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.

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MOR Philippines is uniting 17 MOR stations in the country under one sound and one vibe to bring more entertainment and information to KaMORkadas nationwide. #MORPMA2018 #MOR1AndOnly

A post shared by ABS-CBN PR (@abscbnpr) on Jun 1, 2018 at 6:38am PDT

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.

Too Much for TV: Why MPBL’s Sudden Expansion Will Be Burdensome to the League

From the ‘Original 10’ to the ‘New 16’.

A total of 16 new teams will join 10 holdovers for the upcoming MPBL Datu Cup that will start this June. The ‘New 16’ will include seven teams from Metro Manila, four teams from Luzon, one team from Visayas, and four teams from Mindanao.

MPBL: Bacoor Strikers, Basilan Shooters pasok; bilang ng mga koponan, nasa 26 https://t.co/QHfvRQwOvh

— DZMM TeleRadyo (@DZMMTeleRadyo) May 22, 2018

The new teams are:

• Bacoor Strikers
• Basilan Shooters
• Cebu City Sharks
• Davao Occidental Tigers
• GenSan Warriors
• Laguna Heroes
• Makati Skyscrapers
• Mandaluyong El Tigre
• Manila Stars
• Marikina Shoemasters
• Pampanga Lanterns
• Pasay Voyagers
• Pasig Pirates
• Rizal Ankle Breakers
• San Juan Knights
• Zamboanga Valientes

They will join the ‘Original 10’ teams that first competed in the MPBL Anta Rajah Cup, all of which are based within Luzon. The tournament, which ran from January to April of this year, was won by the Tanduay Batangas City Athletics.

But with the sudden addition of 16 new teams comes a new dilemma for Arnold Vegafria’s ALV Productions. The producer of the MPBL games on ABS-CBN S+A will now have to deal with increased scheduling, travel and production expenses, although for now the non-Luzon teams will not have any home games due to logistical concerns.

In the upcoming Datu Cup, 25 games will be played among the 26 teams. Since the Philippines does not have regional sports networks similar to those in the U.S., the MPBL will be forced to add more game days and stretch the duration of the tournament so that it will run for almost the entire year (barring holidays and weather disturbances).

This means that S+A, the network partner of the league, may have to deal with near-daily doubleheaders all year round. But with so many new teams and games to air, S+A might not be able to fully commit with the MPBL given its coverage of other events such as the ONE Championship and the ASEAN Basketball League.

Such a long tournament may also take its toll on the fans. While the MPBL managed to sell out games regularly during the Anta Rajah Cup, the Datu Cup could see some semblance of unpredictability attendance-wise, and if the MPBL is not careful in dealing with the lengthy schedule, it could lose some of its audience.

This will be a huge test for S+A, ALV and the MPBL to see if expansion will reap some benefits. It will not be easy for either one of them to deal, so each must play a key role in managing this tournament well.

Thoughts on the MPBL on ABS-CBN S+A

A new Filipino basketball league is about to take off.

The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, founded by Senator Manny Pacquiao and his business manager Arnold Vegafria, will officially launch later tonight at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The league’s maiden event will begin with an elaborate opening ceremony and a game between the Parañaque Patriots and Caloocan Supremos.

The league’s premise is simple: it consists of 10 teams located around Metro Manila and Luzon (with expansion to Visayas and Mindanao to follow soon) and it also aims to give grassroots athletes and aspiring basketball players a chance to showcase their skills and continue their basketball careers. These 10 teams are as follows:

1. Parañaque Patriots
2. Caloocan Supremos
3. Batangas City Athletics
4. Valenzuela Classic
5. Navotas Clutch
6. Muntinlupa Cagers
7. Bataan Defenders
8. Bulacan Kuyas
9. Imus MPBL team
10. Quezon City MPBL team

A home-and-away format will be followed so that teams can have a chance to play on their home court in front of their fans. In essence, the MPBL is a developmental league that is more similar to the NBA G League and is inspired from the defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA).

Let’s face it, the Philippines deserves another basketball league and something had to be done about the surplus of talent. Every basketball player dreams of making it to the PBA but what if there is little to no chance of earning a slot?

Also, what if basketball fans does not have the courage or the resources to watch a basketball game in faraway or big venues? This is exactly what the MPBL does: propagate the game of basketball closer to the fan while giving some undeserved talents a chance to prove their worth.

Not only that, the MPBL will get some much-needed exposure on national television via S+A, the sports channel of ABS-CBN. The said channel’s strong reach should benefit the MPBL a lot as it tries to gain the respect of Filipino basketball diehards.

It will be interesting to see how far this upstart league go. But for those who are worried that the MPBL could pose a threat to the PBA, don’t fret because they are only concerned about giving players opportunities while extending the careers of others.

Games of the MPBL will take place every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 7:00 p.m. It will be aired on ABS-CBN’s S+A channel.

ABS-CBN’s Old Logo Still Exists in Sgt. Esguerra Despite New Updates

The classic ABS-CBN logo remains affixed in the Sgt. Esguerra side of the Broadcasting Center despite unveiling an updated logo this year.

Even though ABS-CBN has unveiled a fresh update into their corporate logo, the network’s classic logo continues to make its presence felt. In fact, the Sgt. Esguerra side of the Broadcasting Center still has the old logo near the entrance and on the facade.

The classic ABS-CBN logo, used from 1967-72 and again from 1986-99, first featured the now-iconic symbol featuring three rings to symbolize Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, and an intersecting line to act as a transmitter antenna. Both ABS and CBN were separated by the boxed symbol on each side.

In 2000, the ABS-CBN logo was modernized, now with ABS and CBN joined together at the bottom and in an updated font. But while the new logo found its way inside the newsroom, the ELJ Communications Center, and the various studios used in its entertainment programs, the classic logo was not replaced outside the Sgt. Esguerra side of the Broadcasting Center, and despite receiving another update to the logo that modified the letters A, B, C, and N in 2013, the old insignia remains.

In contrast, GMA immediately replaced its ‘Rainbow Network’ logo with the ‘Kapuso’ logo in 2002, and its official unveiling outside the GMA Network Center was even shot live via the variety show ‘SOP’. The only existing remnants of the ‘Rainbow Network’ logo remained at the staircase near the lobby on the Timog Avenue side.

There is no doubt that ABS-CBN is the top broadcast network in the country today, based on its highly-rated programs and recent updates to their equipment. But for the Kapamilya network, escaping the past remains a tough act, and its old logo at Sgt. Esguerra Avenue continues to stand as a reminder of the network’s early struggles following Martial Law and its eventual revival as ‘The Star Network’. Sooner than later they need to replace the ‘Star Network’ logo with the current logo, but for now, let the old logo stand.