Vice Ganda Renews ABS-CBN Contract; Demands for a High Talent Fee?

Unkabogable box-office star Vice Ganda started the year on a high note as he signed an exclusive contract with ABS-CBN on Monday (January 13) afternoon. 

“I feel so special with the opportunities the bosses are giving me. I never thought of moving to other networks,” he said. 

According to the comedian, aside from hosting his own Sunday night talk show “Gandang Gabi Vice” and noontime show “It’s Showtime,” he will also do one or two movies this year. “I want to offer something new to the public. I want to do an action-comedy movie soon.” he said. 

Meanwhile, when asked if he demanded for a talent fee increase after his sold-out “I-Vice Ganda Mo ‘Ko Sa Araneta” concert last May and blockbuster movie “Girl, Boy, Bakla, Tomboy” in December, Vice Ganda laughed then answered, “They just gave me what I deserved.”  

Present during the signing were (L-R) ABS-CBN broadcast head Cory Vidanes, chairman Eugenio Lopez III, president and CEO Charo Santos–Concio, TV production head Laurenti Dyogi, and business unit head Deo Edrinal.

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Kris Aquino Remains a Kapamilya, Renews Contract with ABS-CBN

Queen of all media Kris Aquino will stay as a Kapamilya as she has renewed her contract with ABS-CBN, her home network for 18 years. This ended speculations that she will transfer to GMA-7 or TV-5, as what earlier reported (read here).

On Monday, Kris Aquino announced her decision via her official Instagram account posting a photo of the ABS-CBN logo with a long caption setting the record straight that she will remain a Kapamilya.

"I have been w/ ABSCBN for 18 years & like any other family we've had our ups & downs and sometimes unavoidable "tampuhan"- but we remain FAMILY... My manager Deo Edrinal continued talks w/ our ABS bosses during the Christmas break & it is w/ much joy that I share w/ you that we have RENEWED my ABSCBN contract. I am grateful to my ABS CBN bosses, Sir Gabby, Ma’am Charo, and tita Cory for the trust, value & importance they have given me," Kris said.

Kris also debunked reports that she had talks with GMA network executives. However, she admitted that she had a meeting with TV-5 big boss Manny V. Pangilinan.

"May I set the record straight? 1) I never met w/ any GMA officials but I am grateful to them for the generous coverage they gave My Little Bossings, primarily because of their longstanding partnership w/ Vic Sotto & the Eat Bulaga family. 2) I had met w/ MVP (Manny Pangilinan) in October & again Dec 23 of 2013. 3)," Kris posted.

On the rest of the Instagram caption, Kris thanked the people who became instruments to her success, as well as all the Kapamilya viewers who supported her all the way.

"To all the KAPAMILYA viewers, thank you for watching me, enjoying me & making me part of your daily viewing. Because of your support I get to continue a job I love & I am also able to provide well for Kuya & Bimb... From my heart, MARAMING SALAMAT KAPAMILYA!!!"

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ABS-CBN Mobile Opens First Store

ABS-CBNmobile signaled its commercial launch by opening its first store in the country on Wednesday (Dec 11) where consumers can buy SIM cards, gadgets, and prepaid load.

ABS-CBN chairman Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III said that ABS-CBNmobile will change the way Filipinos use their mobile devices and consume content by giving them the choice to watch their favorite programs at their chosen time and place, aside from allowing them to send text messages, make calls, and browse the Internet.

“Today, it is a novelty in the Philippines. But sooner than we think, this will become the norm, like it is becoming the standard viewing practice in Japan and Korea,” Lopez said during the store’s grand opening.

“This is the beginning of a new age in Philippine media. ABS-CBN’s programs on phones and tablets will change the boundaries of time and location,” he added.

ABS-CBNmobile’s iWanTV app allows users to watch programs on ABS-CBN, ANC, Studio 23, Nickelodeon, E!, and Knowledge Channel.

ABS-CBN president and CEO Charo Santos-Concio, meanwhile, said that fans will also be able to chat with and get exclusive content from their favorite stars through a special app available on ABS-CBNmobile.

