More to go? GMA cancels 2 Sunday shows
GMA has been spring-cleaning its program line-up. The Kapuso Network has cancelled H.O.T TV and Party Pilipinas in the Sunday afternoon block in just three weeks, and a source told Yahoo! Philippines that youth-oriented "Teen Gen" is scheduled for cancellation by end of June.
The nine-month-old talk show aired its final episode last April 28. Party Pilipinas, meanwhile, will end this Sunday (May 19) after 26 months on air--leaving some Kapuso performers on standby for its replacement.
"In a few weeks, there will be exciting changes in the Sunday noontime offering of GMA. The new musical variety show will have more fun and thrilling elements that viewers must definitely watch out for, still with the biggest and brightest Kapuso stars. More information on the show will be announced soon," said Lilybeth G. Rasonable, GMA's OIC for Entertainment TV, in a statement.
On Saturday, May 18, GMA sent another statement to Yahoo! Philippines OMG!, confirming that Party Pilipinas will indeed "take a bow" on Sunday, May 18.
"After much speculation and intriguing news that have been circulating, last week, Party Pilipinas confirmed that this Sunday will indeed be the show's culminating week. The highly-controversial and much-talked about announcement stirred much reaction from the public, but 'Party Pilipinas Take a Bow' will set the tone loud and clear - that this is not about bowing out of the Sunday TV noontime slot, but rather, the show's last hurrah is about taking pride of what its artists have offered and what it has become through the years."
Teen Gen to bid goodbye?
According to a network insider, the management has already told the "Teen Gen" production of its impending cancellation, six months after serving as Kapuso newbie actors' training ground. The stars of the show, however, have yet to be informed.
The production staff also divulged that the management is already anticipating a stiff competition as ABS-CBN was reportedly reviving its hit youth show "Tabing Ilog" where some of today's biggest Kapamilya stars debuted.
The ratings game
As advertisers determine placements based on ratings, the business of broadcasting is at the mercy of the audience measurement.
According to Nielsen's NuTAM (national urban TV audience measurement), H.O.T TV's finale episode failed to topple “The Buzz” when it posted 18.3% audience share, 10 points lower than The Buzz's 28.4%.
Even Party Pilipinas (PP) failed to make a dent on ABS-CBN's 15-year-old variety show ASAP. In last week's ratings derby, ASAP had 32.1% audience share, six points higher than PP's 25.3.
Teen Gen's 22.3% audience share last week also lagged behind ABS-CBN Luv U's 32.5%.
A couple of days ago, GMA 7 President and COO Gilberto R. Duavit Jr. hinted at the network’s annual stockholders' meeting that new shows will be launched very soon to maintain the momentum of its net income surge for the first quarter of the year.
"There will be program launches throughout the day. Actual titles and disclosures will be made very, very soon. Pero nakakasiguro ang ating mga manonood lahat ito ikasasaya nila."
