Suggestions for GMA News TV

The first free-to-air news channel on VHF TV promised to revolutionize news viewing, and while GMA News and Public Affairs is the undisputed leader in Philippine news, GMA News TV has a lot to learn from international news channels.

Set design. GMA News TV should take a cue from international news organizations like CNN, Al-Jazeera and BBC. Why not use the news department as a backdrop for some of the news programs and hourly newsbits? All items on the studio must find use and not merely serve as a décor.

Lower-third and over-the-shoulder graphics. Most of GMA News TV lower-third and over-the-shoulder graphics are a bit amateurish. There are too many colors; the graphics look like crayon-themed. Minimalist look is in. This is how CNN and BBC do their lower thirds. Use colors that complement each other or are monochromatic. Increase font sizes of headlines and decrease the font size of the news ticker. Better to use the down-style instead of all caps for headlines. Finally, flush left looks more professional than center-justified text.

Programming. Most of GMA News TV is documentaries. But news programs aren’t always documentaries. Here are alternative programs that can be aired on the TV channel.

• Business news. A program that discusses the current goings-on in business. The program should include an analysis of stock trends, profitable business opportunities, and other business and economy news. A summary of the day’s business news could also be included on State of the Nation. Hire business analysts or have Vicky Morales, who started out as a business correspondent for GMA Network News anchor the daily news program. On the other hand, Mariz Umali could serve as business correspondent. 
• Weather news. Aside from a daily summary, GMA News TV could also have a thirty-minute weather program. Weather news should not only include the Metro Manila weather report but also the weather in other key cities in the Philippines, in Asia and around the world. While rainfall, wind and tide forecasts should be included in the daily news reports, a discussion of other weather systems around Asia and the world may also be included in the program. The weather report on State of the Nation should include 6:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 6:00 PM and 12:00 AM temperature, rainfall, wind and tide forecasts for Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Metro Davao. There should also be a three-day or five-day weather forecast for Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Metro Davao plus sunrise and sunset times. In addition, for those traveling abroad, weather in key Asian and world cities. Nathaniel Cruz could serve as chief weather correspondent and senior meteorologist, but he can’t handle all the load himself. Thus, for this boosted weather report, train some GMA reporters in weather reporting or hire additional meteorologists. 
• Sports news. Boxing and basketball are not the only sports in the Philippines. The reason for the low sports IQ of many Filipinos is that they do not get exposed to other sports. A daily dose of what’s happening in the PBA, UAAP, NCAA, NBA, FIFA, NHL, NFL as well as news from other sports like athletics, swimming, F1 racing, can be discussed in this thirty-minute or one-hour show. Sports should also be covered on State of the Nation. Let Mark Zambrano handle this news program and be GMA’s sports correspondent. 
• International news. A lot of important foreign news is not being reported on Philippine TV. A one-hour daily round-up of foreign news deserves to be on GMA News TV. A section on international news should likewise be present on State of the Nation. Mariz Umali or Pia Arcangel can anchor. 
• Entertainment news. Luanne Dy can anchor a news program ala-Entertainment Today. It should have both local and international entertainment news. 
• An English late-night broadcast. Revive Review Philippines and make it a daily news program. Make it an all-English broadcast with Joel Reyes Zobel at the helm. Or, if there will be a female anchor alongside, Mariz Umali could partner with Joel Reyes Zobel. This can essentially be an English version of State of the Nation, only more summarized. 
• A morning news and lifestyle show. Unang Hirit takes its format from Today and Good Morning America, but a morning news program on GMA News TV should be perkier and meatier. Isabelle Daza, Solenn Heussaff, Drew Arellano, Mikael Daez can anchor, while Pia Arcangel and Chino Gaston can anchor the news section. 
• A replay of CBS Evening News. There used to be a replay of the CBS Evening News on QTV. Perhaps, this can be revived. The newscast can be aired back-to-back with News-to-Go.
• Programs like Amanpour and Anderson Cooper 360. GMA has several well-respected news reporters and anchors who could serve as anchors for programs like Amanpour and Anderson Cooper 360. Kara David could anchor a program ala-Amanpour, while Howie Severino could helm a show like Anderson Cooper 360.
• State of the Nation. Instead of being an “improved” version of 24 Oras, State of the Nation should present itself as a newscast that has a different culture. Less focus on minor news items like minor robberies, local crimes and traffic accidents. Greater focus on news items that matter: politics, business, weather, science, international news and sports. Section dividers should be used for separate sections of the program. Tap special correspondents for the special sections: Mariz Umali to report on business and economy, Mark Zambrano to report on sports, and Luanne Dy on Philippine and international entertainment.

Most news programs on free TV employ a tabloid-style reporting. GMA News TV should avoid this. While it should reach out to the masses, perhaps GMA News TV should also educate them to inspire them and motivate them to overcome poverty.

CNN's Holographic System

It's like Star Wars, only it's reality.

Tuesday night, in the heat of the historic count for the US Presidential elections, CNN earmarked the use of a new technology in reporting. Groundbreaking and revolutionary, the TV news network introduced offsite reporting through a holographic display.

CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer announced something that viewers should be waiting for, something that has never been done before. Blitzer told his viewers, "I want you to watch what we're about to do because you've never seen anything like this on television."

