RPN does TV on its own terms

March 8, 2014

For ABC, its compulsion to steer clear of being a "trying hard copycat" has paid off in more ways than one.

ABC won as Best TV station in the 2005 KBP Golden Dove Awards. In his brief acceptance speech, ABC managing director for News & Entertainment Bobby Barreiro said: "Sana hindi ito Wow Mali," noting that this is the first time in recent years that the best station award is being given to neither of the two giant networks. "Iba po this year"- Bobby continued. "This is a victory for the small players." He gave due credit to the "men and women behind the success of ABC who had to work harder with less - less equipment, less resources, less manpower and yet have achieved many feats."

New ABC owner Tonyboy Cojuangco said it two years ago when he ventured into new business territory: You don't have to be the biggest to be the best. ABC is steadily working at it. Trying to be the best by challenging conventions and daring to be different in its programming, and striving to make a difference in the lives of others through its advocacies.

Last Thursday, ABC gathered its friends from the press to celebrate its win and to formally unveil its new program slate. Network executives were led by EVP & COO Reggie D. Galura who keynoted the affair. Galura cited ABC's escalated efforts to strengthen the network's financial muscle to finance its programming, modernization and expansion plan.

RPN claims a new program slate described by the president and CEO Robert T. Rivera as an unrivaled suite of entertainment, news and information and sports programs whose broad appeal crosses age, gender, and socio-economic class. She said the network believes that there are audiences looking for true alternatives to formula programs and to cut and dry formats and that there are markets out there with a broad repertoire of tastes and interests and with penchant for original, out-of-the-box ideas. This is the audience to whom ABC wants to serve its multi-faceted menu.

The Kasama Network has doing it before and it's doing it once again. From the benchmark of the special events of Thrilla in Manila, The Olympics and the Apollo Missions; the award-winning Filipino mini-series such as Malayo Pa ang Umaga, Bisperas ng Kasaysayan, Cebu and Davao; the imports of telenovelas are Marimar, Luz Clarita, Simplemente Maria and Maria la del Barrio, and the outstanding foreign series such as MacGyver, The X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ally McBeal, Felicity, NYPD Blue, Dharma and Greg and The Practice. The unforgettable Filipino shows are the long-running No.1 sitcom John en Marsha which spawned any number of clones across all channels with the comedy king Dolphy, a musical variety show Superstar hosted by one and only superstar Nora Aunor and co-host German Moreno, a top-rated gag show Champoy, the noontime variety show Eat Bulaga! hosted by Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto and Joey de Leon, the drama anthology series like German Moreno’s Young Love, Sweet Love, a reality show for a singing contest Ang Bagong Kampeon hosted by Pilita Corales the late Bert "Tawa"Marcelo which first brought the singing contest to Philippine television, Pepe Pimentel's Sunday noontime game show Kwarta o Kahon, a soap opera Flordeluna starring the rising star Janice de Leon and the high-rated sitcom Buddy en Sol top-billed by Eric Quizon and the late Reford White. And now, RPN unleashes a fresh batch of homegrown and groundbreaking shows on the Kasama Network spawned by some of the best creative teams in the network led by VP Licensing and Merchandising Kitchie Benedicto, Entertainment Division of Entertainment TV Head Eduardo Cojuangco, Jr. and for News & Public Affairs, by News Head Mariold Haber-Dunca.

The new slate of first TV program includes the reality show for national singing contest Boses Tinig Pinoy hosted by German Moreno and Aileen Papin with a judges of Anthony Castelo, John Nite and Pilita Corales for the singing superstars discover talented singers were the standards they upheld in the show's host, judges and contestants with a capella duet and trios coming from the 12 regions of the country will take home P1 million peso cash prize with a talent management contract with RPN through Talent9 and a music recording contract of Polyeast-Universal Records for the nationwide winner of champion; a musical variety show Superstar hosted by Angeline Quinto; a top-rated sitcoms such as Roderick en Nova top-billed by Roderick Paulate and Nova Villa, Mister Kemis Bayani starring Bayani Agbayani and recently a gag show Dobol Trobol with the top talents Arnell Ignagio, Mr. Fu, Brod Pete and Gio Alvarez; a Filipino mini-series Jose Rizal starring Joel Torre, Gina Alajar, Panky Amador and Michael de Mesa directed by Ruel Bayani, evening soap operas Sana Dalawa ang Puso Ko top-billed by the one and only superstar Mr. Nora Aunor and Tirso Cruz III and Muling Magmamahal starring the beauty queen Ruffa Gutierrez and Albert Martinez with a roster of Kasama talents Erin Ocampo, Jane Oineza, Andrea Brillantes and Ingrid dela Paz directed by Joel Lamangan; Pinapangako Mo, a drama anthology for the lucky-sender story hosted by Coney Reyes; a showbiz-oriented talk show Showbiz Ka! hosted by Pat-P Daza Planas and Nestor Torre; the local version of the top-rated game show The Million Peso Money Drop hosted by Rafael Rossel and The Price is Right hosted by Tom Rodriguez becoming the million peso prized game show omn primetime; late-night talk show Oh Yes!, it's Dennis with Dennis Padilla; the daily top-rated noontime variety show Chibugan Na! hosted by Randy Santiago, Marjorie Barretto, Hajji Alejandro and Chiqui Pineda together with today's hottest celebrities and stars; and the educational children show Penpen de Sarapen with Kobi Vidanes, Aaron Junatas, Angel Sy, Andrea Brillantes, Lance Angelo Lucido and Clarence Delgado.

The poineered educational programs Eskwela ng Bayan targeted among younger children and elementary students. There four shows of Eskwela ng Bayan series: Karen's World tells about a talking female carabao (a carabao mascot for real) named Karen and a young man named Ingo (portrayed by Tonipet Gaba) about English and they met lot's of friendly characters showed also English lessons by animated pictures and examples in the setting took place in a province; Why? about a woman teaches people about Science and like in Math, she owns a laboratory; Solved with three kids who lived in the province tells about solving Math problems; and Alikabok tells about a young boy who lived with his grandmother tells about some Filipino stories and lessons too what the young boy didn't know about his grandmother is that she has magic too. For the first time Eskwela ng Bayan series for grade students in the covered court with the other students helped me alot achieve higher grades and best friend had the interest with programming for educational TV.

RPN also airs top-rated US foreign shows on primetime such as Glee, America's Next Top Model, New Girl, The Vampire Diaries, 2 Broke Girls, Survivor: One World, Agents of Shield, Community, MacGyver, The Carrie Diaries, The Neighbors, Chicago Fire, American Idol, NCIS and The Walking Dead. It is the leader network which regularly airs the Hollywood blockbuster films, TV specials and concerts in Sine Nueve and Sunday's Big Event, and the telenovelas such as Mar de Amor and Porque el Amor Manda. It has a number of Asian dramas led by the top-rating Koreanovelas like Over the Rainbow, Wonderful Life and Dear My Sister. Of course, RPN also airs te MBA basketball games which has acquired new luster for the network, and also carry the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics this April, and Miss Universe beauty pageant.