The reality is that noontime shows in Philippine television are mere copies of each other. “Student Canteen,” “Kalatog Pinggan,” “Kwarta O Kahon,” “Eat Bulaga,” “Lunch Date,” and “Wowowee” share the same format.
What have changed are technology—TV sets are more affordable—and viewer profile. Orlando Mercado, former senator and host of GMA-7’s “Student Canteen” and “Lunch Date,” says: “TV ownership is so high now that even the smallest shanties of informal settlers have TV antennas.”
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The noontime show starts with a production number and then mix talent searches and game throughout the show. They are basically variety shows and you can trace their format to the vaudeville shows of pre-television age.
“The format is still the same,” said Malou Fagar, executive vice president and assistant general manager of Tape Inc., the producer of GMA-7’s “Eat Bulaga.” “We only adapted to new trends but the format never changed.”
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In the noontime shows, ratings matter and the most entertaining show wins.
Ratings Champ
“Eat Bulaga” has always been the show to beat. It has moved from RPN-9 to ABS-CBN to GMA-7 in its 27 years in the industry. They always carried with them their audience.
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MTB gained a tremendous following from noontime viewers after it launched Pera o Bayong and became a “bigger apple” than “Eat Bulaga.”
“Eat Bulaga” was forced to copy Pera o Bayong and came up with Meron o Wala. But ratings didn’t pick up immediately. MTB topped the ratings of “Eat Bulaga” for about two years, Fagar disclosed. So the management decided to give away the first million on television in 2001.
“It was our way to get audience interest back,” Fagar said.
Noontime shows were never the same since then. Gone are the days when top prizes were about P100,000 and contestants were happy with P1,000 consolation prizes.
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Unfortunately for ABS-CBN, its noontime dominance was short-lived. ...Last year, it introduced a different noontime package. Primetime hit “Pilipinas Game KNB” with Kris Aquino is timed with the first half of “Eat Bulaga,” and “Wowowee” with Revillame coincides with the second half of “Eat Bulaga.” “Wowowee retained Pera o Bayong.
They, too, weren’t big enough for “Eat Bulaga.
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Then the “Wowowee” tragedy happened and ABS-CBN had to cancel yet another noontime show. ABS-CBN introduced about eight noontime shows since “Eat Bulaga” left the station in 1995.
The tragedy didn’t seem to faze the devotees of noontime shows. Monday after the “Wowowee” tragedy, people still showed up in the ABS-CBN compound for Pera o Bayong, unaware that the show had been cancelled.
This time, ABS-CBN offered its primetime hit, “Pinoy Big Brother,” to noontime viewers. It has yet to draw fanatics.
It is a distressing time in TV history. The first year anniversary of Wowowee, ABS-CBN's current lunch time game show hosted by Willie Revillame, caused a stampede that killed 74 people and injured hundreds more. ABS-CBN's website at 6:25 pm reflected that 5 more people have died.
Red Cross officials said 74 people who had come to watch the first anniversary presentation of the popular ABS-CBN noontime show "Wowowee" were crushed to death in an early morning stampede at the Philsports Arena (formerly Ultra) in Pasig City, a shocking spectacle many saw as a telling measure of the hard times.
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It was one of the deadliest, if not the deadliest, incident involving a stampede to occur in the country in years.
The victims were predominantly from the poorest parts of the metropolis and nearby provinces, generally jobless and lured by the show's promise of instant millions.
Some came from as far as the Visayas.
The victims included the elderly, pregnant women, toddlers, entire families or neighborhoods who since Monday had taken shelter in jeepneys or slept on mattresses and newspapers in the open street leading to the gates of the Arena.
Many of the dead were women crushed against a closed steel gate at the bottom of a slope or trampled underfoot. At least one child was killed, hospital officials said.
It is a sad, sad day not just for TV history, but a depressing reflection of the state of our country. Filipinos are pinning their hopes and dreams on a television game show for lack of anything else to cling to.
In broadcast and advertising circles, there is a general agreement that ABS-CBN did three things extremely well over the years: First, they copied other people’s ideas, but made them better. Second, they pirated the best shows and the best people. Third, they crushed everybody else.
Let’s say, for example, that a competitor had produced a variety show that was beginning to attract viewers. ABS-CBN would immediately launch a bigger variety show with glitzier sets, grander production numbers and more hosts. If the competition had a singer who was getting praise, ABS-CBN would offer to triple her talent fee. Finally, it would never be enough to just edge out the competing show in the ratings.
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The tactics of ABS-CBN employed one basic weapon: Money. More money than other networks were able or willing to spend. Money for production, money for programming, money for equipment and facilities, money for executive salaries, money for talent fees, even money for game show prizes. If Christopher de Leon gave away a million on his show, Kris Aquino gave two million on hers.
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Like many other companies ruled by fluctuating share prices, ABS-CBN become more conscious of short-term financial results and embarked on cost-cutting campaigns. At first, the cuts were facetious—sorry no more fresh flowers in the executive offices and reuse your plastic cups please—but later, they began to cut, not just fat, but meat and bone.
The older, more established and more expensive artistas were let go or alienated. Those who were retained had package deals that ensured that viewers would see them over and over again to the point of satiety. The number of shooting days per episode was reduced. Promo spots that would have looked great on film were done on video.
