Hayek, in the episode released on Thursday, June 15, has sold her digital image to Hollywood for use in programming created with artificial intelligence (AI).

The story highlights real-world concerns of actors and writers, said Schitt’s Creek star Annie Murphy, who plays the office manager. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike in early May, partly over concerns that studios would start using generative AI, instead of humans, to write scripts.

“I hope it shines a light on what they’re fighting for and why they’re fighting for it,” Murphy said in an interview.

“It’s not just writers being whiney. It’s them saying ‘Can we not be replaced by computers?’ and that’s such a scary thing for human beings to have to ask,” she added.

Actors became concerned after realistic-looking “deepfakes” began circulating online of stars such as Tom Cruise, Keanu Reeves and Hayek. Members of the SAG-AFTRA actors union are seeking protections on how their images are used in their negotiations with Hollywood studios.

“As much as I really want people to have a good laugh and enjoy our shockingly lighthearted episode when it comes to ‘Black Mirror,’ I do hope that it sparks proper conversation, or many conversations, about the really terrible repercussions that AI can have if it goes too far off the rails,” Murphy said.

Murphy said she and Hayek discussed the issue during filming of Black Mirror.

“Her image has been used in so many terrible and disrespectful ways, so we did have conversations about that,” Murphy said. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino singer Roland Abante wowed the judges and audience members during his audition in the reality talent competition America’s Got Talent (AGT). 

In the Wednesday, June 14 episode, Abante told the judges that he earned a living in the province of Cebu by fishing in the morning and working as a motorcycle ride-sharer and courier in the afternoon. He also turned emotional, explaining that it was his big dream to be on the AGT stage.

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Abante proceeded to deliver a stellar performance of Michael Bolton’s “When A Man Loves A Woman,” wowing the judges, audience members, and even host Terry Crews. 

Judge and musician Simon Cowell noted that Abante seemed nervous before the audition but that he enjoyed Abante’s performance.“You were so nervous. I genuinely thought for one moment you were not gonna be able to do this,” Cowell said. “And then, that happened, and it actually made me love this audition even more and I really like you, that was a great audition. Really brilliant.”

With the standing ovation and praises from the panel of judges, Abante earned all four “yes” votes to move forward in the competition.

While Abante said that he mostly sang karaoke, he also previously competed in the “Tawag ng Tanghalan” segment of the noontime show, It’s Showtime in February 2017 and again in April 2018.

Abante was first discovered in 2014, after a video of him singing Michael Bolton’s rendition of “To Love Somebody” went viral on social media. He has since performed on the late-night talk show Gandang Gabi, Vice!, the Sunday variety show ASAP alongside Journey’s Arnel Pineda, and in the Wish 107.5 Bus for a live session. – with additional reports from Pie Gonzaga/Rappler.com

Pie Gonzaga is a Rappler intern.

“Buong bansa…buong daigdig…NAGHIHINTAY (The whole country…the whole world…waiting),” he said. De Leon invented the show’s name, and he has a pending trademark application with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) to use it for entertainment shows and merchandising.

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A post shared by Joey de Leon (@angpoetnyo)

On Wednesday, June 14, actor-host Ryan Agoncillo went live on TVJ’s new Facebook page to show them having lunch in TV5’s studio on Reliance Street in Mandaluyong City with network executives led its president Guido Zaballero and news chief Luchi Cruz-Valdes. 

“This is the first lunch na nagsamasama kami ulit dito sa TV5 and nagpipictorial kami at naghahanda para sa bagong sorpresa na inyong mapapanood mga kapatid at mga Dabarkads,” Agoncillo said. 

(This is the first time we have gotten together here in TV5 and we’re having a pictorial and getting ready for the new surprise that you’ll be able to watch, brothers and sisters and Dabarkads.)

When he turned to De Leon, the comedian quipped, “Live pa rin yan? Ayaw namin ng tape (TAPE), basta live.” (Is that live? We don’t want tape, only live.)

Other Dabarkads who joined the lunch were Paolo Ballesteros, Jose Manalo, Wally Bayola, Allan K., and production staff who also left Television and Production Exponents Incorporated (TAPE), the producer and blocktimer of Eat Bulaga! on GMA Network Incorporated.

