Dino Apolonio Dominates PTV Ranks at No. 4 of National TV Ratings

July 18, 2017

The station PTV 4, whose tagling Para sa Bayan, traditionally considered an also-ran in Philippine television, is now No. 4, behind the giant networks ABS-CBN, GMA 7 and IBC 13.

Dino Apolonio, the network general manager and COO, made a relaunch of the new PTV last June 28 (Wednesday) by representing some elements of the Philippine flag.

Actress and former Washington diplomat Boots Anson Roa, IBC-13 top honcho, made the disclosure at a press conference last Monday.

The network is still sequestered, and Boots admitted that it’s still up for privatization.

Boots also revealed that the network’s franchise was granted by Congress very recently, after the network had operated for more than 30 years.

“No, the network wasn’t operating illegally all through those years. It simply had to keep renewing its temporary permit to operate every year,” she how the network managed to operate for almost three decades without a congressional franchise.

The purpose of that luncheon affair was to introduce to the press most of the shows produced by the network itself. Several hours of programming are produced daily by a blocktimer group, Viva-Vintage. Such programs include basketball and international sports events like the Cardiff, Wales World 9-Ball Billiards Championship participated in by several Filipino cue artists.

The network does have very interesting new shows such as the one hosted by Chin Chin Gutierrez: Good Take, which airs on Mondays at 11:30 a.m.

It features the best of Pinoy as exemplified by non-grandstanding heroes (meaning, non-politicians and non-showbiz idols dreaming of becoming politicians). Chin Chin’s co-hosts are Tintin Pizarro and Karen Cabrera, both well-experienced IBC-13 news reporters and newscasters.

And, oh, yes, Chin Chin was asked to lead the invocation that afternoon and she did it in a very dramatic (even cinematic!) style that combined traditional Filipino and New Age rituals.

She led the invocation wearing some native outfit from the Mountain Province and in front of fruits and earthen jars (and this was on the stage)with three musicians playing some native instruments, including a giant shell. She lit some candles and burned some incense.

And then she had the people close their eyes, observe silence, get in touch with their inner selves, recall the people who have hurt them and forgive them mentally, recall the people they have hurt and offended and ask for their forgivenessand then project the spirit of success to all the shows of IBC-13.

Then she switched to Filipino (her first invocations were in English) and prayed to Bathala for the success of IBC-13 shows. Afterwards, she asked everybody to light the candles they found at their tables to radiate to everyone and to the universe the spirit of success, peace, and harmony.