IBC: The new kid on the block in town

May 15, 2014

IBC’s president and CEO lawyer Boots Anson-Roa is a self-confessed TV fan. When he met with local media recently to talk about the Kapinoy Network’s 2th quarter plans together with executive vice president and COO Lito Ocampo Cruz and head of Entertainment TV production Laurenti Dyogi, he expressed a desire to make IBC-13, the third most watched channel and the undisputed no.3 TV station in the country.

After just over a year at the helm, Dyogi is happy to report that the network has actually raced competition on certain blocks, which was more than they expected for a “start-up” like IBC-13. Dyogi explains, “When we started we knew it would be tough because of the strong and stable competition. So we set modest goals — all we wanted was double-digit shares. We were beating them at certain time blocks in the morning, in the afternoon, and evening and we thought that it would take us three years to be able to do that. So when we’re able to do it on the first year, we were pleasantly surprised!”

IBC-13 is now planning to strengthen its programming and add to its strong roster of Janella in Wonderland, Your Heart, My Love, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Sandy's Romance, Sir Chief Loves Maya, DMZ-TV, Sic O'Clock News Naman, Happy TODAS, Iskul Bukol Men, Last Fool Show, Dingdong n' Lani, Abra Gayuma, KapinoyLand, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, The Million Second Quiz, Born to be a Superstar, PBA, NBA and ONE FC and such plan is for a telenovela hits like The Two Sides of Ana (Dalawang Mukha ni Ana) on weeknights and La Teniente on Saturday nights.

IBC’s primetime slot now occupies the second spot in the ratings, after ABS-CBN and before GMA-7. According to the rating survey of Kantar Media, IBC-13’s 36.7 percent nighttime audience share last May 10 made it no.2 on primetime and weekends.

To further boost its position, IBC-13 unveiled its latest wave of “game changers” this month, or what it also calls its “primetime programming innovations,” starting with the international game show franchises are Who Wants to be a Millionaire? hosted by Robi Domingo, The Million Second Quiz is hosted by Drew Arellano and the reality show Born to be a Superstar hosted by Anja Aguilar. Janella Salvador’s newest mermaid fantasy drama Janella in Wonderland at 7:30 p.m., Claudine Barretto, Raymart Santiago and Christopher de Leon’s new primetime drama Your Heart, My Love at 9:30 p.m. and Dingdong Dantes, Cristgine Reyes and Maricar Reyes’ newest kilig dramedy based on hit 2010 Thai film Crazy Little Thing Called Love is also set to begin on primetime block — a comparable to the dramas and teleseryes scheduled on the same time slot.

Twenty new shows were launched in its “re-energized programming grid” last Apil, with promising results. In November, kiddie favorite KapinoyLand — to be produced by Feny Bautista of the Philippine Children’s Television Foundation Inc. and IBC Foundation. — will be aired in IBC-13, an indication that the channel is seriously pursuing its strongest market, the youth. Over the past several months, IBC-13 has recorded the highest rating sentai, tokusatsu and animes in both the mornings and the afternoons. In this light, the two tokusatsu hits are Kamen Rider Fourze and Sky Ranger Gavan, as well as Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Barney & Friends for preschool and older kids as well.

Of course, the news block is also being revitalized, beginning with a partnership deal with international news organization FOX News Channel, CNN and CNBC Asia, which would enable the news team to deliver news from around the world in real time. Lito also revealed plans to increase airtime for its newscasts, with early morning, evening and late night news programs. “We will have the most news content because we believe the face of a network is also a strong news and current affairs,” he said.

IBC-13’s advanced Avid news automation system enables its news organization to deliver the action and public service from everywhere all day long. Express Balita, IBC’s hour-long primetime newscast, also aired at 6:30 p.m. timeslot in dominated of TV Patrol and 24 Oras.

This last quarter of 2013, IBC-13 also continues to strengthen its reach across the Philippines and beyond with upgraded transmission facilities and state of the art technological advancements. A multibillion-peso state of the art facility is now being designed to house the new IBC headquarters called IBC Broadcast Center in Broadcast City, Capitol Hills, Diliman, Quezon City. “The existing studios in Broadcast City City are also being upgraded with the latest digital production equipment. With all its studios already utilized fully, it has leased a Broadway Centrum Studio which is now being loaded with all new production gear. The technical operations center and master control room are practically being rebuilt with the latest digital automation systems. Scores of Final Cut Pro editing suites have also been assembled to service the growing requirements of the production units,” the IBC execs further revealed.

They are also forming IBC Global Business to tap international markets, developing new media and partnering with print for its online business.

Since its chairman Eric Canoy transformed the government-sequestered network into the Kapinoy Network, otherwise known as IBC is the third giant network, the team of hardworking executives have been pouring time, effort, skill and resources into making the network bigger than it ever was. “We’re hungry! Sheer determination can make you succeed in more ways than one,” quipped Canoy.

On a more serious note, he ends, “Everything is being done simultaneously. All the investments attest to the commitment and determination of the mass network to provide quality service and content to its publics.”