They left TAPE on May 31 after a bitter dispute with the Jalosjos family over how to run the Philippines’ longest noontime which airs on the the Kapuso network, GMA.  

“We’re taking videos, pictures para sa paghahanda ng debut ng mga Dabarkads sa Kapatid network. So, malapit na malapit na yan,” he said in a separate live video.

(We’re taking videos, pictures as we prepare for the debut of the Dabarkads on the Kapatid network. That’s going to be very soon.)

On Tuesday, June 13, another Dabarkads, actress-social media influencer Maine Mendoza, also posted videos of their preparation in TV5’s studio. 

“Nalalapit na ang pagbabalik,” she said. (Our return is very near.) 

Sotto earlier predicted that their show on TV5 would air last week of June or first week of July, at the latest.

“Tito, Vic, and Joey #TVJ at iba pang legit Dabarkads, winelcome sa kanilang first official visit sa bago nilang tahanan sa #TV5 Mga Kapatid,” TV5 said on its Facebook page on Wednesday.

(Tito, Vic, and Joey and other legitimate Dabarkads were welcomed on their first official visit in their new home, TV5, brothers and sisters.)

TVJ signed a deal with MediaQuest on June 7 to produce content for various platforms of the businessman and sports patron Manny Pangilinan’s media holding company. – Rappler.com

TVJ’s transfer to TV5: Network’s weaker signal limits show’s free TV reach

Netflix shared the news on Thursday, June 15, with a video of the cast members announcing the renewal. 

“I am so so excited. Thank you so much to everyone who watched season 1. We cannot wait to do it again,” lead star Anna Cathcart said in the 30-second video.

Release date and additional details are yet to be announced.

XO, Kitty, follows 16-year-old Kitty Song Covey who travels to Seoul, South Korea after being offered a full scholarship by Korean Independent School of Seoul (KISS). 

Cathcart stars as Kitty while Minyeong Choi plays her long-distance boyfriend Dae. The cast also includes Gia Kim, Sang Heon Lee, Anthony Keyvan, and Peter Thurnwald. 

Executively produced by Jenny Han, Sascha Rothchild, and Matt Kaplan under ACE Entertainment and Awesomeness Studios, the first season of the romance-comedy series premiered in May. 

It debuted at number 2 in the Weekly Top 10 rankings with 72.1 million hours viewed and appeared in the Top 10 in 90 countries during its first week of release. –with additional reports from Cheska Lingad/Rappler.com

Cheska Lingad is a Rappler intern. 

Sajak, 76, made the announcement on Twitter, but gave no precise reason for opting to call it quits next year, saying only “the time has come.”

“I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last. It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months,” he wrote.

The show will continue its run for at least three more seasons after his departure, with Sajak staying on to serve as a consultant during that period, according to Suzanne Prete, head of the game show division at Sony Pictures Television, the program’s production company.

“We’re thrilled to have him remaining close to the Wheel of Fortune family!” she said.

No mention was made about the future of Vanna White, the glamorous, ever-smiling co-host, who has made a career of rotating the letters on the show’s puzzle board for more than 40 years.

She and Sajak celebrated their 7,000th episode on the show together in May of 2019, and White briefly stepped in to substitute as host for Sajak several months later when he underwent emergency intestinal surgery.

Sajak has hosted the syndicated evening edition of Wheel of Fortune since its debut in September 1983, but his connection with the game show, created by the late TV entertainer-producer Merv Griffin, goes back further.

Wheel of Fortune originally aired as an NBC network program on daytime television in 1975, with Chuck Woolery as host. Sajak replaced him in 1981 and stayed on the daytime show until 1989, while also presiding over the syndicated nighttime version starting in 1983.

He ranks as the longest-serving host of any U.S. TV game show, surpassing the 35 years Bob Barker presided over The Price is Right on CBS or 37 years Alex Trebek starred on Jeopardy!

While The Price is Right holds the record as the longest continuously running game show on American television, Wheel of Fortune has the longest unbroken run of any syndicated US game show.

Another Merv Griffin creation, Jeopardy!, dates back to 1964 but saw a gap of several years between various syndicated and network versions of that program over the years.

