I’VE ALWAYS been fond of TV5. I attribute this to my natural tendency to champion the underdogs. I want them to flourish, be truly competitive, outshine their rival stations if possible. Although naniniwala rin akong Rome wasn’t built in a day so it goes without saying na makararanas ang Singko ng birthing pains bago sila mag-soar. Pero tila yata they’ve been waiting for eternity na for that one big chance to really be a force to reckon with.
Nakailang palit na ng mga ehekutibo ang network pero hanggang ngayon, parang TV5 can be best described as still struggling. In the few times that I get to write about their shows, hindi ako nangingimi to point out ang strengths and weaknesses ng show in question. I don’t sugarcoat and thankfully batay sa feedback in the past from TV5 Corp Comm head Peachy Guioguio and even her longtime assistant Lhot de Ortega, hindi sila onion-skinned. They welcome opinions, especially the kind that are deemed as constructive criticism.
For instance, when I felt that Alice Dixson was not persuasive enough in the recently-concluded TV5 series “For Love or Money,” I wrote so.
Sa mga umpukan with showbiz writers, isa sa nape-perceive nila as weakness ng TV5 as far as spreading the word about their shows is concerned ay ang tila “selective” picking of media invitees. In the process, iilan lang ang mababasa mo about their upcoming shows. Tila inilihim so ano pa ang aasahan mong public response?
Case in point is their recent preview of Nora Aunor’s made-for-TV movie and nth reunion with perennial ka-loveteam Tirso Cruz III, na-shock ako na ni isa sa mga kilala kong Noranian writers ay hindi naalala ng network PR. At this point in time na Ate Guy needs all the support she could get, especially from loyal Noranian writers, how do you make sense of this?
No Alex Brosas, no Ricky Calderon, no Julie Bonifacio na kapag may nasusulat akong maganda about Nora like when I came to the superstar’s defense on the controversy surrounding her National Artist award conferment ay personal na nagpapasalamat sa akin. And when I get to talk to these veteran entertainment journalists and the conversation shifts to Nora Aunor, mamamangha ka sa pagmamahal, pag-unawa at pagtatanggol nila sa one survivor of a star na ito.
Makakatulong kaya sa TV5 ang pag-alienate nila sa maraming press people? May mga himig pagtatampo na nga akong naririnig na nagsasabing they play favorites na sa ganang akin ay prerogative ng network. Pero again, at this point in time, na ang pag-zoom pataas ay isang pangarap na bituin pa rin para sa third fiddle network na ito, makatutulong ba sa kanila that they do not gain many allies?
The answer is a big and resounding NO.
Lili, Actually!
by Arnel Ramos
