February 6, 2011

Venus Raj and Iya Villania are new UKG hosts



ABS-CBN announced on Thursday that Miss Universe 2010 4th runner up Maria Venus Raj and actress-host Iya Villania will be the newest hosts to join the roster of the ABS-CBN morning show starting February 7 .

Beginning Monday, Raj will deliver the latest and the hottest showbiz bits. Along with other original UKG gang, she will also host the newest segment of the show, “Barangay Bida,” which will air every Friday. Villania, on the other hand, will give the audience a free playback of videos that are creating a buzz online in her new segment called “Youth Tube.”

The show will also be more interactive wherein viewers are given a chance to air their reactions through various social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. Viewers can tweet the information they want to share to UKG’s official Twitter account and the hosts will read it live on air. They can also send their comments and feedback on issues by posting on UKG's official facebook account.

“Our viewers are always on-the-go. Most of them are either going to school or to work thus, we want UKG to still be with them wherever they may be. With the use of technology particularly the famous social networking sites, our viewers can still get information and even give information to our show as well,” said Cheryl Favila, supervising producer of ABS-CBN News.

New segments will also be introduced to bring more information and fun every morning. Pinky Webb brings you videos from concerned citizens in “Webb Report.” Donita Rose, on the other hand, will teach young moms practical art works and crafts they can do right at their very homes in “Do It Youself.” Meanwhile, Winnie Cordero and Alex Santos guide consumers and parents in the Consumer, Parenting, and Relationship segment.

Other UKG hosts are Anthony Taberna, Phoemela Barranda, and Andrei Felix.

In 2010, UKG received recognitions from several prestigious award giving bodies. It won Best Morning Show and Best Morning Show Hosts in the 24th PMPC Star Awards and 8th Gawad Tanglaw. It bagged the Best Morning Show in the UP Gandingan and won an Anak TV Seal for Most Admired Program.

UKG airs weekdays at 5 a.m. on ABS-CBN.

source: ABS-CBNnews.com