Sajak left the NBC evening edition of Wheel when his own short-lived late-night talk show premiered on CBS. Meanwhile, Sajak was replaced on NBC’s Wheel by Rolf Benirschke, who was in turn succeeded by Bob Goen when the network program moved to CBS, then briefly back to NBC. – Rappler.com

Billy Crawford, Parokya ni Edgar frontman Chito Miranda, Julie Anne San Jose, and Stell of P-pop powerhouse SB19 were announced as the mentors for the upcoming series. “Meet the superstar coaches who are ready to fight it out,” the show announced on Friday, June 9, alongside a teaser video of the four coaches. 

In the teaser, each coach also shared what they’re looking forward to in the singing show. “This competition is all about the voice. And it’s also about choosing the right coach,” Billy said. 

Meanwhile, Chito said that “diskarte, bilib sa sarili, at tamang atake sa bawat kanta (finesse, self-confidence, and the right treatment for every song” will be the key to winning. Julie Anne assured candidates that she knows “how to hone (them) to become the best.” “Together, we will be limitless,” she said. 

Stell also promised that he’ll share with his mentees everything he knows. “But you have to choose me. Stell is the name, winning is my game,” he said.  

Dingdong Dantes will be hosting the show. A premiere date for the singing competition has yet to be announced. 

The Voice Generations is the latest spin-off of The Voice franchise. Unlike the main competition, The Voice Generations features groups of at least two members that come from different generations. Each group must also have pre-existing relationships, such as families or friends, to become part of the competition. 

The competition is open to all natural-born Filipino singing duos and groups seven years old and above. Members should at least have a five-year age gap. 

Auditions for the show started on April 20. According to a GMA article, the last day of auditions will be on June 15 at GMA Network Studios. – Rappler.com

Amazon Prime released on Wednesday, June 7, the first teaser for the highly-anticipated second season of Good Omens, giving fans a first look at Michael Sheen and David Tennant reprising their roles as Aziraphale and Crowley, respectively. 

The two-minute clip shows the iconic angel-demon duo trying to live a quiet life among mortals after they were banished from Heaven and Hell. 

Their peace was, however, interrupted when John Hamm’s Gabriel was reported to have disappeared from Heaven and suddenly appeared at Aziraphale’s bookshop with no recollection of who he was. 

Aziraphale, and in association Crowley, were determined to help Gabriel and in doing so, they realized that both Heaven and Hell are in the lookout for the fallen angel. 

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“I think I may have just started a war,” Aziraphale said in the teaser. 

Based on the international best-selling fantasy novel by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, Good Omens follows Aziraphale and Crowley, an unlikely angel and demon duo, who try to prevent the end of the world. 

The adaptation’s first season ran for six episodes and was well-received, earning a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form and three nominations at the Emmys. 

The entire novel had already been covered in the first season, hence, it was a surprise when the series was confirmed for a second season. Amazon Prime has earlier said that the upcoming season will “explore storylines that go beyond the original source material.” 

Other returning cast members include Derek Jacobi, Doon Mackichan, Steve Pemberton, Miranda Richardson, Maggie Service, and Nina Sosanya. 

Joining in for the second season are Liz Carr, Quelin Sepulveda, Shelley Conn, Alex Norton, Gloria Obianyo, and Tim Downie. 

Good Omens season two will premiere all six episodes on July 28. – Rappler.com

In an interview aired in 24 Oras on Tuesday, June 6, Rivera shared that she’s looking forward to the project, since it’s her first acting stint in more than four years. 

“[I’m] very excited,” she said. “Yung casting, konti lang nakatrabaho ko before. Four years akong hindi nagtrabaho kaya ang daming mukha na bago sa akin. Looking forward ako na makatrabaho sila.”

(I’ve only worked with some of the cast members before. And it’s been four years since I last acted, so there’s a lot of new faces. I’m looking forward to working with them.)

Aside from Rivera and Concepcion, the series will also star Max Collins, Gabby Eigenmann, Buboy Villar, and Kiray Celis. 

