles throughout. ABS-CBN, being the darlings of social media and the master of constant innovation, could do just that.

Providing each MOR provincial station with its own Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts could help broaden their fanbase further. Not only that, upgrading its facilities and strengthening its reach may also enable MOR to penetrate beyond other far-flung areas.

Same Plugs, Same Playlist

In order to live up to the ‘one vibe and one sound’ motto of MOR Philippines, each of the 17 stations will need to have something in common. This means a more ‘national’ station ID for all stations and a more consistent playlist to boot.

Such a reboot will take some time to develop. But when done correctly, MOR 101.9 and its affiliates should flourish with a much-improved beat.

MOR Philippines will be one hell of a rebuilding project that ABS-CBN’s radio division will have to take. It will be interesting to see how this unification of all MOR stations will pay off, so good luck.

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Kris Aquino Goes One-on-One with President Duterte Friday

The suspense is finally over.

Kris Aquino announced on Instagram earlier this weekend that she will indeed return to television on Friday, November 11. But instead of a full-time gig, her comeback will only be a one-off special, as she is set to interview President Rodrigo Duterte, the successor of her brother Benigno Aquino III.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMdGHP_g9JX/

As noted on the Instagram post above, the upcoming special will air on PTV-4 and TV5. The interview will begin at 4:30 p.m.

While PTV-4 should be of no concern to viewers considering its status as a government-owned network, TV5’s involvement should come as a surprise. The latter’s perceived favoritism to the Duterte administration (some of its former news personalities currently serve under Duterte, no less) may have played a role in Kris’ selection of the said network.

The ‘Kris at Duterte’ interview special will mark Kris Aquino’s first television appearance since July 1, when she appeared as a special guest of Marian Rivera in the now-defunct GMA talk show ‘Yan ang Morning’. During that time frame, she signed a deal with APT Entertainment, but a possible new show with the said firm did not materialize.

Much has been said about Kris Aquino’s apparent hibernation from television and other media. After all, as a 45-year-old mother of two, family time and health had been her priority for the past few months, and while she can still appear on television every once in a while, those appearances get rarer and rarer as private life becomes more evident.

Still, come this Friday, viewers should once again experience the enigmatic stage presence of the Philippines’ ‘Queen of All Media’, even for just one day. A once-in-a-lifetime interview with the one and only President Rodrigo Duterte should be worth remembering, not just for the explosive questions, but also for the answers that await the viewers.

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entertainment, hits, music, Philippines, radio, songs

Monster RX 93.1 In a Crisis

The once tight-knit family on Monster RX 93.1 is crumbling.

Still reeling from the departure of Delamar Arias last July 29, RX endured another incident a few weeks later. On August 14, RX DJ Karen Bordador was arrested along with boyfriend Emilio Lim due to possession of illegal drugs.

At the time of her arrest, Karen was assigned to the 2:00 to 6:00 a.m. slot. Prior to that, she was partnered with Rico Robles during the afternoon.

Friends and family of Karen vehemently denied that she was a drug user. Even her ex-boyfriend Chris Tan agreed to their sentiments.

In response to the situation, the management of RX issued the following statement:

As a result of Karen’s arrest, RX was forced to make adjustments in their schedule. Initially, Hazel Aguilon, Cara Eriguel and Tom Alvarez were given longer shifts during weeknights, but recently, student DJs from the Radio1 program were assigned to man the 2:00 to 6:00 a.m. slot that Karen usually handles.

But Karen Bordador was not the only RX DJ to make the headlines. Yesterday, RX listeners were stunned when DJ Bea Fabregas announced her departure from RX following her final shift on the station’s Hip 26 block.

