What Simultaneous Pacquiao-Mayweather Battle Airing will do to TV Networks

Streets are starting to seem like it's a shooting day for The Walking Dead in the country. Cable networks are earning big like it's a blockbuster film. And for the first time, three major TV networks in the Philippines are getting ready for the simultaneous airing of The Greatest Battle: Pacquiao-Mayweather fight. As they have agreed to air it as one, what have we to expect from this as an outcome? Let's give you a straight-to-the-point answer.

A few days from now, results from AGB Nielsen and Kantar ratings will come out and we will all see this order:

1. ABS-CBN
2. GMA 7
3. TV5

You read it right. That's what a simulatenous airing will show us-- the reality of viewership in the Philippines.

We bet our cards on that.

NYF International Television & Film Awards 2013 Concludes, ABS-CBN Wins Big

NEWS: Last April 9, the New York Festivals International Television & Film Awards gathered the world's major companies in the field of TV and film. Held in Las Vegas, our fellow Filipinos were not just part of it, they also brought home awards from the said event.

ABS-CBN Corporation won 1 Gold World Medal, 1 Silver World Medal, and 6 Finalist Certificates. GMA Network Inc. bagged 1 Silver World Medal for GMA News TV's Salat via Reel Time, and Finalist Certificates for Oras Na aired in GMA 7 and Ang Pinakabata via GMA News TV. 

Unitel Productions Inc. won a Finalist Certificate for its Rogue Cover sales ad and a Bronze World Medal for A Life In A Day, a short film.

TV5 earned recognition of Finalist Certificate via its defunct show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Philippines. This was hosted by former Extra Challenge host Paolo Bediones.

It's clear that ABS-CBN won this race but truly every network and company deserves accolade for bringing Philippines the bacon! Here's a complete list of the awards given to ABS-CBN, that night's bigger pride for the country.

Gold World Medal for A Call To ARms  under ABS-CBN Sports

Silver World Medal for Johnny: The Juan Ponce Enrile Story

Finalist Certificate for Maalala Mo Kaya

Finalist Certificate for Ang Simula

Finalist Certificate for Failon Today

Finalist Certificate for Be Careful With My Heart

Finalist Certificate for Budoy

Finalist Certificate for Krusada under ABS-CBN Integrated News

To view the winners aside from our Philippine delegation, you can check out the official site of New York Festivals.

The New Extra Challenge Bullet Review

With the new and improved version of Extra Challenge, we have a few words to say about it. Before anything else, let it be told that it is indeed fresher and bigger. Better? It's subjective.

The PLUS Points:

• Adapting the brand of the old one is wise. They didn't just improve the challenges, they also stuck with the old style which is to add a comic part--Ethel Booba before, Boobay this time.
• Editing is way better than Fear Factor. It actually makes the show!
• Musical scoring adds up to the excitement of the show.
• Boobay is funnier than Ethel Booba. We just don't know on tonight's episode when he had a squabble with Karen De Los Reyes.
• Better and bigger challenges.
• The X Platform makes the new version unique and better. Add to that the excitement that the money bets build up among contestants.
• The timeslot is perfect, just the same time everyone in the family can sit together and watch.
• Wide screen mode makes the show look theatrical and high quality.

The MINUS Points:

• Actual spot hosting is too 'low-pitch' that it doesn't sound like it's Extra Challenge most of the time. Richard Gutierrez may be too concerned with his image that he maintains his low-pitch voice. Not that we want him to sound like Paolo Bediones but the principle behind it is voice that communicates PASSION and ENERGY. Most of the time, Richard G's tone sounds tired and un-excited especially when the show ends. It's a consistent observation after two weeks of airing.
• Same with Marian Rivera. More fast-paced energy hopefully. Good thing Boobay is there.

Warning:

Boobay, wag palakihin ang ulo!

So far, TheOutsider has been enjoying the show. But the weak spots are too obvious we can't let go of it without saying it. Good job to the TEAM they are able to compensate really well with the weaknesses.

Rhian Ramos: Can She Still Make It?

If The Outsider were the PR specialist and image consultant of Rhian Ramos, we would have taken a different route, a route opposite to the ones she took today.

For one, The Outsider would ask her to do an intimate interview answering the major question: DID SHE GET PREGNANT?