“Today’s fans don’t just want to watch TV; they want to participate, they want to interact, they want to make their choice. It is how our company moves into the new age of media. And we are optimistic about it because we have our content that affirms, and our stars with their authentic relationship with the audience,” Santos-Concio said.

Launched in November, ABS-CBNmobile sought to help the survivors of super typhoon Yolanda by giving away100,000 SIM cards that they can use to communicate with their loved ones. The mobile service also launched a “share load” program by which subscribers can give load to the survivors.

“We might not have been able to launch with a fantastic ad campaign that our marketing team developed, but we are very proud of the fact that our improvised launch allowed us to show what ABS-CBNmobile really stood for – to be of service to the Filipino people,” said ABS-CBN Convergence head Carlo Katigbak.

ABS-CBN Convergence is ABS-CBN’s mobile telecommunications subsidiary and operates ABS-CBNmobile.

Also present during the grand opening were ABS-CBN executives led by Customer Relationship Management head and ABS-CBNmobile Marketing head Nandy Villar, and ABS-CBN stars and ABS-CBNmobile endorsers Erich Gonzales and Julia Montes.

The ABS-CBNmobile store is located on the ground floor of ABS-CBN’s ELJ Communications Center in Quezon City. For more information, just visit www.abscbnmobile.com, or follow @abscbnmobile on Twitter.

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Maya and Ser Chief Wedding Special Airs November 24 on ABS-CBN 'Sunday's Best'

Be Careful With My Heart fans will surely be glued to their TV sets this Sunday (November 24) as ABS-CBN airs the TV special about the much talked about wedding of daytime TV’s most popular couple–Maya (Jodi Sta. Maria) and Ser Chief (Richard Yap). 

Titled “Our Fairytale Wedding: The Happy Ever After Begins,” the TV special will not only feature the top-rating wedding scenes, but also some never-before-scene footages of the wedding preparation, interviews with the people who are part of Maya-Ser Chief love story, exclusive sneak peek at the making of the wedding that touched the hearts of TV viewers worldwide, and the recently held after-wedding party graced by “Be Careful” fans who won the text promo and ABS-CBN executives led by its chairman Eugenio ‘Gabby’ Lopez III. 

Don’t miss “Our Fairytale Wedding: The Happy Ever After Begins,” at 10:45 pm, on ABS-CBN’s “Sunday’s Best.” For more updates, log on to ABS-CBN.com, follow @becarefulheart on Twitter; and ‘like’ the show’s official Facebook fanpage at Facebook.com/becarefulwithmyheartofficial. 

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ABS-CBN Opens Doors to Filipinos with Ideas for Online Shows

ABS-CBN chairman Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III on Friday (Aug 30) said the country’s largest multimedia conglomerate is opening its doors to Filipinos who have ideas for online shows and dream of having their concepts produced into new programs and content material on the Internet.

In his keynote presentation at the 7th Internet and Mobile Marketing Summit titled “Insights About Innovation: Online and Offline Synergies,” Lopez announced ABS-CBN’s plan to replicate video-sharing website YouTube’s project that funded original channels for celebrities, online video creators, and Hollywood studios.

Lopez said ABS-CBN will be choosing five or more ideas for online content, which will be funded, produced, and put out on an appropriate online platform. Ideas and concepts can be sent to collabstudio@abs-cbn.com before the end of the year.

“What YouTube is doing for the rest of the world, ABS-CBN would like to do for the IMMAP members and the Philippines. If you have an idea, let’s collaborate. This is exactly how: Send us your content ideas that you think will work on the digital space,” he said.

“We will promote them aggressively. And like what they do on YouTube, we will go into a revenue-sharing partnership,” said Lopez.

“If the idea flies in the online space, we can look into migrating them or recreating them in the analog broadcast market,” he added.

Lopez said that content creators may work on the new top-rating primetime teleserye “Got to Believe” and develop ideas that can be produced into webisodes. However, he encouraged entrants to be more creative and not limit their ideas to teleseryes.

