The noontime gamble is paying off

MANILA, Philippines - Rampaging flood waters, people on rooftops crying for help, victims wedged between fallen debris — the scene is so painfully familiar to Raffy Tima and Pia Arcangel. The anchors of Q-11’s Balitanghali must have felt a sense of déjà vu when the tragedy unfolded before their very eyes again, care of Typhoon Ondoy.

Only a year ago, Raffy and Pia were giving a blow-by-blow account of the Typhoon Frank disaster, which killed around 800 people on board the sunken MV Princess. The compelling coverage merited Best Newcast honors for the noontime program at the recent 1st MTRCB Awards.

“Everything was happening all at the same time,” recalls GMA program manager for News and Public Affairs John Ray Arrabe.

They were not just happening all at the same time. The events also seemed like a scene straight from a disaster movie. Reporter Jun Veneracion lay trapped in a bridge under which rampaging floodwaters flowed. The camera caught the action in Botolan, Zambales. And the nation watched, transfixed. The footage was replayed later on GMA 7’s 24 Oras. And the ratings soared.

“We even beat TV Patrol,” recalls John Ray.

No wonder the MTRCB conferred its first ever newscast award to Balitanghali (a play on the words “news” and “lunchtime”).

Before it was conceived four years ago, a lunchtime newscast meant suicide. No one dared collide head-on with top-rating, long-running noontime variety shows. But Q-11 decided to gamble. Balitanghali, the executives surmised, is alternative viewing that could easily turn into a daily habit (it airs Monday to Saturday). The program can report events the morning and evening newscasts can’t cover — like the drama on the bridge, a fire that suddenly breaks out, a typhoon tragedy, etc. And a news-hungry public’s needs would have been served.

The gamble, as we know by now, was worth it. Raffy, a seasoned broadcast journalist who anchors GMA’s award-winning I-Witness, says on-line newscasts quote the program. Many of his fellow journalists also get leads from Balitanghali.

What they see on screen, though, is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Raffy goes the extra mile to get the feel of the news even before it goes on air.

The expert diver went to Sibuyan Islands and, after getting the Coast Guard’s clearance, plunged deep into the sea to look for survivors. The act was both a privilege and a responsibility for Raffy. The Coast Guard is not in the habit of allowing divers in Sibuyan, especially at a time of disaster when harmful debris is floating above and below the waters.

But Raffy felt duty-bound to know what he was reporting about first hand. So he literally and figuratively went out of his way to check it out.

That’s his — and Pia’s — edge as news anchors. Both go on field to get the news, first hand. Pia may strike you as glamor personified, but she started out pounding the gritty police beat. She also covered the first impeachment attempt against President Gloria Arroyo in 2005, Pope John Paul II’s funeral in Rome, and the 2004 and 2007 national elections. Pia also covered former US President George Bush’s visit to Manila, Fernando Poe Jr.’s funeral and former president Cory Aquino’s death and funeral.

“If you’re a reporter,” notes Pia, “you know what questions to ask.”

They also know the public officials and the CEOs of big corporations the field reporters are interviewing. And they know Raffy and Pia as well. Thus, it’s easier to get answers from them, pronto.

The field reporters are also Raffy and Pia’s friends, off-cam. This makes things run with clockwork precision. There’s a caveat here, though. Both have to control their emotions and stay as objective as possible on cam whenever they see their reporter-friends risking their lives for a make-or-break coverage.

“Everybody around you is excited,” relates Raffy. It’s easy to get carried away. But he and Pia know they must not let their heart rule over their head, not even for a minute.

The friendship factor between Raffy and Pia is also a big plus. John Ray says it was one of the things that turned the tide in Raffy and Pia’s favor when they were scouting for Balitanghali news anchors.

“We can read each other’s minds,” states Raffy.

 “Just one look, and we know what to say and do on-cam,” Pia adds.

“I don’t think Balitanghali could have clicked if we chose another pair to anchor it,” explains John Ray. “We saw how much they clicked, even when they were still auditioning for the program.”

The chemistry is doing not only the show, but millions of news-hungry televiewers, a lot of good.

Do we see Balitanghali airing Monday to Sunday soon then?

“We’re actually thinking about it,” says John Ray.

After all, news never goes on a holiday. And Raffy and Pia know that — by heart.