Show kicks off IBC-13's new prime time strategy launches its first fantasy series

Posted on January 06, 2014 07:37:00 PM

Sequestered TV station IBC-13 has started its campaign to snag prime time TV audiences from rival networks with the launch of its first-ever weeknight fantasy series Janella in Wonderland, moving the PBA games (under Sports5) -- which monopolized IBC-13’s prime time and now with the total of 3 games -- to the weekend prime time slot on Saturday 3:30-5:30 p.m. and Sunday 3-7 p.m.

JANELLA SALVADOR stars in IBC’s Janella in Wonderland

Janella in Wonderland, IBC-13’s very first fantaserye which debuted on January 6 and airing from Monday to Friday, takes over the time slot vacated by the PBA games on Wednesday and Friday.

The PBA games now aired on Saturday (3:30-5:30 p.m.) and Sunday (3-7 p.m.), after monopolizing IBC-13’s prime time programming for more than four years.

Network executives led by Eric Canoy decided last month to move the PBA games to the weekend prime time slot starting January 4 with the total of 3 live games, paving the way for IBC-13 to have a clean slate to build its prime time programming line-up.

IBC Entertainment TV head Laurenti Dyogi said the launch of Janella in Wonderland is just the first of the many new prime time shows that the network will launch this year.

He said that on Jan. 27, IBC-13 will launch its new drama series Maghihintay Sa’yo, featuring Cristine Reyes with Diether Ocampo, Maxene Magalona, and Raymart Santiago. The series will replace the previous series Safe in the Arms of Love, which was aired its last episode on Jan. 24.

“We [at IBC-13] will start with Janella in Wonderland, then will build our prime time programming from there," Mr. Dyogi told BusinessWorld in an interview last Sunday.

"We are diversifying our programming line-up to cater to more audience preferences," he added.

MONOPOLIZING TIME

Prime time television, which is between 6 and 10 p.m., is called such because it is during this time when TV viewing is at its peak. Because of this, advertisers place most of their TV commercials in programs aired during this time.

Industry observers earlier pointed out that IBC-13 was started out in attracting more advertisers when they allowed PBA games airing on weekend prime time in the total of 3 games (one game on Saturday and two games on Sunday) while take over their prime time programming.

From 2011 to 2013, the game was supposed to air on Wednesday and Friday with first game from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. and the second game from 7:15 to 9 p.m., but in November 2013 became 1.5 hour for the games to go at night and airing from 7:30 to 9 p.m.

Mr. Canoy admits that the PBA games were "polarizing" for advertisers. "Advertisers either like him or hate him. There is no in between," he explained.

IBC-13 hopes to revamped all that, and get more advertisers interested with the launch of the very first fantasy series Janella in Wonderland, starring the 15-year-old teen actress Janella Salvador, who is also crossover to ABS-CBN’s Be Careful with My Heart and she is now IBC contract star as the only primetime princess.

Directed by acclaimed film and TV director Jeffrey Jeturian, Salvador played the lead role as Janella Bernardo, a 15-year old girl who turning as a teen mermaid tale under the sea as the Princess of the Sea where the sea creatures rule in the island, at home, in school and the mermaid into underwater.

She's a classmate from high school who she wearing a school uniform and a teenager while she's a mermaid! Janella and her dolphin friend Zuma set off on an undersea adventure to rescue from Oceana.

Janella in Wonderland also stars Marlo Mortel as Janella’s love interest. Rounding with the impressive the cast are Precious Lara Quigaman, Bobby Andrews, Alyanna Angeles, Andrei Felix, Bettina Carlos, Shy Carlos, Alexandra Macanan, Kiko Estrada, Nathan Barrera, Aldred Nasayao, Joshua Dionisio, Alfred Vargas as King Triton, Kat Alano, Jai and Joj Agpangan, the villains are Alessandra de Rossi as Eris and Meryll Soriano as Ursula, and the voices of Louise Abuel as Zuma, Elmo Magalona as Sebastian and Pia Magalona as Fisher. The special participation are Sofia Millares as young Janella, Jenine Desiderio and Freddie Webb.

LOSSES

The launch of Janella in Wonderland, as well as the changes that IBC-13 is implementing in its prime time line up, comes after reports claimed that the network incurred operating in net profit of more than P4 billion last year. The government is now allowed to sell the network because it is still up for privatization by the government.

While the network has denied to release in privatization, network executives admit that IBC-13 will continue to gain in 2013.

"The revenues and income are part of growing the network," Mr. Canoy explained. "We had to spend for new equipment, new lights, and new cameras. We had to pay for great actors and actresses, brilliant directors, creative scriptwriters," he added.

Janella in Wonderland airs weeknights 7:45 p.m. after Express Balita on IBC-13.