Koreanovelas Add to GMA News TV’s Woes

GMA News TV added Koreanovelas to its ever-confusing lineup. (Promotional photo courtesy of GMA Network)

It is hard to tell what kind of network GMA News TV is right now.

In the last three years, From the Tube has been able to dissect the programming issues that surround the sister channel of GMA Network. Whether it is movies, drama series, reruns of public affairs shows, boxing matches or even TV shopping blocks, the true identity of GMA News TV continues to be a question mark.

Now add another wrinkle to this ongoing dilemma. Enter Koreanovelas on GMA News TV.

It all started on July 11, when News TV began to air reruns of three Koreanovelas, namely ‘Empress Ki’, ‘Pinocchio’, and ‘The Producers’. All three were broadcast on GMA’s Telebabad block a few years ago, each with varying degrees of success.

By re-airing Koreanovelas from the parent network, GMA News TV is once again defying the notion that they are indeed a news channel. To make matters worse, the management made the network look as if they are a mirror image of Channel 7, or perhaps the second coming of the old QTV.

What happened to the slogans ‘Oras-oras, Alam Ko’ and ‘Serbisyong Totoo’? It doesn’t make any sense.

The issues surrounding GMA News TV have been well-documented since their 2011 rebrand. As far as the most critical viewers are concerned, News TV is ill-equipped to be a news channel based on content alone.

Let’s face it, a revamp should have been in the works for this channel at this point. Even rival AksyonTV, a one-time news channel, is gradually morphing into a sports channel in the mold of ABS-CBN Sports+Action.

That said, it is never too late for Bro. Eddie Villanueva and Nessa Valdellon to finally give up on this venture. GMA News TV is going nowhere fast, and adding Koreanovelas only made things worse.

Advertisement

KPC to Stay Despite Premiere of Temptation

‘Kapuso Primetime Cinema’ will remain on GMA Telebabad for the next two weeks.

The said movie block will stay on the lineup despite the premiere of the Koreanovela ‘Temptation’. The latter, starring ‘Stairway to Heaven”s Cholo and Jodi (Kwon Sang-woo and Choi Ji-woo respectively), will air starting tonight after ‘Kapuso Primetime Cinema’.

The reason behind it is that ‘That’s My Amboy”s premiere will not take place until January 25. ‘The Half-Sisters’, an ongoing Afternoon Prime series that also starred Barbie Forteza and Andre Paras, will air its final episode this Friday, and premiering ‘That’s My Amboy’ tonight would cause a conflict of interest.

Keeping ‘Kapuso Primetime Cinema’ would also maintain the balance of GMA’s Telebabad lineup in check. However, this won’t help the viewers of ‘Saksi’, as they will be forced to watch the newscast at a much later time than usual.

Over the next two weeks, ‘Temptation’ will air five times a week, a rare occurrence for late primetime Koreanovelas on Telebabad. It will air Mondays to Thursdays at 10:45 p.m., after ‘Kapuso Primetime Cinema’, and Fridays at 9:15 p.m., in between ‘Because of You’ and ‘Bubble Gang’.

This means that every Monday to Thursday will see ‘Temptation’ go up against both ‘Tonight with Boy Abunda’ and the early part of ‘Bandila’, while on Fridays, it will go up against ‘On the Wings of Love’. While they may have a chance to win from Monday to Thursday, albeit with a reduced viewership, the same probably can’t be said for Friday.

Of course, this will only take place for the next two weeks. Once ‘That’s My Amboy’ premieres, expect ‘Temptation’ to revert back to a four times a week broadcast on the late primetime slot.

With that, here is the GMA Telebabad lineup for the next two weeks.

5:45 p.m. – The Producers

6:30 p.m. – 24 Oras

7:45 p.m. – Little Nanay

8:30 p.m. – Because of You

9:15 p.m. – Kapuso Primetime Cinema (Mondays-Thursdays)/Temptation (Fridays)

10:45 p.m. – Temptation (Mondays-Thursdays)

Quite a mess for GMA Telebabad to start the year. But oh well, good luck.