ABS-CBN’s plan to collaborate for online content is a way of enriching the network’s broad online presence and reach. ABS-CBN’s online properties, including video-streaming website iWant TV and its various YouTube channels, approximate 100 million views per month, Lopez noted.

“Our feeling is that the digital era is really the great equalizer. You are at par with any studio, any network, any movie company. You only need passion and your idea. I think it is passion that will drive the new digital era. We want your ideas and we’re willing to work with you. If you have an idea that defines who you are in this planet, we want to hear it,” he said.

Meanwhile, ABS-CBN’s chief digital officer and IMMAP founding president Donald Lim also spoke about digital public relations at the event with his presentation “Boom! Engage or Monitor?”

Lopez and Lim were among the industry thought leaders and experts who served as speakers at the 7th Internet and Mobile Marketing Summit, which is organized annually by the Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP), an association of Internet and mobile marketing establishments in the country.

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ABS-CBN Kicks Off 60 Years Anniversary Celebration

ABS-CBN Corporation kicked off its 60th anniversary’s year-long celebration as a media institution that pioneered television in the country and how it has been in the service of the Filipinos ever since 1950s.

“ABS-CBN is living institution composed of you, me and every employee that has dedicated himself or herself to be in the service of the Filipino. That’s what we have been doing for the past 60 years and that is what ABS-CBN will continue to do for all its existence,” he ABS-CBN Chairman Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III in his speech.

Lopez told ABS-CBN employees at a recent gathering that ABS-CBN will continue to undertake pioneering projects and introduce innovations starting this year.  He said, “Many radical and trailblazing strategies will be launched that will redefine the way we do business.”

He added, “You will see an ABS-CBN that uses the foundation of content to mold itself into a company that offers consumer solutions that has never been seen before. It a result of listening to our consumers and responding to them in ways they want and desire. It is about creating one-on-one relationships with each Filipino that we serve. This is what our mission is all about.”

With the theme “Kwento Natin ‘To,” ABS-CBN’s 60th anniversary pays tribute to the life stories of each and every Filipino that molded ABS-CBN to becoming the country’s leading TV network and inspired the hardworking people behind it to live up to the company’s motto.

“‘Kwento natin to’ doesn’t pertain to the story of ABS-CBN rather the story of each and every Filipino. Philippine TV is a magical box that contains the colors of our collective experiences, emotions, dreams, imaginations, and all things that make us human and make us Filipino,” said ABS-CBN President and CEO Charo Santos-Concio. “The celebration of the 60th year of Philippine TV is our way of thanking and paying tribute to our fellow Filipinos.

Concio pointed out how television has become part of the Filipinos’ daily lives.  She said, “For Filipinos, drama and comedy programs are reflections of their real lives. News programs reflect their realities and how the times molded them to be stronger in facing their daily struggles. Talent and reality shows reflects their dreams and aspirations, while variety shows reflects the joy they feel whenever they are with their families or friends.

But she clarified that the viewers don’t owe ABS-CBN anything for providing quality and top-caliber programs. Instead, it is ABS-CBN that owes the viewers since all of its works are inspired from their stories.

As part of the year-long celebration, 60 employees will share their stories on-air as to how ABS-CBN has become part of their lives. The first eight stories were premiered in the event that includes the stories of cameraman Val Cuenca, promo specialist Christine Estabillo, program executive Riza Ebriega, news bureau chief Dindo Amparo, regional news reporter Joan Panopio, sales executive Herman Pablico, radio supervisor Aris Jurado , and Manila Radio Division head Peter Musngi.

ABS-CBN Chairman and CEO Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III was moved with the stories he witnessed and referred to it as “living reminders of why ABS-CBN was built.”

ABS-CBN, which stands for Alto Broadcasting System Chronicles Broadcasting Network, truly played a major role in the broadcasting history of the Philippines. The TV network was born back in the 1950s when CBS, owned by Eugenio Lopez Sr., bought ABS, then owned by Antonio Quirino.