And then there it was. Mysteriously, CNN political correspondent Jessica Yellin appeared before Blitzer. Yellin was covering the Barack Obama campaign in Chicago miles away from the CNN Election Center in New York.

Yellin waved to Blitzer, saying "Hi Wolf!" as she stood a few feet away from him in the New York studios. Later she remarked, "It's like I'm following the traidition of Princess Leia. It's something else."

Revamping the News

24 Oras, GMA's primetime newscast and Saksi, GMA's late night news program both enjoyed a facelift yesterday when their opening billboards (OBB) and set designs experienced a total makeover. The set design is the country's most expensive news program set design ever. High-resolution plasma displays and LCD monitors were situated in key areas of the news room and bright lights were added to complement the changes. The world's best news set designs inspired the makeover.

Here are some screencaps:

Frank Sinks Princess

Gusty winds, strong rains, flash floods--typhoon Frank not only devastated Luzon and Visayas during the weekend but killed about 800 people onboard passenger vessel MV Princess of the Stars.

The crew decided to depart Manila even if typhoon Frank was looming over the horizon. Saturday morning during their trip, the vessel encountered engine trouble. The bad weather worsened the fate of those onboard the Sulpicio Lines' ship.

There were no signs of life when rescuers visted the capsized ship. Only a handful of survivors have turned up.

1. Reynante Ardina
2. Nino Lauros
3. Wresley Blanco
4. Antonio Gosep
5. Jose Marie Garbo
6. Phil Gilig
7. Oniel Loguban
8. Ruel Libot
9. Estanisao Tura Jr.
10. Philip Vasquez

Other Supicio Lines' vessels had been shipwrecked in the past, resulting to numerous deaths. In December 20, 1987, MV Doña Paz sank after colliding with the small oil MT Vector resulting to the worst maritime tragedy in the Philippines. MV Princess of the Orient, another passenger ferry owned by Sulpicio Lines, sank off Fortune Island, near Batangas City in September of 1998 as it was sailing from Manila to Cebu, also during a typhoon.

Virginia Tech Massacre

Exactly one year ago Seung Hui Cho killed 32 people and wounded others before committing suicide, in the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg. The incident received media coverage internationally. It also drew worldwide commentators to criticize US laws and culture about gun violence, gun laws, gaps in the US system for treating mental health issues.

Full House Remake on GMA

GMA 7 has confirmed that there will be a remake of the most popular Asian series of all time shown on Philippine television and that they have secured the rights to the show. Full House has kept Filipinos glued to the screen because of the light, funny and love witty story of an aspiring writer and a childish actor. The question now is who will reprise the roles that we Filipinos have come to love so much?

An online petition has suggested two names: Richard Gutierrez and Marian Rivera. After their successful team-up in My Bestfriend's Girlfriend, fans are already requesting for a follow-up. It seems as if GMA 7 has plans for their tandem, and there is a possibility that this would translate to a remake of the successful Koreanovela.

To include your name in the petition, please visit the GMA-7's Full House (Philippine TV Remake Series) thread at PinoyExchange.

Ken Lee!

I want to start the week with a hilarious post.

For quite a few weeks now, there has been this video circulating around the Net about a woman who auditioned for Music Idol. Like many other hopefuls, she has high hopes, and thinking she could be a successful singer herself, she joined the Bulgarian equivalent of American Idol.

She walks in the room and when she was asked what she she was to sing for the judges, she confidently responds, Ken Lee by Mariah Carey. One of the judges asks if this song was Without You. She says no, and begins to sing...



No one ken to ken to sivmen
Nor yon clees toju maliveh
When I gez aju zavateh na nalechoo more
New yonooz tonigh molinigh
Yon sorra shooo
Yes ee shooo, ooo

Ken leeeee tulibu dibu douchoo
Ken leeeee tulibu dibu douchoo
Ken leeeee ken lee meju more

So what's the language she's singing this song in? She says it's in English.

Watch the video here: http://www.break.com/index/ken-lee.html

The Legend

One of the Korean dramas to look forward to this summer is The Legend starring Bae Yong Joon. It's the story of Damdeok, descendant of the founder of the Goguryeo Dynasty, Jumong. The 24-episode drama distinguishes itself from its predecessors because of fantasy elements and use of a modernized Korean language. The drama also marks the comeback to television drama of veteran Korean actor, Bae Yong Joon, best known for his performance in Winter Sonata.

The Legend received numerous awards and nominations from the recently-concluded MBC Drama Awards:

• MBC Won, Best Drama
• MBC Won, Highest Award (Bae Yong Joon)
• MBC Won, Popularity Award (Bae Yong Joon)
• MBC Won, Popularity Award (Lee Ji Ah)
• MBC Won, Best New Actress (Lee Ji Ah)
• MBC Won, Best Couple Award (Lee Ji Ah and Bae Yong Jn)
• MBC Nominated, Top Excellence in Acting (Choi Min Soo)
• MBC Nominated, Best New Actor (Lee Philip)
• MBC Nominated, Popularity Award (Choi Min Soo)

Please visit http://www.taesagi.com for more information. Sorry, I won't give spoilers!