TV Patrol marks 25th year with special docu

Manila, Philippines -  ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs marks the 25th anniversary of TV Patrol with a special documentary that highlights its vibrant history and evolution and confronts the controversial issues the country’s No. 1 TV newscast has had to face.

Titled Mga Nagbabagang Balita: 25 Taon ng TV Patrol, the docu will revisit the newscast’s creation and the memorable stories that defined the program and helped shape Philippine contemporary history to be shown tonight after Gandang Gabi Vice.

Speaking for the documentary, ABS-CBN chairman and CEO Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III shared how the pioneering news program made a difference on TV news broadcasting and how it became a daily viewing habit by millions of Filipinos in the country. He said it posted “unusually” high ratings compared to any program shown after its timeslot when it was launched.

“Originally, the common thinking was, it was the primetime entertainment programs that generated the most significant revenues. In the case of TV Patrol, it was the highest rating and highest grossing program in its early years,” said Lopez.

And since then, it has remained as the country’s undisputed newscast. TV Patrol is still the most-watched newscast with a national TV rating of 31.8 percent, or almost twice higher than rival 24 Oras with 17.6 percent, based on the June 2012 data from Kantar Media.

Ging Reyes, head of ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs, also stressed how the newscast has become part of Filipino’s everyday lives and Pinoy pop culture. “People are afraid to be reported on TV doing unlawful activities. ‘O, baka ma-TV Patrol ka.’ ‘Naku, ayokong ma-TV Patrol!’ That’s the biggest mark it has left on us as a nation,” she said.

Being a part of the program has also compelled Noli de Castro, who anchors TV Patrol with Korina Sanchez and Ted Failon, to go out in the field and look for his own stories instead of just reporting them from the studio. 

“I don’t want to be called a news reader. I am a newscaster. I want to know what’s happening and I know when something is important enough to share with the viewers. I get to know what people want. That’s what happens in TV Patrol,” he said.

The docu will also revisit some of the biggest news stories the past 25 years such as the 1990 earthquake, Mt. Pinatubo eruption, coup attempts, etc.

Mga Nagbabagang Balita: 25 Taon ng TV Patrol is part of TV Patrol’s anniversary celebration, which also included the TV Patrol Grand Reunion, TV Patrol Balitandaan and a fund-raising venture called Beinte Singko Para sa Kabayan Ko.