ABS-CBN was the first to broadcast in full color in Southeast Asia and its programs such “You’re Evening with Pilita,” “Tawag ng Tanghalan,” and “Buhay Artista” are popular in the pan-region. Its broadcast center, which was inaugurated in 1968, was the second most advanced TV facility in Asia next to NHK of Japan.

The network was closed in 1972 because of the declaration of the Martial Law but was returned back to operations in 1986 after the historic People Power revolution.

ABS-CBN started from scratch again but through the efforts of Eugenio “Kapitan” Lopez Jr., Freddie M. Garcia, and Atty. Jake Lopez, ABS-CBN became number one again in 1988.

The 60 years of Philippine TV kick off event was hosted by “TV Patrol” anchors Noli De Castro and Korina Sanchez. Gary Valenciano, Kuh Ledesma, Jed Madela, Erik Santos, Yeng Constantino, Jovit Baldivino, Marcelito Pomoy, and KZ Tandingan also rendered song numbers with musical accompaniment by the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra.

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Charo Santos-Concio Appointed as CEO of ABS-CBN Corporation

ABS-CBN Corporation, the country’s leading and largest multimedia conglomerate, announced the appointment of Ma. Rosario “Charo” Santos-Concio as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective January 1, 2013. The new position is in addition to her role as the company’s President and Chief Content Officer. Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III continues to be the Chairman of the Board of ABS-CBN.

As ABS-CBN President, Santos-Concio conceptualized strategies and solutions for the company’s growth, helping it achieve profit margins, record-high advertising revenues, and leadership in nationwide TV ratings.

It was also during Santos-Concio’s term that the network was named as one of the top 15 highest scoring companies and the only publicly listed media organization to garner a score for 90% or higher in the Institute of Corporate Directors’ 2008 Corporate Governance Scorecard.

Before being promoted to President in 2008, she served as ABS-CBN’s Head for Channel 2 in 2006, Executive Vice President in 1998, Senior Vice President of TV Production in 1996, Vice President of Production Operations in 1991, and Director for Programs in 1989. She joined ABS-CBN as Consultant in 1987.

As a programming executive and producer, she is credited with ABS-CBN’s leadership in the TV and movie market with top-rating programs and high-grossing films under her helm, such as “Esperanza,” “Pangako Sa ‘Yo,”  and “May Bukas Pa,” the sitcom “Home Along Da Riles” that revived the King of Comedy Dolphy’s career, and Star Cinema’s quality movies that broke box-office records.

Santos-Concio is a recipient of many awards for her work and contribution to the film and broadcast industry, including Film Academy of the Philippines’ Manuel de Leon Award, Hall of Fame Awards for her long-running drama anthology “Maalaala Mo Kaya” from the Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA), PMPC Star and Anak TV Awards, CEO Communication Excellence in Organizations (CEO EXCEL) Awards, and CMO Awards’ Woman Super Achiever Award.

She began her career in media as a production assistant in “John en Marsha,” then moved on to become a drama actress and producer for BanCom Audiovision, Experimental Cinema of the Philippines, Vanguard Films, Regal Films, and Vision Exponents.

Before becoming a media executive, Santos-Concio became famous for acting in critically acclaimed films, most notably in “Brutal,” “Kisapmata,” “Gumapang Ka sa Lusak,” and Mike de Leon’s “Itim,” for which she won the Best Actress award in the 1978 Asian Film Festival.

She graduated cum laude from St. Paul’s College in Manila with a degree in Communications Arts and completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in 2007.

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"Salamat Tito Dolphy," ABS-CBN's Grand Tribute to PH King of Comedy

ABS-CBN Corporation, led by its chairman and chief executive officer, Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III paid tribute to a ‘Kapamilya’ for more than 40 years, the late King of Comedy Dolphy via necrological services themed “Salamat, Tito Dolphy: Pagsaludo sa Hari ng Komedya,” held last Wednesday, at the Dolphy Theater of ABS-CBN.

