Round two: Balitang Bisdak vs. TV Patrol Central Visayas

In my previous column I brought up the idea of giving Balitang Bisdak reporters Lalaine Go and Chona Carreon a chance to act as co-anchor of tri-media personality Kapusong Bobby Nalzaro. Now it can be told. There was actually such a plan to have a co-anchor for Super Bob that is why I was very confident in suggesting that she should come from the ranks. But just hours after I wrote that column, a source told me that such plan would not push through for now because the management has decided that the 30- minute newscast is too short a time already with its commercial load,  and so there is no more time left for the co-anchor. Maybe correct, maybe not. In fact a close friend of mine commented that she likes the rival newscast better, due to the fact that Kapamilyang Leo Lastimosa has a tandem in Atty. Haide Acuña. And I think TV Patrol Central Visayas runs about 30 minutes as well.

What will happen though is that Bisdak will be relaunched. I would not elaborate on that though or else I would be "slapped" by regional TV head Rikki Escudero for ruining the surprise. But seriously, I already got my invitation to the press conference in relation to the relaunch and while I was never prohibited to talk about it, I better be playing it safe. I don't want to preempt anything. What I could say though is that there will be new segment. I’m not excited to watch (and it has something to do with the segment host).

But the relaunch excites me nonetheless. I wanna see what Bisdak will offer this time, especially that its rival TV Patrol has expanded its area of coverage to outside of Central Visayas, now including the Leyte area. Yes, they are now very aggressive in pursuing stories outside Cebu. Last Monday alone, TV Patrol had three big scoops, two outside of Cebu---abundance of rice supply in Hilongos and the arising questions whether that religious statue in Bohol has really shed blood or was the red color just paint. Its biggest story is no doubt the controversial case involving a florist and the doctors at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center. Until now, that story continues to hog the headlines and the editorial section of various newspapers.

Interestingly, Bisdak started to cover the events in neighboring provinces. In fact, I chanced upon reporter Jun Valeganio once reporting events happening in Negros Oriental. But correct me if I’m wrong, I think it was abruptly stopped. So the biggest challenge for Bisdak now is how to fare well against the news coverage of TV Patrol, especially that the latter has Sky Patrol that has given it the edge to go after stories as quickly as they happen. That would be something to look forward to!

Lalaine, Chona or Lou Anne?

True. We won’t be seeing either Lalaine or Chona to be Kapusong Bobby’s co-anchor. But the two of them plus Lou Anne Mae Rondina are undergoing on-cam auditions to find out who would be fit to sit as co-anchor of Allan Dominggo in Buena Mano’s Balitang Bisdak sa Buntag segment. Last week, I’ve seen Lalaine do her part. Her delivery on the first day was mediocre but she bounced back on the third day onwards. In addition, her face is the one you would want to wake up to in the morning—refreshing and engaging. Lou Anne completed her stint yesterday. Sad to say I only caught her delivering her extro. Judging from what I saw though, Lou Anne’s audio was energetic and with conviction you will surely stop and listen to her. But the make up did not do enough justice to her-- her eye shadow was too dark that she looked old. On Monday it would be Chona’s turn to show what she’s got. So who will be the first ever co-anchor in the history of GMA-7 Cebu’s newscast? Stay tuned!

MagTV

I’ve heard from the grapevine that ABS-CBN’s Sunday show MagTV will also be relaunched at the same time it will welcome a new host. If that's the case, isn't it too crowded already? Well, if it’s for the betterment of the show, go for it! But unless some hosts of the show would be given a workshop on how to be natural before the cameras that show would not be going anywhere. At least two of the present hosts I find pretentious, insincere and trying hard before the cameras. Well, they should shape up now because no matter how hard they try to be natural and true, the camera lenses would show something else. I maintain my stand though, I love Inday Tikay’s segment; her features are always interesting and useful. Of them all, I find her the most sincere. Go, go, go!

On a personal note,  before I end this one, let me thank the staff of Alibyo Spa, located at 2nd level I2, Asiatown IT Park for the excellent service they gave me two weeks ago. I was very lucky to be handled by its trainer Gerson, so that I was able to appreciate traditional massage called “hilot” to the fullest. That was the greatest pampering and stress-buster I've ever experienced!

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