View this post on Instagram

Hi ❤️ My shift on Hip26 this morning was my last day as Monster DJ, this was unexpected for me as well so this will be a bit lengthy but please bear with me! . To @chicogarcia @delamararias @ginoboi931: I cannot begin to thank you all, for everything. For accepting this clueless weirdo, that doesn't like eating lol, or traveling or game of thrones and yet making me feel at home off air, but most especially the second that mic was turned on. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be able to call the you two, Chico and Gino as my radio partners. Also the rare days that Delle and I would be there together, and the four of us were on air all at once. Without a doubt the past year on The Morning Rush has brought me such an amount of joy that I could not contain, and I think that's the reason why I would laugh so hard. I don't think I've ever laughed that much in my life. Thank you so much to the three of you for accepting me, but more than anything, thank you for being wonderful people that I get to call friends now. I will always be grateful and blessed to have met you guys. . To the Rushers: WHERE TO BEGIN. You are all seriously the best. From day 1, to laughing with us, to sending in your tweets every show, to forgiving me for not playing all of your requests ✌🏼️😂 to even asking me to sign your TMR books, that I wasn't even part of ❤️ and lastly to creating the petition last month on change.org! Just like the three, you all welcomed me with open arms, and I consider that a privilege and a blessing. I love you all, and the support you have shown me here on IG, twitter, Fb and most especially on air, will be with me always. Thank you thank you thank you. . To the RX management and staff: Thank you for trusting me, and allowing this weirdo to go on air again. Thank you for the past year, I was truly able to grow as a DJ and as a person. I wish you all the best. . ❤️❤️❤️ Bye for now!

A post shared by beafabregas (@beafabregas) on

At the time of her departure, Bea was assigned to work for RX during weekends. Prior to that, the former Magic 89.9 and 99.5 Play FM DJ was an occasional co-host on ‘The Morning Rush’ with Delamar, Chico Garcia and Gino Quillamor.

No specific reason was given with regards to Bea’s resignation.

The crisis within Monster RX 93.1 is quickly becoming an epidemic. If the well-documented departure of Delamar Arias is not enough, now the station’s management needs to deal with the departure of Bea Fabregas and the incident surrounding Karen Bordador, something that could add pressure to its remaining DJs.

As the station scrambles to find replacements for their three female DJs, one must wonder if the best days of RX were now behind them. RX may be a proud and multi-awarded institution, but unless they address the situation immediately, they could lose not only their loyal listeners, but also their credibility.

For the entire RX family, the time to act is now. Good luck.

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entertainment, hits, music, Philippines, radio, songs, talk show

Changing of the Guard on Philippine FM Radio

Times are changing in the field of FM radio in the Philippines.

The biggest news coming off the industry was the departure of Delamar Arias from Monster RX 93.1 last July 29. Her departure marked the end of an era for ‘The Morning Rush’, which has long been considered an institution in Philippine FM radio.

When the show took the airwaves on August 1, ‘Rushers’ are still trying to figure out a way to make the show interesting without Delamar. But it was not easy, considering that the chemistry between her and Chico Garcia (plus Gino Quillamor) was undeniable.

RX even tried to add Bea Fabregas to the show in hopes of replacing Delamar in the near future. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out, and to this day, they are still scrambling to fill Delamar’s chair.

But Delamar is not the only FM radio icon to bid farewell. Two other long-time DJs also called it a day for good.

There was Carlo Jose, who announced his retirement via Instagram almost at the same time as Delamar’s. Carlo’s involvement in the FM radio industry spanned 24 years, dating from his time as a DJ on Magic 89.9 to most recently a station manager for sister station 99.5 Play FM.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BIZki82DR88/

Then there was Martin D, who announced his retirement from ABS-CBN’s MOR 101.9 last Friday. Best known as the host of ‘Request Express’ and ‘Top Hits Express’ on the old WRR 101.9, Martin D lasted 20 years with the said station.

Finally, one veteran DJ chose to jump stations instead of calling it a career. On July 29, Tina Mendiola (known on air as Tina Ryan) announced her departure from Magic 89.9, her home station for close to 20 years, in order to join sister station 103.5 K-Lite.

It was painful to say goodbye to some of radio’s most cherished voices. But in an age where the listening demographics are changing, there is no other choice but to move on and give way to younger individuals.

Still, their voices will forever be remembered by many who have heard them all these years. Their contributions to the Philippine FM radio industry will never be forgotten.

