Former Kapamilya stars beef up IBC 13 slots

March 22, 2014

Sequestered TV and radio station IBC-13 has sought the help of former ABS-CBN employees and former Kapamilya talents and stars to beef up its programming and "get a better chance at beating rival networks," according to the network chairman Eric Canoy.

Canoy identified Laurenti Dyogi, former ABS-CBN executive vice-president for the TV production head, as IBC Entertainment TV production head. Maria Ressa, former ABS-CBN News and Current affairs vice-president for news operations, as IBC News head and officer in charge for news while Canoy managed to make her presence felt in the television industry and Freddie M. Garcia, the former ABS-CBN president and CEO, and independent director, is now as IBC's vice-chairman.

Henry Omaga-Diaz, who used to anchor for news program Bandila of ABS-CBN and Bilis Balita of Studio 23, is now the news anchor of the hour-long news program Express Balita, which airs weeknights at 6:30 p.m.

Omag-Diaz was a regular ABS-CBN news anchor and reporter for fourteen years he become IBC's newscaster projecting a new image, more corporate looking this time. Henry will be joined by Snooky Serna and Recardo Cepeda as the new trio to anchor the evening news program for IBC-13.

"As early as now, the new team is already infusing changes in the news department," Boots Anson-Roa, the network's president and CEO told Inquirer Entertainment on Friday. "The shows now have more action and public service segments. They are now more responsive to the audience and more interactive."

Also part of the new IBC news team is Jun del Rosario, former reporter of Hoy Gising!, Mario Dumaual who is ABS-CBN entertainment correspondent, is now joining IBC's senior showbiz correspondent for showbiz news and together with Nadia Trinidad, Adrian Ayalin, Ron Cruz, Abner Mercado, Jing Castañeda, Riki Kwek, Robert Arevalo and Nadia Trinidad, all the former ABS-CBN news correspondents to join IBC News team.

Alfie Lorenzo, formerly a reporter for DZMM (an AM station), is now a writer of Bitag, an investigative public affairs program aired Saturday nights 5:45 p.m. hosted by hard-hitting Ben Tulfo. Also part of the spruce-up is extending the airtime of Expres Balita from 30 minutes to a full hour, Canoy pointed out.

Meanwhile, broadcast journalist Tony Velasquez, used to ANC news anchor, is now enters the late-night newscast Ronda Trese at 11:30 p.m. together with Cathy Eigenmann and Amelyn Veloso.

"This is just the first phase. Viewers should watch out for more," he said. "Right now, it's important that we first build a credible image for our news team. With Maria and Henry's help, we can solidify our platform."

Since last 2011, executive vice-president Lito Ocampo Cruz added, IBC's international channel Global IBC, has been available in key areas in the United States through cable distributor Echo Star and DIsh Network while other countries. For this project, the network tied up with the US-based Glocal Media.

Next on the drawing board, Cruz said, is the "strengthening" of the network's sports and entertainment programming as the co-production of Viva Television.

RPN 9 recently started producing shows "for the female audience." It has come up with three such shows For M, Make-Over and Go Negosyo in non-prime time slots.

Connie Sison, former ABS-CBN reporter and host of Magandang Umaga Bayan, will be hosting Go Negosyo, which premieres June 5.

The network has also consulted, Solar Entertainment, which is responsible for the prime time hours (6-10 p.m.), on how to reprogram said grid.

Concio denied rumors that RPN 9 is interested in getting senior vice president for Star Magic (ABS-CBN talent center) Johnny Manahan to help. But she hinted on "talking with" a director who is "responsible for a number of box-office hits for ABS-CBN."