DZMM at 30 Special This Sunday on ABS-CBN

It has been over 30 years since DZMM Radyo Patrol 630 debuted on the airwaves.

The flagship AM radio station of ABS-CBN first arrived on the air on July 22, 1986. Like ABS-CBN which struggled to survive the early years of its comeback, DZMM had to endure some growing pains as well, due to the network’s retention of aging facilities that were used by MBS-4 during the latter years of Ferdinand Marcos’ presidency.

From there, DZMM evolved as technology improved, not only serving the millions on the AM band, but also on television (as DZMM TeleRadyo) and online (as DZMM.com.ph). Charitable efforts were also established, from its TLC (Teaching, Learning, Caring) program to its Takbo series of marathons.

Along the way, DZMM’s Radyo Patrol stable of reporters was born. Given a specific number, these men and women serve the station by reporting various news as it happens, from on-the-spot incidents to ongoing news coverage of important events.

For those who grew up listening to DZMM, they will forever recall these names. Older folks may remember the voices of ‘Kabayan’ Noli de Castro, Ted Failon, Korina Sanchez, the late Ernie Baron and Tiya Dely Magpayo, and even former personalities such as Mel Tiangco and Jay Sonza during the formative years of the station.

For younger folks in the TeleRadyo era, names such as Julius Babao, Karen Davila, Vic de Leon Lima, Gerry Baja and Anthony Taberna may ring a bell. Heck, even the voice of ABS-CBN Peter Musngi continues to make his presence felt on DZMM programming.

Today, DZMM is considered among the ‘Big Three’ in AM radio, which includes MBC’s DZRH 666 and GMA’s Super Radyo DZBB 594. It is also the no. 1 AM radio station in the country according to Kantar.

Indeed, DZMM had come a long way from its first broadcast in 1986. While it is the youngest among AM’s ‘Big Three’, its rise and the many accomplishments it received in such a short time will forever be cherished by listeners, hosts and reporters alike.

And to commemorate the said occasion, ABS-CBN will air a special documentary entitled ‘DZMM: Kwento ng Tatlong Dekada’. The documentary will focus on the rich history of DZMM, from its roots as a fledgling station that rose from the ashes of the EDSA Revolution, to its ascendance atop the AM radio hierarchy.

Several of DZMM’s current and former voices will be invited to tell their storiess. For all who have witnessed the rise of DZMM into the station it is today, this is the documentary to watch.

This documentary will air this Sunday after ‘Gandang Gabi Vice’.

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FTT Year 2014 in Review: ABS-CBN

Another year is about to end. But before the calendar flips to 2015, here is a look back at the year that was in television and radio. This article will focus on ABS-CBN, who continued to dominate television ratings this year.

The Positives

High ratings, top trending topics, and a slew of awards. Just another impressive year on Mother Ignacia.

Primetime Bida remained ABS-CBN’s strongest suit in its weekday arsenal, led by the block’s top-rated program of the year, ‘The Legal Wife’. Meanwhile, the Kapamilya network’s reality and talent shows continued to overwhelm the opposition, led by top-raters ‘The Voice Kids’, ‘Pinoy Big Brother: All In’ and the second season of ‘The Voice of the Philippines’.

Long-running programs ‘TV Patrol’, ‘ASAP’, ‘The Buzz’ and ‘Maalaala Mo Kaya’ remained at the top of their game, while ‘It’s Showtime’, ‘Gandang Gabi Vice’, and even the returning ‘Ipaglaban Mo’ became a force to be reckoned with.

ABS-CBN Sports also enjoyed an extremely successful year, starting with the launch of ABS-CBN Sports+Action in late January. High ratings during this year’s NBA Finals and the UAAP men’s basketball and women’s volleyball finals eventually led to the two leagues’ renewal of broadcast rights later this year.

The Kapamilya network’s award closet continued to grow, particularly in November’s Star Awards for Television, where ABS-CBN received a total of 34 awards. They also scored big in the Anak TV and Catholic Mass Media Awards, among other bodies.

The Negatives

Not all news is good, however. ABS-CBN also endured some missteps throughout the year, all of which made a significant impact on the network’s performance.

While Primetime Bida dominated primetime, they also had a fair share of busts. Julia Barretto’s acting debut as ‘Mirabella’ failed to impress, while the reboot of ‘Dyesebel’ and ‘Sana Bukas Pa ang Kahapon’ never lived up to expectations.

‘Be Careful with My Heart’ may have dominated the headlines in 2013, but it was a different story in 2014. The show’s ratings declined for much of the year, before rebounding on the show’s final episode on November 28.