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entertainment, talk show, television

Kris Aquino Returns, But Not on ABS-CBN

‘The Queen of All Media’ is back.

Returning to the Philippines after a three-month break, Kris Aquino is once again expected to appear in front of the small screen. But instead of booking a date with her long-time network ABS-CBN, she decided to make her television comeback as a guest on GMA’s ‘Yan ang Morning’.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BHKIAk0g9Pg/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BHPBwccgWUC/

According to Kris on her official Instagram, her guesting on ‘Yan ang Morning’ yesterday is a promise fulfilled to her ‘inaanaks’ Marian Rivera (the show’s host) and Dingdong Dantes. It can be recalled that Kris attended the wedding of both Marian and Dingdong last December 2014 and she stood as one of the principal sponsors.

The said episode of ‘Yan ang Morning’ will air tomorrow, again according to Kris on her Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BHPBC65AZWI/

Despite her appearance on Kapuso soil, there is talk of Kris’ return to ABS-CBN in the foreseeable future. According to long-time hosting partner Boy Abunda via Pep.ph, discussions about possible shows between Kris and ABS-CBN are currently in the offing.

Let’s just hope that Kris’ surprise guesting on ‘Yan ang Morning’ will provide a much-needed boost to the struggling talk show, whose 6% average ratings prove to be a headache to GMA management. This is going to be a make-or-break episode for Marian and co., so better make the most of it.

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comedy, drama, entertainment, humor, Philippines, television

So Long, Luv U

‘Luv U’ aired for the last time last Sunday afternoon, ending a near four-year run. (Logo courtesy of ABS-CBN)

The last remaining teen-oriented series in the country has finally departed.

On Sunday, January 17, ABS-CBN’s ‘Luv U’ officially aired its final episode. The series bowed out after nearly four years on the air, with a total of 203 episodes to boot.

The final episode of ‘Luv U’ marked the end of an era for teen-oriented series, which began when GMA’s ‘T.G.I.S.’ premiered in mid-1995. With the cast’s desire to move on to other projects and at the same time devote several hours of school time, it is clear that the series would have to end.

First aired on February 19, 2012, ‘Luv U’ was essentially a grown-up version of ‘Goin’ Bulilit’, featuring the then-teenage graduates of the latter series. Early episodes of the series were more humor-oriented, but as the years went by, more serious elements were added, each emphasizing on the real-life struggles of Filipino teenagers.

‘Luv U’ originally aired in between ‘ASAP’ and ‘The Buzz’, but in April 2015, it was moved to the late afternoon slot to replace the latter. While ratings for the series were respectable overall, the change of timeslot in later episodes caused it to fall.

Nevertheless, ‘Luv U”s final episode made a lasting impression. While ratings for the finale are yet to be revealed, it managed to trend on Twitter.

On Instagram, cast member Miles Ocampo, now lead protagonist of ‘And I Love You So’, posted this message:

“MAMI-MISS KO ang gumising ng umaga tuwing Monday, ang mag script reading, ang asaran, ang foodtrip, ang tawanan, ang friendship at ang nabuong pamilya.”

“THANK YOU sa mga experiences, sa sad and happy memories, sa mga pagturo ng maraming lessons at sa pagbibigay saakin ng pagmamahal.. Sa lahat po ng sumuporta sa LUV U sa loob ng 4 NA TAON, maraming maraming salamat po sainyong lahat.”

The cast of ‘Luv U’ also includes Kiray Celis, Marco Gumabao, Sharlene San Pedro, Alexa Ilacad, Nash Aguas, Jairus Aquino, Mika Dela Cruz, Rhap Salazar, Smokey Manaloto, Hyubs Azarcon, Bentong, and Joy Viado, among others. Edgar Mortiz and sons Frasco and Badjie directed the series.

The fate of the now-vacant 4:45 p.m. slot is still to be determined. Regardless, ‘Luv U’ will be missed by its loyal viewers, and the lessons that come with it will never be forgotten.

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