Is Kapamilya Network A Teleserye Network?

TV has always been part of my life. Whenever I’m in idle, I used to be in front of the television watching my favorite shows. Prior to the re-launched of ABS-CBN in 1987, I think our TV is set to either channel 9 or channel 7. I cannot vividly remember the shows I enjoyed watching then but I know Eat Bulaga was part of it and I can remember Harry Gaser and Cathy Santillan as the ‘in’ newscasters then. When ABS-CBN was re-launced which also gave birth to TV Patrol, from then on, the Star Network has become the star also of our TV at home, and from then until now I’m a certified Kapamilya follower.

ABS-CBN has always been part of my life being a TV addict. During my school days, TV was never taken away from me, as I was able review and do my assignments even in front of TV. Thanks to my mother (my father is an OFW then) she allowed me to multitask during those days. My frequent bonding with the television also made me dream of becoming a journalist and follow the likes of Kabayan Noli de Castro, Ted Failon, Korina Sanchez, Angelo Castro and CheChe Lazaro (but I never consider it as a lost dream, cause I consider myself a Netizen Journalist now. hehehe). From then until now I used to follow every news programs of ABS-CBN (with the exceptions of some Kapuso Documentaries). In fact even in social media specifically Twitter, I am a follower of mostly Kapamilya newscasters and reporters. Having said that, I am now dismayed by how the ABS-CBN management is treating the NCA department. Yes indeed, maybe they are gaining more money with the Entertainment department but is Kapamilya Network a Teleserye Network only?

Taken for Granted?

For quite sometime now, with the flooding of teleseryes in ABS-CBN’s primetime block, NCA programs are seemingly taken for granted as they are pushed on the midnight block which is formerly owned by the color stripes. While it is ABS management’s prerogative to give more airtime to the entertainment shows (as I’ve said earlier maybe it gives more profit) they should also consider that there are people who are NCA program fanatics and followers. Kung dati ay hanggang 2 or 3 teleseryes at entertainment programs lang ang naghahri sa primetime, ngayon ang primtime block ay may 5 teleserye na, may 1 koreanovela at isang showbiz oriented show pa. Yung paboritong news program ko nga na Bandila ay minsan ko nang tinawag sa twitter na “CROSS-OVER NEWSCAST” kasi nagkocross ng 2 araw. Magsisimula ng before midnight at matatapos after midnight. Because of that the weekly current affairs shows have no choice but to be aired on a very much later timeslot, thus making it un-synchronized with the networks programming schedule. If you will take a look at the programming line up, for example XXX is slated on Monday evenings but since primetime Mondays are dedicated to teleseryes XXX became an early Tuesday current affairs show. And with that late airing, many NCA followers are failing to watch the shows because before it come out on their TV sets, they are already making love with their respective beds.

It’s quite disappointing to see that it seems ABS-CBN management is taking for granted the NCA programs. Are they really only for the entertainment department just because it remits bigger revenues? As I look at the TV ratings then and now, NCA programs have really declined in audience share mainly because of the timeslot they are in. During those times that the weekly current affairs shows aired at 11pm, they dominate the ratings game vs GMA’s public affairs show. But currently, Kapuso News and Public affairs shows have beaten its Kapamilya counterparts with higher ratings. Ang dami pa naman magagandang shows and NCA department like Storyline, and Patrol ng Pilipino, but because of their timeslot many people were not able to watch. If only it will be put on an earlier time I believe its audience share and ratings will go up considering ABS-CBN’s large following.

I hope ABS-CBN’s top management (Ms. Charo and Mr. Gabby Lopez) will consider this. Can’t they see the trend, that putting shows on a later time is taking its toll on them? Say for example the teleseryes scheduled on the later timeslots, they are also suffering from low ratings and audience share Look at what happened to Imortal, when it was on an earlier timeslot it landed on rank 1 many times, but when it was transferred on later time, it succumbed to its Kapuso competitor. Sino nga naman ba ang maghihintay sa isang palabas na sobrang late na umere, lalo pa’t ang bilis na ng attention span ng mga viewers ngayon at marami naman ibang shows na kapareho ng format, so the initial reaction is ilipat na lang. Most specially when it comes to news programs, why would I wait for Bandila which will come out before midnight when there is Saksi already available at 11pm? Of course to an ordinary viewer, they will settle for Saksi cause they will be able to know the news, and at the same time they’ll be able to get to sleep early.

I am hoping the management will take notice of this, cause I’m really a loyal follower of their NCA programs and I’m disappointed that they are lagging behind Kapuso public affairs shows maybe because of its program scheduling. Sana ay maglaan ng panahon ang mga namamahala na tignan at silipin ang naturang aspeto na maaring nagiging dahilan kung bakit ang ibang network ay nakakaungos na pagdating sa national ratings at audience share. Of course what’s more important is the quality of the shows being offered to the viewer but how can the audience appreciate it if they are not able to watch it. ABS-CBN is dubbed as the Asia’s Most Admired Media Company, so I think it’s right time to address the issue on its timeslot so as to balance the admirations that it is capable of illiciting. The attention and support that they are giving to the entertainment department should be the same attention and support that should be given to the News and Current Affairs department. I once watched the Storyline episode featuring Maria Ressa and she said something (with regards here leaving the company) like “ABS-CBN is not gearing towards that”. I just assumed that it is something about managements support for the news department, but am not really sure and I hope I am wrong in assuming that. As what their slogan says “Panig sa Katotohanan, Panig sa Pagbangon ng Bayan”, I hope the ABS-CBN management will invoke their “Panig sa Entertainment pati na sa News Department”.

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 “Always consider the holistic part, not only those part who earned so much”

 *Credits to the owners of photos taken from Google Search