TV5: New Year, New Home

News5 ushers in the New Year 2014 with the big move to its new home in TV5 Reliance in Mandaluyong City; the crown jewel on what will be Metro Manila’s newest central business district (CBD). The ultramodern broadcast center’s very first tenants will be our frontline news service. News5’s transfer to the country’s most modern and digitalized broadcast facilities heralds the Network’s commitment to its public service role and that it takes its news and information function seriously, in the sense of giving the public the best news and information service that they deserve.

Reveling in an upbeat outlook on how the move changes News5, Irco Coronel, technical director, opines, “TV5’s new home brings back the enthusiasm to work at a whole new level. More than the new physical workplace with its state-of-the-art facilities, TV5 Reliance gives you more boosts to be proud of working under the Network.” For his part, Jove Francisco, senior correspondent/anchor, News5, enthuses, “The new base offers convenient access to many beats. It also makes us more accessible to our Kapatids who need our assistance. I never thought I would see the day that News5 will transfer to a new home, I am glad I’m still a certified Kapatid when it happened. Looking forward to making good memories in our Reliance base.”

“I feel great and excited now that the news and information of TV5 has already moved in Mandaluyong. Why? Because as a news desk editor I believe that we now have easy access to our news sources and our technological prowess allows us to deliver the news immediately,” adds Mel Cabigting, news desk editor. The bottom line, according to technical director Francisco Pimentel, is about competing and being the best, “For me, this is the real competition for the other networks in terms of broadcast equipment and studios.”

And things do get better this 2014, as News5 has rolled out a program line-up that combines the most updated and accurate news reporting with knowledge sharing for all types of viewers. According to News5 head Luchi Cruz-Valdes, the i-Dokyu  documentary series will be a game changer. “We mean to differentiate, truly, visibly, perceptibly. We believe that it is knowledge that can make people come to an informed decision that will ultimately bring us out of our sorry plight.

“Tama na yung paiyak, paawa, there’s a place for that. Let’s ask the government what we feel they owe us. And it’s knowledge that will get us there.”

A case in point is the rehabilitation of areas hit by Yolanda and that, “we are marking 100 days, tignan natin anung gagawin ng mga leaders natin. We believe time is ripe for people to know the facts and figures and come up with a decision,” she added.

News5 echoes this “knowledge is power” dictum in its Karunungan series, part of its KBO block, which stands for “Karunungan, Balita, Opinyon.”  “The masses can’t afford cable TV, they can’t watch NatGeo or Discovery Channel; so we’re bringing this type of (programming) to them, with shows that make them feel more intelligent after watching,” according to Valdes.

The Karunungan series strengthens News5’s position as a credible source of information by offering a unique mix of informative and educational shows every night, namely: Demolition Job, Numero, Dayo, History and Astig.

Demolition Job (Monday nights at 10), hosted by Paolo Bediones, tries to dissect, refute and prove certain commonly known facts. The show’s methodology includes experiments with ordinary people as participants and explanations from resource persons and experts on the subject. Numero (Tuesdays at 10 p.m.) addresses our numeric literacy. Host Cheryl Cosim scrutinizes and discusses the hard stories and not only enumerates the figures and data, but gives the statistics a face — and a voice.

Dayo (Wednesday nights at 10) is written and dedicated for our modern-day heroes — the Pinoy overseas workers (OFW). Lawyer Teresa Licaros comes to the rescue as she tackles the plight and concerns of our Kapatid abroad. History (Thursdays at 10 p.m.) is Lourd de Veyra’s domain as he gives his own brand of history lessons and trivia where he  looks into controversies in Philippine history that have long intrigued scholars and citizens alike such as  whether Andres Bonifacio was the first Filipino president, etc. And then there is Astig (Friday nights at 10), where Paolo talks about the science behind sports to prove that “Sa sports, walang tsamba.”

2014 promises to be a banner year for TV5 and News5 is right there in front — giving shape to what dedicated and committed broadcast service is for all Filipinos, wherever they may be in the globe.