The last two quarters of 2014 saw the decline in quality of Kapamilya Gold. The network’s last two afternoon soaps, ‘Galema: Anak ni Zuma’ and ‘Moon of Desire’, were replaced by a combination of Asianovela reruns, ‘Bet on Your Baby’, the ill-fated ‘Ana Manuela’, and ‘Kapamilya Blockbusters’, a sign that ABS-CBN is letting GMA dominate the afternoon slot.

Speaking of reruns, ABS-CBN brought back the highly successful ‘Meteor Garden’ to rave reviews. Later reruns of Asianovelas and even classic Japanese cartoons such as ‘Princess Sarah’ proved unsuccessful, however.

Controversy hounded ‘Pinoy Big Brother: All In’ from the moment the mostly celebrity cast was selected all the way to late-coming housemate Daniel Matsunaga’s victory. It also spelled doom for ‘It’s Showtime’ hosts Vhong Navarro (beaten by Cedric Lee’s group) and Billy Crawford (post-Star Magic Ball fiasco), thus continuing the infamous curse.

And finally, ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs had its own share of problems. February saw a questionable report on ‘Bandila’ regarding a ‘flesh-eating disease’ in Pangasinan, and then several months later, ‘TV Patrol’ anchor Korina Sanchez made an unnecessary remark about Typhoon Hagupit (Ruby), praying that the storm would swerve to Japan.

Outlook

Fortunately for the Kapamilya network, Marc Logan kept things light and loose when his show, ‘Mga Kwento ni Marc Logan’, premiered last August. But seriously, this was another successful year for ABS-CBN, even with the problems and controversies surrounding it.

Looking ahead, a reunion between Jolina Magdangal and Marvin Agustin looms in ‘Flordeliza’, even as ‘Pangako sa ‘Yo’ will have its own reboot with Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla. This and a lot more will come as the calendar turns to 2015.

FTT Year 2013 in Review: ABS-CBN

Another year is about to end. But before the calendar flips to 2014, here is a look back at the year that was in television and radio. This article will focus on ABS-CBN, who dominated television ratings all year.

The Positives

Everything went right for ABS-CBN. And it showed in its weekday offerings. Primetime Bida teleseryes dominated the Kantar ratings, led by the year’s top-rated series ‘Juan dela Cruz’. ‘TV Patrol’ remains the most preferred evening newscast, while ‘Showtime’ introduced the most talked-about ‘That’s My Tomboy’ and ‘Kalokalike’ segments that propelled them atop the noontime pyramid. And thanks to the highly-anticipated November wedding between Maya (Jodi Sta. Maria) and Richard ‘Ser Chief’ (Richard Yap), ‘Be Careful with My Heart’ continued to lord over the late morning slot.

The Kapamilya network continued to rack up ratings victories on weekends, aided by its reality competition shows ‘The Voice of the Philippines’, ‘Masterchef Pinoy Edition’, and ‘Pilipinas Got Talent’. Also helping their cause were the long-running anthology ‘Maalaala Mo Kaya’ and game shows such as ‘Bet on Your Baby’ and ‘Kapamilya Deal or No Deal‘. ‘Gandang Gabi Vice‘ and ‘ASAP’ remain the most talked-about shows on social media.

Even its sports offerings beat the competition. The Miami-San Antonio NBA Finals and the La Salle-UST UAAP Men’s Basketball Finals scored big in the ratings and in the hearts of netizens. The network also continued to showcase top-notch boxing matches such as the ‘Pinoy Pride’ series and fights featuring Nonito Donaire.

The Negatives

While they were able to enjoy high ratings on primetime, there were still some shows that ended up lasting less than half a year. Examples include ‘Bukas Na Lang Kita Mamahalin‘, ‘Apoy sa Dagat‘ and ‘Muling Buksan ang Puso’, whose storylines required only at least four months of airing. Also getting the ax were the sitcom ‘Toda Max’, after lead star Robin Padilla reportedly left, and ‘The Buzz’, which was reformatted as ‘Buzz ng Bayan’. ABS-CBN’s programs were likewise not spared from MTRCB’s iron hands, as ‘ASAP’ was reprimanded in February for Anne Curtis’ sensual outfit and performance.

ABS-CBN personalities were also involved in various controversies. ‘Kris TV‘ was nearly cancelled when its host Kris Aquino announced her resignation after getting embroiled in a custody case with then-husband James Yap for their son Bimby. However, a month later, Aquino announced that she would only take a ‘leave of absence’ in June. As of now, ‘Kris TV’ continues to air in the morning slot.

And last November, Korina Sanchez criticized CNN’s Anderson Cooper regarding the latter’s report about the slow delivery of goods to the victims of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda). As a result of the negative reaction she received from netizens, Sanchez took a ‘leave of absence’ before returning to duty a month later.