Other details such as the series title, plot details, and release date have yet to be announced, but Rivera teased that she’ll be playing two characters in the project, with one of them being an alien. 

“First time kong gagawin kaya pag-aaralan naming mabuti kung paano ‘yung magiging itsura niya as an alien,” she said.

(It’s my first time doing this character so we’ll make sure to study how the alien will look and act.)

Concepcion also expressed his excitement in working with Rivera as he shared a photo of them from the series’ story conference. 

“Matutuloy na din sa wakas (It’s finally pushing through),” he wrote, alongside the hashtag #AgainstAllOdds. 

The upcoming series will serve as Concepcion and Rivera’s first project together, but the two were supposed to be paired in the 2020 series First Yaya. Rivera backed out of the show because of the lock-in taping rules, and Sanya Lopez replaced her. 

Rivera’s last series was the 2018 show Super Ma’am. She took a showbiz hiatus following the birth of her son with Dingdong Dantes in 2019. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The showbiz trio of Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon (TVJ) and other Dabarkads (Eat Bulaga mainstays) are moving to TV5, after signing a deal with Manny Pangilinan’s MediaQuest Holdings Incorporated.

“Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, Joey de Leon, and other hosts of Eat Bulaga have found their new home in TV5,” announced Cignal TV, one of the media assets of the businessman and sports patron’s holding company, MediaQuest, on Wednesday, June 7.

“We are thankful to our friends at MediaQuest for this fresh start. Dahil sa ating mga Dabarkads na naging Kapatid, tuloy pa rin ang tuwa’t saya na aming dala (Because of our Dabarkads who are now Kapatid, the laughter and happiness we bring will continue),” Sotto, who led the negotiations with other networks, said in a press statement released by MediaQuest.

MediaQuest said the agreement with TVJ and the Dabarkads is to “produce content for TV5 and other MediaQuest platforms.”

The Kapatid network is now the second biggest next to GMA Network Incorporated (GMA), and MediaQuest has other media assets that can help jumpstart their new show. Another option Sotto considered was to move to the Iglesia channel, NET25, where he, brother Vic, and De Leon have their own respective shows.

The big ‘bulaga’: How Tito, Vic, and Joey’s exit from TAPE might shake up Philippine TV

Pangilinan also leads telco giant PLDT Incorporated, which can promote TVJ’s new show in a big way through its wireless business SMART. Cignal TV is the Philippines’ number one Direct-To-Home (DTH) satellite provider, and it also transmits digital channels to analog TV sets.

MediaQuest also has a 24/7 station, Sari Sari Channel, a partnership between Cignal TV and Viva Entertainment that airs on Cignal TV and Cignal Play.

MediaQuest also owns daily broadsheets The Philippine Star and business paper BusinessWorld, which have their respective news websites. The Philippine Star has a competitive entertainment portal, latestchika.com

Aside from TVJ, among the other Dabarkads who will bring much-needed “star power” – and eyeballs – to TV5 are social media queen Maine Mendoza, Paolo Ballesteros, Ryan Agoncillo, and Vic Sotto’s wife, Pauleen Luna. Luna posted a video on her Instagram today about the transfer to TV5.

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A post shared by Marie Pauleen Luna- Sotto (@pauleenlunasotto)

“I’m honored that these pillars of the Philippine entertainment industry have agreed to work with us. Our partnership strengthens our ability to continue to deliver the best for Filipino viewers here at home and all over the world,” said Jane Basas, president and CEO of MediaQuest.

TV5 is on a second attempt at improving its ratings by improving its entertainment content, following a failed move to become sustainable with sports and news programs under its former head, basketball coach Chot Reyes.

The transfer will likely boost the audience reach and ratings of TV5, the metrics that advertisers look at when placing TV ads.

TVJ left Eat Bulaga! producer TAPE Incorporated (TAPE) after a bitter dispute with its owner, the Jalosjos family, led by its chairman and majority owner, ex-convict and former Zamboanga del Norte congressman Romeo Jalosjos Sr. The production company has a blocktime agreement with GMA for the noontime slot until end of 2024.