“He is an inspiration to all of us in the broadcast industry with his humility, his talent, and above all, his ability to constantly reinvent himself to live and fight another day. Dolphy will always live in the heart and soul of ABS-CBN. To all of us here at ABS-CBN, you wil always be Kapamilya,” said Lopez. Together with channel head Cory Vidanes and other ABS-CBN executives, he welcomed Dolphy’s remains and his family at the network’s compound.

ABS-CBN president and chief operating officer Charo Santos-ConcioSantos, who worked with Dolphy initially as a production assistant and later as a leading lady in a movieremembered Dolphy for his utmost modesty who never changed despite his stature in life.

“Tulad ng lahat, tinitingala ko si Dolphy bilang isang Hari ng Komedya. Pero ang haring nakita ko ay isang haring nakatuntong sa lupa,” she shared. “Ang paghanga ko sa isang ‘idol,’ ay naging pagkamangha ko sa isang totoong tao.”

Dolphy’s relationship with ABS-CBN spanned four decades. ABS-CBN renamed its studio 1 to Dolphy Theater in 2008 in honor of Dolphy during his 80th birthday in 2008 for his loyalty to the network and his legendary contribution to the Philippine entertainment industry.

In her eulogy, Dolphy’s long-time partner ZsaZsa Padilla expressed gratitude to ABS-CBN, which had been his second ‘home.’ She said, “Salamat sa ABS-CBN na sumugal kay Dolphy nooong 1992, para makabalik siya sa pinakamamahal niyang telebisyon. Maraming salamat, ABS-CBN, for taking care of his legacy, preserving his body of works for generations of Filipinos to enjoy in perpetuity.”

“I know that this service will make Dolphy so happy dahil mula pa sa panahon ni Kapitan Geny Lopez, si Dolphy sa buhay, kamatayan at sa langit ay isang tunay na Kapamilya,” added ZsaZsa who ended her speech by singing their theme song,“Through the Years” that moved everyone to tears.

In addition, Dolphy’s son Eric Quizon, imparted how his father wanted to be ‘home.’ “My dad kept on saying, ‘uwi na ako.’ That was the phrase that he kept on saying to all of us. his wish was granted. Today, we brought him home to Marina, and then we brought him here, to his family, his Kapamilya; and then now, he’s home with His Creator,” shared Eric.

Among those who delivered their touching tributes in the eulogy program were Nova Villa, Dolphy’s on-screen partner for 15 years on Kapamilya TV sitcom “Home Along Da Riles;” Victor de Guzman, former director of “Home Along Da Riles” and son of veteran comedian Teroy de Guzman; and film producer Marichu Vera-Perez of Sampaguita Pictures.

“He was our biggest yet humble star (in Sampaguita Pictures); he will always be the Filipino people’s artist,” Vera-Perez said.

Aside from ABS-CBN talents, those celebrities who also attended the necrological service in Dolphy Theater were Sen. Loren Legarda, Mayor Alfredo Lim, MTRCB chairperson Grace Poe-Llamanzares, Gloria Diaz, Boots Anson-Roa, Celso Ad Castillo, Bella Flores, brothers Randy and Rowell Santiago, Noel Trinidad, Edgar Mortiz, Matutina, and Maricel Soriano, who played Dolphy’s daughter in the long-running sitcom “John En Marsha.”

After the necrological services and eulogy, Dolphy Theater welcomed almost 6,000 fans who trooped outside the vicinity of ABS-CBN and patiently waited for hours for the first public viewing of Dolphy’s remains. Fans were given free snack and drinks after the viewing.

Dolphy’s homecoming in ABS-CBN did not only serve as a reunion among comedy king’s families and friends, but also brought together competing TV networks following ABS-CBN’s decision to allow other TV news organizations to cover the necrological services and provided video of the arrival honors and public viewing inside the Dolphy Theatre.

“Salamat, Tito Dolphy: Pagsaludo sa Hari ng Komedya,” was aired on Studio 23, ANC, DZMM TeleRadyo, and livestreamed via abs-cbnnews.com.

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