Outlook

ABS-CBN capped off the year by showcasing the love team of Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla on ‘Got to Believe’, young child star Raikko Mateo on ‘Honesto’, and budding star Jessy Mendiola on ‘Maria Mercedes’. For 2014, they are expected to introduce another potential star in Julia Barretto on ‘Mirabella’. Going forward, ABS-CBN is poised for another banner year, and as long as their products continue to entice audiences, ABS-CBN will remain the country’s top network.

Korina Sanchez Out of ABS-CBN For Now

Korina Sanchez’s ‘absence’ from her ABS-CBN programs following her remarks on Anderson Cooper has left viewers abuzz.

While relief efforts continue in areas ravaged by Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), the news community was in shock as Korina Sanchez and Anderson Cooper raged a word war about the latter’s comment on the lack of government response to the victims. And netizens took notice of the situation.

During her DZMM radio program ‘Rated Korina’ last November 13, Sanchez reacted to Anderson’s comment regarding the lack of government presence in Tacloban, saying that the CNN anchor ‘doesn’t know what he is saying’. Her comments drew a negative reaction from social media users, and even CNN picked up the story. At the same time Cooper’s on-site reporting in Tacloban was being praised by local celebrities.

Two days later, Cooper responded by telling Sanchez that she was welcome to go to Tacloban, though Sanchez was at Ormoc at the time of his comments. In closing, he denied saying that there was no government presence, and instead commented on the strength and positivity of the survivors.

Following the comments, Sanchez disappeared from the media for unexplained reasons. Initially it was reported that Sanchez was suspended, but according to a Pep.ph report, Sanchez was presumed to have taken a ‘leave of absence’ from her duties at ABS-CBN. No official statement was provided by ABS-CBN regarding her no-show.

For now viewers will not see Korina Sanchez on air in both ‘TV Patrol‘ and ‘Rated Korina’. However, her general interest program ‘Rated K‘ will continue to air despite her absence.

UPDATE: Korina Sanchez has made a statement regarding her absence, denying that she was either ‘suspended’ or under a ‘leave of absence’. Instead she spoke on the phone during ‘Rated Korina’ today and told the listeners that she was taping episodes of ‘Rated K’ in typhoon-stricken Leyte as part of her work.

What’s Wrong with GMA Telebabad?

Last night, ‘Genesis’ officially aired its debut episode. However, the entry of the new teleserye came at a not-so opportune time. ‘Genesis’ was supposed to replace ‘My Husband’s Lover’ this week, but ‘MHL”s finale was moved to October 18, for unknown reasons. With the entry of ‘Genesis’, GMA Telebabad now airs six teleseryes for this week, which does not bode well with viewers.

ABS-CBN, for its part, ends its teleserye block at around 10:30-10:40 p.m., after which the late night newscast ‘Bandila‘ goes on air. At around this time, ‘My Husband’s Lover’ is still airing, and with either ‘The Innocent Man‘ or ‘Bubble Gang’ still on the schedule, most viewers hungry for the news have no choice but to switch to ‘Bandila’. By the time ‘Saksi‘ airs, ABS-CBN’s newscast is finished, putting GMA‘s late night newscast at a disadvantage.

One particular reason behind GMA’s later airing of its teleseryes is the long broadcast hours allotted to ‘24 Oras‘. The said newscast begins around the same time as ‘TV Patrol‘. However, ’24 Oras’ usually ends at around 8:00-8:10 p.m., while ‘TV Patrol’ wraps up at around 7:30-7:40 p.m. The longer broadcast of ’24 Oras’ may be attributed to the more deliberate news delivery of anchors Mike Enriquez and Mel Tiangco, and coupled with the greater amount of commercials and stories, ’24 Oras” running time seems longer for a regular newscast. In contrast, ‘TV Patrol’ delivers at a much quicker pace, aided by its three-anchor team of Noli de Castro, Korina Sanchez and Ted Failon.

My suggestion for ’24 Oras’ is to add a third anchor; names such as Ivan Mayrina, Rhea Santos or Jiggy Manicad are worth considering. They also need to air less commercials, report news stories at a fast pace, and deemphasize on soft news stories. That way, GMA’s teleseryes can compete fairly against ABS-CBN’s, and more importantly, shorten the newscast to an hour to better compete with ABS-CBN’s.

GMA executives messed things up by rushing ‘Genesis’ into the airwaves instead of waiting for ‘My Husband’s Lover’ to end. Thus with the six teleseryes and ’24 Oras’ for this week, GMA will definitely have a hard time competing against its Kapamilya counterparts. If they can improve GMA Telebabad to compete fairly against ABS-CBN’s ‘Primetime Bida’ by using these suggestions, that would be better, but only if they agree on this.