After four days of showing Eat Bulaga! replays, TAPE finally aired a live show on Monday with Paolo Contis, Buboy Villar Alexa Miro, and the Legaspi twins. All are under GMA’s Sparkle Artist Center except for singer-actress Miro. Miro is handled by Tyronne Escalante Artist Management.

The question of who can use the Eat Bulaga! trademark for entertainment is still pending with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO). Sotto has insisted that TAPE only has the license to use it for merchandising, not for a television show.

“The creators are the owners, whether copyrighted or not…. At the moment of creation, you are the owner,” Sotto told CNN Philippines on Monday, June 5.

The show’s name is from the kid’s game, “Eeet…bulaga!” (Eeet…surprise!), which became Eat Bulaga! since the program airs at noon when people have lunch. It was created by comedian De Leon.

TV5 to decide time slot

In an interview with Cignal TV’s Tagalog news channel One PH after the transfer was announced, Sotto said they chose TV5 over the other stations because MediaQuest gave the best offer. 

“TV5 ay ‘di lang air [free] TV. Napakaraming platform, may HD Channel, may Cignal TV, ang daming pagkakataon,” he said. “MediaQuest ang kausap namin.” 

(TV5 isn’t just free TV. They have so many platforms. They have an HD channel, they have Cignal TV, many opportunities. We’re talking with MediaQuest.) 

Asked which time slot their new show will air, Sotto said this is up to TV5 and MediaQuest. 

“MediaQuest will take care of airing [the show]. As far as production, we have full control of production and content,” he said. 

If TV5 and MediaQuest decide to place TVJ’s new show on the noontime slot, it will have to move ABS-CBN’s noontime show, It’s Showtime, led by comedian Vice Ganda, to another time slot. 

The noon time slot is considered prime air space, similar to the evening slot. 

TV5 already airs most of ABS-CBN’s popular prime time teleseryes like FPJ’s Batang Quiapo in the evening slot. 

Sotto also disclosed that they will be using TV5’s new studios on Reliance Street in Mandaluyong City. 

He expects their new show to air on TV5 “last week of June” at the earliest, or “first week of July” at the latest. 

Sotto said they are glad about the transfer to another station, which is known for airing sports programs such as the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) games, volleyball games, and UAAP collegiate sports. 

“Pang sports na, pang pamilya pa (They’re for sports, now they’re also for family),” he quipped. 

Sotto said they will fight to use the name, Eat Bulaga!, for their show on TV5.  

“In my personal opinion, yun pa rin (it’ll still be that). As far as I am concerned, history and the law are on our side on this issue,” he said. “Kami ang Eat Bulaga. (We are Eat Bulaga).” 

Sotto said they will retain the popular segments of Eat Bulaga! such as Pinoy Henyo, Bawal Judgmental, and Juan for All, All for Juan, and will add new segments.

In an interview with TV5, Joey De Leon wore a T-shirt with the words “Wow Lima” (Wow, 5), a play on his former gag show on the Kapatid network, Wow Mali (Wow, Wrong). – Rappler.com

Paolo Ballesteros, Maine Mendoza, other ‘Eat Bulaga’ co-hosts leave TAPE 

MANILA, Philippines – Ex-convict and former Zamboanga del Norte congressman Romeo Jalosjos Sr., chairman and majority owner of Television and Productions Exponents Incorporated (TAPE), is in hot water again, this time, corporate-wise, following a bitter dispute with the popular showbiz trio of Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon on how to run the Philippines’ longest-running noontime show, Eat Bulaga!.

Jalosjos, who served over a decade in prison for raping an 11-year-old girl, lost all major Eat Bulaga! talents and most of the show’s production staff on May 31, Wednesday, after they were prevented from going live for their last show. Tito, Vic, and Joey or TVJ immediately “disengaged” from TAPE, after which other big-name Eat Bulaga! Dabarkads or mainstays such as Maine Mendoza, Paolo Ballesteros, and Ryan Agoncillo followed suit in a show of support.

TAPE has a blocktime agreement with GMA Network Incorporated (GMA) for the noontime slot until end of 2024, which means Jalosjos has to pay the country’s leading broadcasting company for the rented air time, regardless of whether TAPE makes a profit from advertising revenues.

