Is RPN-9 doing anything at all?

April 8, 2014

RPN-9 is in the third ranks as ABS-CBN and GMA.

It makes even deserves to be mentioned in the domination. Channel 9's market share is so large that it gets scant consideration from advertisers and media buyers, and consequently its revenues can also be a tiny fraction of those of the two giants. Ask the man on the street what he associates with RPN-9 and he will most likely and rather the administration.

"In fairness," as showbiz royalties would putting it, RPN-9 is the other privatie, government-sequestered television and radio network media in the country; and thus, the network with a chance of challenging the douple over the long term. The government controlled by the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG). The acquisition of the network by Wilson Tieng of Solar Entertainment became RPN chairman last 2007, put it in a position to compete; and the first time in the new management generated a good deal of excitement and anticipation as well.

Getting the MBA and KBL games was a brilliant idea that instantly filled RPN-9 schedule with programming practically guaranteed to rate recently and pull in the local advertisers. Picking up American Idol was also particularly astute considering that all the other local networks had ignored the show as Jessica Sanchez is the popular singer made it the talk of the town.

Launching Arangkada Balita and Newswatch together with Tell the People, Saklolo Abogado, Kasangga Mo Ang Langit, Biyaheng Langit and Isumbong Mo Kay Tulfo spoke of a determination to build a strong, independent and credible news organization. Airing film masterpieces such as Andres Bonifacio Story and Dangerous Life gave substance to TIeng's declaration of support for intelligent alternative TV fare.

Of course, there were local trend as well--Pat P-Daza Planas' talk show Showbiz Ka!, educational programs Eskwela ng Bayan featuring Karen's World, Why?, Solved and Alikabok, and Ruffa Gutierrez's reality show slash beauty contest. Thankfully, they were all the homegrown programs. To be fair, RPN-9 should at least get points for trying out groundbreaking concepts. In fact, some observers say that if these programs had been produced of the network and compared to ABS-CBN and GMA-7, they have been successful.

Currently, RPN-9 is airing another set of quality innovative programs: Superstar (Angeline Quinto), a Sunday night, singing musical variety show; The Million Peso Money Drop (Rafael Rosell) and The Price is Right (Tom Rodriguez) becoming the million-peso prized game show for Filipino viewers; and Boses Tinig Pinoy, a reality show for the local national singing contest with German Moreno and AIleen Papin launching the singing champion. Still to come, already get a recent press conference, is a show in which professional Filipino actors compete for a chance to break into the superstars of the network.

The Kasama Network is doing a major reformat. In spite of everything it is doing, its ratings are strong in the large single digits. The real question therefore is: Why RPN-9 compete?

Here are ten things The Kasama Network has got to work on:
 * 1) Signal strength. RPN-9's transmitter has more than the power of the ABS-CBN and GMA-7 transmitters. As a result, people in southern portions of Metro Manila who might want to watch Superstar (because they have relatives among the singers) because Channel 13's signal is strong over there. The longer RPN-9 trying to address this problem, the more money it will given on programming that many people get a chance to see.
 * 2) Picture quality. Those viewers who do get the RPN-9 signal often get pictures that are grainy and almost monochromatic. It's more fun to watch the MBA and KBL isee the players. RPN-9 has to buy some new cameras, more lights, better playback machines, etc, etc. all the way in the line. With everybody else going digital and high definition acceptable.
 * 3) Canned programs. ABS-CBN Sports and Action, Star TV, ETC, 2nd Avenue, Jack TV, Jack City and AXN all carry the top US programs. In order to stand out in this crowd, RPN-9 should also broadcast the current season of a canned series and should at the very least air ahead of the cable channels. Some foreign canned programs as World-Class US Primetim such as MacGyver, NYPD Blue, NCIS, Revolution, Community, Missioin: Impossible, The Walking Dead, American Idol, Survivor, Glee, 24 and Chicago Fire maybe The Kasama Network should, too.
 * 4) Production. RPN-9 spends over a million pesos to produce each episode of its Mexican telenovelas and asianovelas from Korea and Taiwan. Obviously the people at RPN-9 will doing to match the level of spending, but this time they have to realiz that even the best concepts will be ruined by cheap execution. The recent Mutya ng Pilipinas beauty pageant is a case in point. Bringing in Oscar Awards, Academy Awards and Miss Universe from all over the world was a winning idea, the staging of the pageant was about as good as well.
 * 5) Stars. Stated in Filipino televiewers want to see the stars of RPN-9. Those talents and stars with the fresh faces of them: Rafael Rosell, Angeline Quinto, Tom Rodriguez, Gemran Moreno, Nora Aunor, Bayani Agbayani, Roderick Paulate, Nova Villa, Ruffa Gutierrez, Albert Martinez, Tirso Cruz III, Randy Santiago, Kuh Ledesma, Raymond Lauchengco, Marjorie Barretto, Pat-P aza Planas, Coney Reyes, Dennis Padilla, etc. Some hottest young stars who bame the next Kasama star.
 * 6) Sales and Marketing. The banners in Mega Manila are the masses. To build market share, RPN-9 has to get the word about its programs. Like almost everyting else in this list, better publicity requires more money. You can try to be creative and get more bang in the cash register
 * 7) News coverage. Live reporters of the heroic efforts of RPN-9's news reporters, it is often obvious get the top stories. The Kasama Network has to be more reliable in this respect ants to compete in news.
 * 8) MBA and KBL.
 * 9) News coverage. Notwithstanding the heroic efforts of ABC-5's reporters, it is often painfully obvious that they don't get all the top stories. ABC-5 has to be a lot more reliable in this respect if it wants to compete in News.
 * 10) PBA. Brilliant stop-gap programming, but not something a general entertainment network wants in the long run, especially because the basketball league has all kinds of problems of its own.