Manila Standard (page 111), Thursday, March 18, 1999
Willie Nepomuceno and Jon Santos take charge on the new trendsetting show Ispup
ABC's new handle for its summer programming, which will see a number of new programs launched and a minor schedule reshuffle, is "Power To The Viewer." Simply stated, it means empowering the viewer to choose the best TV fare, according to his taste and his inclinations, by providing him with a wide choice of excellent programs, slotted at strategic days and time slots. It means viewers need not follow the herd. They are the masters of their remote control and at any time, they can switch to a program of their choice, and at ABC, anytime they switch, there's always a quality program to watch.
Over the last six years, ABC 5 has consistently followed the concept of "best of both worlds" programming; the best of foreign imports and proudly Philippine-made programs guided by the spirit of originality and innovation. This is heat exemplified by foreign programs like ER and Friends, which are not only toprated but are also consistent awardees as well as landmark local programs like Tropang Trumpo and Eezy Dancing Nonstop. New seasons of ER and Friends start next week, while Tropang Trumpo, after a six-year dominance, will give way to still another trendsetting program -- Ispup, headlined by Willie Nepomuceno and Jon Santos. Of ABC's program thrust, Terra Daffon, ABC Senior Vice President for Corporate Affairs says: innovation, diversity, experimentation, multiculturalism are important to us. It has spelled our success. It has made our programming different, unique. It is said that broadcast is like trench warfare -- every inch of difference you can gain is valuable.
ABC strives to make every program unique, with a personality of its own. ABC treats each program as an individual product, as it believes branding is the name of the game. Vivian Recio, ABC Vice President for Local Production explains: "We don't just say lets produce a comedy, or a drama. We conceptualize very distinct programs, programs which we can say have the ABC trademark of originality.
Discerning viewers have remarked that viewing ABC 5 is like going into a shop which has only the best choices in merchandise. Every major item has been chosen with great care. And they're all one-of-a-kind. ABC is in the thick of the network war, but unlike other challengers to the throne, it has not opted to take the path of least resistance which is "copycatting" or placing a clone of the same program directly against it. ABC has opted for strategic counter programming. When viewers decide to exercise their power and demand true value for their viewing time, there will be a true shift in the primetime balance of power.
Mid-March, ABC unleashes new, challenging programs with populist genres. Among the US imports, Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction promises to be the hit of the season. A one-hour edge-of-your-seat program, it features per episode give astonishing tales which invoke the age-old question which is stranger fact or fiction. Mr. & Mrs. Smith is an early evening delight in the tradition of the much-loved Moonlighting, Vanishing Son brings to the screen a new martial arts hero, Russel Wong, while Suddenly Susan shows us the new Brooke Shields. On the local front, Eezy Dancing Nonstop continues to be the best dance show on TV; Sing-Galing expands to one-hour in response to viewers' clamor and March 20, Saturday sees the debut of what will soon be the hottest comedy show on TV: ISPUP... the program to die laughing for.