Advertisers will likely wait and see whether the new noontime show will also have good ratings, and what the impact of the transfer of the Dabarkads will have on Eat Bulaga!‘s viewership.

While TVJ’s team is almost complete and can easily put up a new show on another channel, TAPE has to get GMA’s support for new hosts and production staff to create live episodes of the variety show. From May 31 to June 3, only replays of Eat Bulaga! were aired on GMA. TAPE was able to air a new show on Monday, June 5, with actor Paolo Contis, singer-actress Alexa Miro, and the Legaspi twins, Cassy and Mavy as the main celebrities.

Getting big-name talents from GMA’s Sparkle Artists Center, such as Eat Bulaga! co-host Alden Richards, will be a problem for TAPE since it will be the artist’s personal decision whether to continue on TAPE’s noontime show. Richards has indicated he will not be joining, after posting on social media, “Always and forever…eatbulaga1979.”

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A post shared by Alden Richards (@aldenrichards02)

If Eat Bulaga! minus the Dabarkads rates poorly in the next year and a half, GMA may choose to drop TAPE altogether by end of December 2024 when their blocktime agreement ends.

Jalosjos’ criminal record of raping a minor is a vulnerable point that can be used against the show continuing under GMA, especially in the age of social media. Advertisers will likely be on the lookout for possible backlash from viewers on this issue.

In an apparent damage control after Eat Bulaga! viewers vowed to follow TVJ and the Dabarkads in their new station, Anna Teresa Gozon-Valdes, GMA senior vice-president for Programming, Talent Management, and Support Group, said on Friday, June 2, that they had nothing to do with the internal conflict, and that they are legally bound to honor their contract with TAPE until 2024.

In an interview with One PH’s Julius Babao and Tintin Bersola, Tito Sotto said advertisers have called him to express their support. “Ang sinasabi nga nila, kahit saan kami magpunta, susuportahan nila, yun ang panonoorin nila. Nakakatuwa yun kasi narinig ko rin yun sa mga kliyente, narinig ko sa mga advertisers yan. Hindi lang yan kwento ng mga taga-sales, may tawag samin diretso, kasi nasabi sa amin yun na kung saan kami, susuporta sila,” he said.

(What they’re saying is, wherever we go, they will support us, that is what they will watch. It’s gratifying to hear that because I also heard that from clients, I heard that from advertisers, and that’s not just small talk from people from sales. We have received calls directly saying they will support us wherever we go.)

Will TVJ pull a surprise?

The most-awaited move is where TVJ is going to put up a new show, and it appears from Sotto’s statements on Thursday, after he and the Dabarkads left TAPE, that the strongest contenders are Manny Pangilinan’s Kapatid network TV5, and NET25, the news and entertainment channel of Iglesia Ni Cristo’s (INC) Eagle Broadcasting Corporation.

The former Senate president disclosed that after they left TAPE, they immediately got calls from executives of NET25, TV5, Cignal TV, and Radio Philippines Network Incorporated or RPN9, Eat Bulaga!‘s first channel when it started 44 years ago.

Sotto, who is leading the negotiations for the transfer, said the main considerations are the need to put up a new show as soon as possible, given the mass resignation of talents and production staff who will need new jobs, plus the ability to get along well with the management of their new station.

“Malaking bagay siguro yung magaling makisama, malaking bagay yung matinong usapan, marunong makisama, brotherly love,” he said.  

(Big factors would be being able to get along well, sensible discussions, being skilled in building harmony, brotherly love.)

Sotto indicated that NET25 could provide a smooth transition given that Wilma Galvante, a retired GMA Network Inc. executive they have worked with in the past, is now a creative consultant of the Iglesia channel. In addition, the trio already has their own respective programs on NET25.

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Sotto, who lost to Sara Duterte in the vice-presidential race in 2022 (his first in his political career), has a late night public affairs show, Reality Check, every Saturday. Vic Sotto and his wife, Pauleen Luna, with their daughter Tali, have an early Sunday night family show, Love, Bosleng and Tali. Comedian Joey De Leon has his own gag show, Oh No, It’s B.O. (B.O. stands for Biro Only or Joke Only) every Monday afternoon and every Saturday night.

