GMA book celebrates 50 golden years of broadcastin

Late this afternoon, Channel 7 is launching its coffee table book, GMA Gold: 50 Years of Broadcast History, at the new GMA Network building in EDSA, Quezon City.

I haven’t seen the book yet, but I suppose it’s going to trace the company’s growth through the decades.

Channel 7 has played and, as a matter of fact, continues to play a very important role in our lives by delivering news, information and wholesome entertainment straight into our homes every day.

Below, I will try to recall the network’s programming trends through the years – from the time it became my baby sitter up to the present.

In the mid-’60s, Channel 7 was the favorite TV station of kids because it aired all those wonderful cartoons like Popeye, Gumby and Baby Huey every Saturday morning. The network also carried Tino Lapuz’ Eskuwelahang Munti which was made into a movie by Sampaguita Pictures.

And then, there was also the war series Combat which was enjoyed by both adults and kids. Combat was so popular in the Philippines that time, Vic Morrow was even given a tickertape parade when he visited Manila in the mid-’60s.

Channel 7 also had Dancetime With Chito, hosted by Chito Feliciano, Feliciano died in a helicopter crash in the early ’70s.

During this phase of the network, the most familiar face on Channel 7 was that of Bob Stewart-better known as Uncle Bob to kids. Bob Stewart’s face was seen at all times of the day because he had to do live endorsements of products during station breaks.

In the early ’70s, another Bob came into the picture: Fr. Bob Garon, Bob Garon was then still a priest and was assigned a Friday night counseling show on Channel 7.

When martial law was declared on Sept. 21, 1972, all radio and TV networks were shut down – except for Channel 9. Channel 7 was allowed to resume operations later that year and it became the refuge of practically all the local shows that used to air on ABS-CBN which was not allowed to reopen until after the EDSA revolution in 1986. ABS-CBN’s Wala Kang Paki (with Nida Blanca and Luis Gonzales) became Sa Di Mo Pa Mi. Wanted: Boarders (with Pugo and Patsy) became Boarding House. Ariel Ureta and Tina Revilla’s 12 O’clock High, a popular noontime show that was produced by ABS-CBN, became Noontime Matinee when it later moved to Channel 7.

Channel 7 developed a bigger mass following when Eddie Ilarde, Bobby Ledesma and Pepe Pimentel revived Student Canteen In January 1975. Coney Reyes, a Baron Travel Girl finalist, was brought in to take the place of Leila Benitez who was then already residing in the US. Coney wasn’t exactly a newcomer to television and movies that time. She had earlier played bit roles in TV dramas and in the movies as Coney Nubla.

By mid-’70s, Channel 7 had become the most important network in the Philippine television industry. (Its closest rival was RPN-9.) The station had gone full color by this time. It also produced local show that received a lot of critical acclaim. One was Ms. Ellaneous, a glossy magazine show that featured Tina Revilla, Maan Hontiveros and former Miss International runner-up Yogi Dominguez. Originally aired Wednesday nights, Ms. Ellaneous always figured prominently in the PATAS awards race and Tina Revilla was a perennial winner as Best Magazine Show Host.

Penthouse Seven, the dance show hosted by Archie Lacson, may not have received awards during its more than five years on the air, but it undeniably had good production values. It remained a popular late Sunday night show until it was cancelled in early 1981.

In the drama series department, there was also Tanghalan, which was directed by Lino Brocka. Tanghalan featured a lot of PETA talents and socially relevant episodes. This drama anthology may not have lasted very long on TV, but – in my book – it will always be remembered as one of the best programs handled by the great Brocka for local television. It also helped boost Channel 7’s image as a network that aired only quality programs.

Among all the local stations, only Channel 7 has managed to have a continuous hold on the rather picky AB market. Aside from coming up with well-produced local shows, it also had the monopoly of all the rights to bring into the country almost all of the best and most popular canned programs abroad: Charlie’s Angels, ChiPs (with Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox), Mork & Mindy (with Robin Williams), Three’s Company, Eight is Enough, Lou Grant, Soap (with Billy Crystal), Cher, The Cosby Show, BJ & the Bear, M.A.S.H. etc.

For the CD bracket, Channel 7 had Suerte as Siete (Student Canteen’s pre-programming show), Prinsipe Abante (a parody of Prinsipe Amante – with Bert Marcelo and Tina Revilla), Discorama (where Tito, Vic & Joey gained prominence), Eddie Ilarde’s Kahapon Lamang, Ike’s Movie-Go-Round (a morning showbiz-oriented talk show), Lovingly Yours, Helen and, of course, German Moreno’s Germspesyal which later evolved into the bigger GMA Supershow.

The news and public affairs programs of GMA-7 had always been known to be fearless and innovative. Remember how it made a household name out of weatherman Amado Pineda? Or how Tina Palma evolved from a reader of light news features to that of a main news anchorwoman?

And then, there was the Carruncho incident in Pasig during the 1981 presidential elections that was caught on video by a team of newsmen from Channel 7.

During the dying days of the Marcos dictatorship, Channel 7 produced Viewpoint with Atty. Ricardo "Dong" Puno. that was a brave move on the part of GMA-7 because Viewpoint was a public affairs program that was critical of the Marcos administration.

Prior to the EDSA revolution, GMA-7 was known to be the only credible TV station because it did not pander to the wishes of Marcos and his men. On the contrary, it became the voice of the opposition on local television. (To be concluded)