Second, The Outsider  would repackage her to have less exposure and more on acting.

Third, The Outsider would ask her to tame on love life and not be public with KC Montero.

Fourth, The Outsider would not let her take Primetime show roles and focus on afternoon prime. To show that she has to get back up career-wise.

And of all those steps, we think that as long as she does the FIRST, she can forget about all the others.

To GMA 7, we're not against Rhian Ramos. In fact, the reason why we wrote this is because Rhian Ramos is by far one of the BEST that the network has produced. We just think that it may be a waste of time investing on her career without appropriate steps to get her a new set of followers.

What we're saying is simply this: there are more actresses in the network's stable that deserve more attention. And that the viewing public just wants honest celebrities.

Sana Ay Ikaw Na Nga Trivia

Since it started today, we would like to give you some trivia about Sana Ay Ikaw Na Nga.

1.  Sana Ay Ikaw Na Nga (original version) was not the first major primetime soap of the former tandem Dingdong Dantes and Tanya Garcia. Their first major show was Twin Hearts.
2. Sana Ay Ikaw Na Nga launched Maricar De Mesa as the effective kontrabida, hence, the explanation behind her roles from that time on.
3. The official soundtrack or theme song they're using in the latest version is not the original OST. Before, they really used Sana Ay Ikaw Na Nga the classic OPM. But now, they're using the OST from the major hit soap opera of Bobby Andrews and Angelu De Leon entitled Ikaw Na Sana. Those were their glory days.

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 Now that the show has started, we wonder if it will fly. We have been observing Mikael Daez and so far all we can say is, please be natural when you guest on shows. Stars don't have to push it. To Andrea Torres, we have yet to see your potential in dramatic roles although you were promising in My Beloved.

The show is up against strong opponents i.e. Pintada and Anghelito. Let's see if GMA 7 grabs back the afternoon supremacy. 

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TIMELINE: Big Network Transfers in 2012

So far, we have seen major celebrities jumping from one station to another. From Kapamilya to Kapuso or Kapatid and Kapuso to either Kapamilya or Kapatid. We have seen big shifts so far this year. Let's have a rundown.

January 16 - Carmina Villaroel
After being an asset to GMA 7 for her hosting skills, Carmina Villaroel decided to go back to ABS-CBN. She served the Kapuso network for eight years. In those eight years, her name was known more of a host than an actress. This is simply because despite being given acting stints for their primetime shows, those roles were usually for fantasy series. Roles that didn't require much of acting.

As she transferred, she became the lead in Lorenzo's Time, a unique primetime offering that paired her with Zaijian Jaranilla

Asked about her feeling in transferring, Villaroel said: "Don’t burn bridges anywhere you go. I’m just so happy to be back here. I’m just so thankful, so blessed and happy."


January 29 - Iza Calzado
Just days after Carmina Villaroel's transfer, her friend also jumped ship--Iza Calzado. Being one of the stable actresses in GMA 7, Iza Calzado felt that it was time for her to explore new things and challenges. Iza said there were many instances that led her to consider transferring to Kapamilya. One of them was Gary V. who had a conversation with her and her dad about working with Kapamilya network. Maribeth Bichara also told her after receiving the posthumous award for her dad that dad Lito Calzado wanted her to transfer to ABS-CBN.

Currently, Iza is doing a late primetime soap Kahit Puso'y Masugatan with Jake Cuenca, a former Kapuso as well, and Andy Eigenman. But the biggest show she was looking forward to is The Biggest Loser Philippines because she also used to be overweight.

When asked to describe her situation in the transfer, she said: "With all humility, I'm ready to shine!"


June 19 - Marvin Agustin & Daniel Matsunaga
Without much talks, Marvin Agustin suddenly appeared in TV5, the 3rd largest TV network in the country owned by Manny Pangilinan. Now he's doing Artista Academy as one of the hosts alongside Cesar Montano who did a short transfer to GMA 7 after his long years in ABS-CBN.

His appearance in TV5 is a non-exclusive contract so there's no telling as to which network he would next join.