After reports of the conflict within TAPE came out in March, NET25 chief Caesar Vallejos was quoted to have said in May that the Iglesia channel is open to having a noontime variety show with the trio, and that they would be “thankful” if that happens.

Signifying this possible bulaga (surprise) is the fact that – unknown to many – the three are already part of NET25’s Summer Station ID, along with other celebrities who now have shows on the Iglesia channel, including former ABS-CBN news anchor Korina Sanchez (Korina Interviews), actor Aga Muhlach (Tara Game Agad Agad), and former Eat Bulaga! co-host Pia Guanio-Mago (Kada Umaga).

NET25 has been growing its entertainment content, especially after ABS-CBN stopped its free-to-air operations in May 2020. Getting a noontime show with TVJ and the Dabarkads would be the station’s biggest catch if it pushes through.

NET25 has even put up its own talent center, similar to ABS-CBN’s Star Magic and GMA’s Sparkle Artists Center. The NET25 Star Center is headed by Eric Quizon, son of the late comedy king, Dolphy Quizon. He signed a contract with NET25 last December, and has a gag show, Quizon CT (Comedy Theater) with brother, Epy Quizon, and half-brother Vandolph.

Vallejos told entertainment website Pep.ph last February that they are “positioning NET25 to be a general entertainment channel that offers wholesome family programming.” He added that talents who join NET25 need not be members of Iglesia Ni Cristo. INC is a powerful religious group that practices bloc voting during elections, and its vocal political ally in the House of Representatives, Congressman Rodante Marcoleta, was among the lawmakers who aggressively opposed a franchise renewal for the Lopez-led ABS-CBN.

Two key factors, however, might push TVJ to choose another channel instead of TV5: NET25’s low audience reach, and the fact that some of TVJ’s variety show content might not pass NET25’s definition of “wholesome” family programs.

The best move for TVJ

Jose Maria Bartolome, a senior lecturer at the UP College of Mass Communication (CMC) where he teaches broadcast communication, said the best move, business-wise, for TVJ and company would be to transfer to TV5 since it is still the highest rating station next to GMA7 and its sister channel, GTV, although still a far-second in terms of audience reach and ratings. (See infographic below; the first five on the list are GMA channels on analog and digital.)

A major consideration for TV5, however, is that it already airs ABS-CBN’s noontime variety show, It’s Showtime, under a blocktime agreement with ABS-CBN. If TV5 chooses to keep comedian Vice Ganda and company, it would have to look for another time slot for TVJ and the Dabarkads.

Vic Sotto won’t be a new face on TV5 as he used to host the hit game-show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Philippines on the Kapatid channel. Likewise, Joey de Leon had the long-running gag show, Wow, Mali!, which aired for many years on TV5.

In an apparent hint about a possible transfer to TV5, De Leon said in an Instagram post, “Sabi ko noon (I’d said before), we are not signing off, we are just taking a day-off. In other words, pahinga muna (we’re just taking a rest). In Engish, TAKE FIVE! 😊”

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A post shared by Joey de Leon (@angpoetnyo)

A move to Pangilinan’s channel could be under a blocktime agreement with Brightlight Productions Incorporated, owned by businessman and incumbent Bacolod City Mayor Albee Benitez.

Tito Sotto said in the same interview with Babao and Bersola that prior to leaving TAPE, he had already been in talks with Benitez on reviving a ’70s gag show, Okay Lang. He didn’t say for which channel, but Benitez has been blocktiming several shows on TV5, including the now-defunct noontime variety show, Sunday Noontime Live or SNL. The businessman-politician also told the Philippine Daily Inquirer recently that he was willing to invest in a noontime show with TVJ, amid reports then about the conflict between TVJ and the Jalosjos family.

Another option would be for TV5 or Cignal TV to co-produce a show with TVJ. The Kapatid network is on a second attempt to expand its entertainment content in a bid to improve TV5’s viewership and revenues, following a failed move to make the network profitable with sports and news programs under TV5’s former head, basketball coach Chot Reyes.

