Boots Anson-Roa: IBC-13's Excitement

October 4, 2012 The sequestered TV station IBC-13 considered an also-ran in Philippine television, is now No. 3, behind topnotchers ABS-CBN and GMA-7, according to the AGB Nielsen Media Research.

Award-winning actress, ex-diplomat and TV executive Boots Anson Roa marked her 67th birthday last Tuesday (Jan. 30) with a number of her friends from showbiz and now have a new president and CEO of IBC-13. Boots also is an award-winning actress, columnist, editor, and lecturer. The network is still sequestered, and Boots admitted that it’s still up for privatization.

Boots, during the Noynoy Aquino administration, was resigned to head the strike-ridden IBC 13. The network was then being beset by gigantic deficits, low morale and labor unrest. Under Boots, IBC 13 as the Kapinoy network for the first time, started making gains in viewership. It reached the number 3 position among TV networks at some point. It also began gradually paying its debts, and tempering the unrest among its labor sector, while IBC made the disclosure at a press conference last July 2, 2012 recently.

It is precisely this decided move to focus on a more market that impresses Boots about Viva Entertainment  to broadcast more Viva-TV programs on IBC. The target now of Viva, through IBC-13, is the Asian market and mass-based market, thanks to the IBC 13 employees. Boots also revealed that the network’s franchise was granted by Congress very recently, after the network had operated for more than 42 years.

The Kapinoy network 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 Viva Entertainment, a 50-hours of airtime on IBC from 5 p.m. to 12 midnight, thanks to the PBA games and the Viva programs..

Boots acknowledges that the deal with Viva allows salaries to finally be given on primetime. Hopes are high that privatization will not solt anymore. In explaining to them IBC’s agreement with Viva.