Marvin was a priced possession in GMA 7 in the acting department. He was first remembered as a Kapuso in Babangon Ako't Dudurugin Kita. He already appeared as major lead in other shows before that. He was also the host of a reality cooking show that searched for the country's best chef. That show was instrumental since it allowed the Kapuso network to discover what could take back the ratings for the 11:30 am slot from Kapamilya's It's Showtime. It was also instrumental to find a precious talent Chef Boy Logro who then took over the time slot with his own cooking show.

Asked if he can appear in other networks, he said: “Bakit hindi? Pero alam n’yo naman na yung mga kontrata. Basta hindi kasabay ng shows ko dito sa TV5."


In the same month, Daniel Matsunaga also transferred to TV 5. Was it wise for him to transfer? Nobody knows. But as far as his presence in GMA 7, the network was already grooming him as on of the supporting leads. When he and Heart Evangelista stopped dating, things changed though.

At present, the Brazilian-Japanese hunk is part of Game N Go and horror series Third Eye.


It was a big loss for GMA 7 to lose all these talents. In one of the speeches of Atty. Felipe Gozon, the network's CEO, he said that pirating talents is a no-no for their network. If people come to their doors knocking for opportunities, he said that they will see what potential projects they could be part of. But just recently, we witnessed Kapamilya stable actors transfer to Kapuso as well.

June 7 - Agot Isidro
News had it that Agot Isidro already signed a two-year exclusive contract with the Kapuso network. It was indeed true. She wanted change period. Agot Isidro is one of the good friends of Iza Calzado. It seemed as if they just exchanged networks. Interestingly, they had similar reasons for their transfer.

Now, Agot Isidro is more known as Leila, the hate-worthy but sometimes sympathy-worthy villain role she plays for One True Love, a primetime soap directed by one of her friends, Andoy Ranay, she used to work with in Marina days.

Agot is set to be part of the biggest primetime offering of GMA 7, Indio with Sen. Bong Revilla. It's set to be released next year.


August 23 - Rafael Rosell
GMA 7 officially published that former member of The Hunks of ABS-CBN is now a Kapuso. Rafael Rosell, who made a big mark on TV with his well-played roles back in Kapamilya network, decided to ink a deal with GMA 7.

Marian Rivera's manager Popoy Caritativo is currently managing him. That could be one of the reasons why GMA 7 decided to get him.

Rafael Rosell first appeared as Kapuso in Party Pilipinas last Sunday.

"I have to explore my options na, so 'yon ang ginawa ko, after one month of soul searching. GMA opened their arms to me and it looked bright, so sabi ko, game! Try natin 'to," said Rosell.

He's set to guest in the new Kapuso primetime show Aso Ni San Roque and to be one of the leading men of Marian Rivera's new show, Temptation Of Wife.

There's really no telling who stays here and who transfers there. What remains to be real is: NO BURNING BRIDGES!

The Star That Struck Paulo Avelino

First seen in StarStruck: The Next Level, Paolo Avelino started to captivate just some viewers' hearts with his simple but promising looks.

Because he didn't win in the said talent search, his entry to showbiz became slow but gradually rising. Despite getting good roles in GMA 7 soaps, he wasn't getting the best projects. The network that discovered him also saw his acting potential so he was cast alongside Aljur Abrenica but only second to the said actor. This despite the fact that he's way better than Abrenica in the acting department.

This may have been the reason why he had to take another route. As 2012 began to unfold, Paolo Avelino began to see the star that shines brighter to him, he saw how Star Magic and ABS-CBN make big stars. It may have been the star that struck him.

He began having shows in ABS-CBN when he transferred. But the most remarkable to date is Walang Hanggan. For Kapamilya viewers, he was a revelation. For Kapuso followers, most of them knew what he had. But they also knew that he only needed a much bigger break. One that GMA 7 wasn't able to offer him. Because of that, the rival network grabbed this opportunity.

In no time Paolo Avelino became a hit. Not because of his looks, not because of his physique, but mainly because of his acting.

This ought to be a wake up call to GMA 7 Artist Center and the network as a whole. Consider how Avelino was in his former network. And consider him now just months after transferring, his name is now parallel to Coco Martin. Although not as big as the latter, but acting-wise, he's there.

Could it be that he was a big regret for GMA 7 that they released him?

Paolo Avelino, a star who sought for it and found it... Not in the network that discovered him, but in the new network that really FOUND him.