An advertising industry executive who asked not to be named told Rappler that a transfer to TV5 would have other benefits for TVJ other than it being the number two network. Pangilinan also leads the country’s largest telco, PLDT Incorporated. Its wireless business Smart had more than 66 million system-wide subscribers at the end of 2002, roughly 40% of the market. These can be used to promote TVJ’s new show through various marketing strategies.

Another plus for moving to TV5 is Pangilinan’s Cignal TV, the Philippines’ biggest Direct-To-Home (DTH) satellite provider with around 4 million subscribers. Cignal TV transmits 134 channels to households and commercial venues such as hotels and restaurants throughout the country. It also offers pay-per-view channels and online streaming via Cignal Play’s website and app. Like GMA, it also has its own set-top box, Cignal Digital Box, that allows viewers to enjoy digital channels on analog TV sets.

For TV5, TVJ and the Dabarkads can increase much-needed viewership and ratings among the masses, the metrics that many advertisers watch out for. “They have the star power that can drive eyeballs to TV5. TV5 currently does not have that,” the advertising executive said.

Not an easy road

Regardless of whether it will be TV5 or NET25, it won’t be an easy road for TVJ and the Dabarkads to having the strong ratings it enjoyed when it was with GMA for nearly 30 years.

Although they have built a strong bond with viewers by giving the Filipino masses their daily dose of entertainment and laughter to forget their problems even for just a couple of hours, it’s going to be a struggle going up against GMA’s noontime show via TAPE, given the Kapuso channel’s wide audience reach and GMA Network Inc.’s strong financial position.

After the Duterte administration ordered ABS-CBN to shut down its free-to-air TV and radio operations in May 2020, GMA became the country’s undisputed broadcast leader. With its 95 TV stations and 21 radio stations, the Kapuso network said it had a 59.5% “people audience share in 2022” or 6 out of 10 households based on January to December 2022 data from Nielsen TV Audience Measurement.

Its flagship channel, GMA-7, on VHF Channel 7, plus its sister channel, Good TV or GTV (formerly GMA News TV), are the leading channels in the country. Both provide news, entertainment, and public affairs. GTV also has sports programs.

The loss of ABS-CBN’s digital channels also allowed GMA to become the dominant player in digital terrestrial television, the technology that allows viewers with analog TV to receive digital channels. With GMA’s Affordabox, it has been able to put up digital channels such as Heart of Asia, Hallypop, I Heart Movies, while ABS-CBN’s popular TVPlus digital channels, such as CineMo, Yey, and Jeepney TV, are no longer on DTT.

“Sobrang lamang ng GMA in terms of reach (GMA’s lead in terms of reach is so wide now),” Bartolome, a retired GMA executive who has also worked with TV5 as consultant, said.

He noted that ABS-CBN used to be the leading network in Visayas and Mindanao, but that is no longer the case after the Duterte administration ordered its free-to-air operations shut down, followed by the House of Representatives rejecting a new franchise for the Kapamilya network.

With GMA’s biggest competitor killed, many television advertisers bought more spots on the Kapuso network, enabling the company led by lawyer Felipe Gozon to earn a record P21 billion in advertising revenues in 2021 and P20 billion in 2022.

With its strong financial position, GMA can easily hire other comedians and variety show hosts if it wants to help TAPE. This will help cushion the loss in viewership from the loyal followers of TVJ and the rest of the Dabarkads.

What will make the road easier for TVJ is that this is now the age of social media, where it is much easier to promote a new show, as well as bring down competition. Actress Maine Mendoza of AlDub fame, for instance, has a strong social media presence with 7.2 million followers on Facebook, 4 million followers on Instagram, and over 500,000 subscribers on YouTube.

Along with the social media accounts of the other Dabarkads such as Paolo Ballesteros and Ryan Agoncillo, these will come in handy in getting eyeballs to their new show and station, especially if the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) rules in favor of TAPE over who gets to use the Eat Bulaga! trademark for a television show. Sotto claimed TAPE has the right to use the trademark only for merchandising, and that they are waiting for the IPO’s decision on who can use Eat Bulaga!, Joey de Leon’s invention, for a television program.

Whichever channel TVJ chooses, it’s not new territory for them. Having been in showbiz for nearly half a century, their creativity and chemistry may just surprise everyone. – Rappler.com

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