At the same time, Channel 2 strayed from its traditional three-part formula. Take the case of "Extra Challenge" which GMA-7 used to establish a beachhead in primetime. ABS-CBN never deigned to produce a clone of the show even when it had become clear that the celebrity Fear Factor format was going to be a monster hit. Nor did ABS pursue Paolo Bediones or Miriam Quiambao or Ethel Booba in the way that it went after, say, Kris Aquino and Boy Abunda a decade earlier.
Finally, ABS-CBN hesitated to pit its strongest programs against the upstart reality show. Instead, "Extra Challenge" became the programming tentpole that pulled up the ratings of "24 Oras" and "Mulawin."
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Certainly, a host of other problems contributed to pulling ABS-CBN down to number 2, among them, the internal politics, favoritism and intrigues; the loss of credibility in news and current affairs; the drain on resources represented by Studio 23 and other ventures; and the lack of broadcast experience of its president.
Nevertheless, one factor stands out as the proximate cause of ABS-CBN’s collapse in primetime: The failure to aggressively protect its market share using the methods that had succeeded so spectacularly in the past.
The truth in the "Kapuso" slogan, therefore, is undeniable. GMA-7 does have a finger on the pulse of the people and is thus able to supply what the multitudes want, when they want it.
It is telling, however, that the network’s motto no longer mentions any higher purpose or social responsibility. Abandoning "Service to man and for the glory of God," slogan, GMA-7 now appears to aspire for nothing beyond pandering to the desires of the mass audience in order to increase ratings and revenues. Sadly, the lack of altruism indicated in the "Kapuso" catchphrase seems to be borne out in the network’s programs and practices.
Examples can be found in the area of children’s programming. In place of award-winning educational shows like "Sesame Street" and "Blues Clues," GMA-7 now airs cartoons. As a result, morning ratings have shot up. Obviously, kids want cartoons. But is that what they need? Whereas ABS-CBN put its money into productions like "Sineskwela" and "MathTinik," GMA-7 has nothing comparable to these programs, despite having overtaken ABS-CBN in profits.
"Quality" programming has also fallen by the wayside. Gone are the telemovies and drama anthologies in which writers and directors at least attempted to be creative, artistic or thought-provoking as well as entertaining. Instead GMA-7 seeks to tickle viewers with comedies and gag shows that are practically unscripted and only barely directed. The fantasy soap operas are expensive; but as entertainment, they are more closely related to the circus than to great television like "Angels in America."
Mel Tiangco’s "Magpakailanman," which could have stood as the last bastion of quality, has been reduced to a publicity vehicle for minor personalities, extending their 15 minutes of fame to an excruciating hour and a half.
Last night, the news was interrupted by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's admission that she was the one in the infamous Hello Garci wiretapped phone conversation.
Full text:
Mga minamahal kong kababayan.
For the last several weeks, the issue of the tape recordings has spun out of control. Tonight, I want to set the record straight. You deserve an explanation from me, because you are the people I was elected to serve.
As you recall, the election canvassing process was unnecessarily slow even after the election results were already in and the votes had been counted.
I was anxious to protect my votes and during that time had conversations with many people, including a Comelec official. My intent was not to influence the outcome of the election, and it did not. As I mentioned, the election had already been decided and the votes counted. And as you remember, the outcome had been predicted by every major public opinion poll and adjudged free, fair and decisive by international election observers, and our own Namfrel.
That said, let me tell you how I personally feel. I recognize that making any such call was a lapse in judgment. I'm sorry. I also regret taking so long to speak before you on this matter. I take full responsibility for my actions and to you and to all those good citizens who may have had their faith shaken by these events. I want to assure you that I have redoubled my efforts to serve the nation and earn your trust.
Nagagambala ako. Maliwanag na may kakulangan sa wastong pagpapasya ang nangyaring pagtawag sa telepono. Pinagsisisihan ko ito nang lubos. Pinananagutan ko nang lubusan ang aking mga ginawa, at humihingi ako ng tawad sa inyo, sa lahat ng mga butihing mamamayan na nabawasan ng tiwala dahil sa mga pangyayaring ito. Ibig kong tiyakin sa inyo na lalo pa akong magsisikap upang maglingkod sa bayan at matamo ang inyong tiwala.
I took office with a mandate to carry out a plan for the nation. Since that time, I have focused on making the tough but necessary decisions to make up for years of economic neglect. We passed a comprehensive, fiscally responsible national budget; raised new and necessary revenues to reinvest in the people; and implemented new anticorruption measures that have led to the highest collection of taxes in history.
Nothing should stand in the way of this work, or the next phase of my reform agenda, which includes new investments in education and social services with our new revenues; and an expansion of our successful anticorruption and lifestyle checks.
That is why I want to close this chapter and move on with the business of governing.
I ask each and every one of you to join hands with me in a show of unity, to help forge One Philippines, where everyone is equal under the law, and where everyone has the opportunity to use their God-given talents to make a better life.
Our nation is strong and getting stronger. The progress is steady and I ask you to walk with me on this journey to rebuild our great nation. I remain your humble servant and promise you that I will fulfill my constitutional oath of office to serve the people to the best of my ability.
