This time on Schedule Suggestions, we’ll talk about the line-up of Kapuso public affairs programs amidst the October-haul in Kamuning-based stations GMA and GTV.
In recent days, GMA Heart of Asia started teasing an upcoming Korean drama in their slate. Titled Scripting Your Destiny, it is a fantasy-romance drama which aired in its home country only this year. Instead of electing to put the program in the usual K-drama slots of 11:30am or the late-primetime slots, GMA had another idea in mind: kicking out the Power Block or otherwise known as the ‘after Saksi’ slot from channel 7.
Slowly, those programs produced by GMA Public Affairs have begun teasing their move elsewhere (at least for the next few weeks or months, or unless GMA lets them return to their original times). For On Record’s case, they are set to move to GTV’s morning block every Tuesday at 10:30am.
Other programs like Stories of Hope and Tunay na Buhay are yet to issue their own publicity materials with regards to the upcoming changes.
Now that we’ve given the background, let’s move forward to the main point of this piece: setting up and discussing possible ways to schedule most of GMA Public Affairs shows, which goes beyond the abovementioned programs.
GMA
With the news of Power Block’s removal on the post-Saksi slot, GMA’s public affairs shows, excluding non-PA-oriented shows produced by the division (e.g. Unang Hirit), will now be limited to weekends.
Now, here’s how Public Affairs programs across Kapuso channels could be scheduled. Unmentioned PA programs means that they should keep their current times on the grid.
Saturdays
- ————–
- 10:15pm – Tunay na Buhay (transferee from Power Block Wednesday)
- 10:45pm – I Witness
- 11:30pm – Reporter’s Notebook (transferee from Power Block Thursday)
First up, on Saturdays, apart from the afternoon public affairs block, there should also be an evening PA slate, led by I Witness. In the schedule above, it can be seen that to form the said block, Power Block’s Tunay na Buhay and Reporter’s Notebook can be considered for a move to Saturday late-nights.
Sundays
- ————
- 11:30pm – Ang Pinaka (rerun) (move from Saturday late-nights)
For Sundays, not much will change except for the transfer of the reruns of Ang Pinaka to the timeslot currently held by Telesine. As for the old telemovies block, it can be maximized through I Heart Movies instead.
GTV
Now, let’s move over to GTV. For the secondary Kapuso channel, we’ll move out of reality for a moment, and discuss how should things play out based on the previous Schedule Suggestions piece featuring the channel.
Saturdays
- 12:30pm – Stories of Hope (transferee from Power Block Monday)
- ————–
- 6:15pm – Brigada (move to an earlier slot instead of channel, as it was stated on the previous SS article)
- 7:00pm – My Fantastic Pag-ibig
- 8:00pm – Biyahe ni Drew (now airing in the real GTV schedule every Sunday night)
- 8:45pm – Farm To Table
- 9:30pm – Taste Buddies
Every Saturday, Power Block’s Stories of Hope is suitable for our rendition of GTV’s noontime schedule. It will be replacing the initially suggested replay of Reel Time in the previous edition of SS. Thus, creating a noontime news and public affairs block every Saturday on the channel.
Meanwhile, the enhanced Saturday lifestyle block first suggested in the previous edition of SS remains, albeit with small changes. Now, kicking off the primetime grid will be Brigada, which should replace Pinas Sarap in the current real schedule of the channel. As it was discussed last time, Pinas Sarap should be moved to Sunday nights to help alleviate Kara David’s case. Currently, she is seen three times on GTV every Saturday, with an additional program if she happens to do the I Witness, also broadcasting on a Saturday.
Sundays
- 7:00pm – IRL or Pop Talk (rerun) / Tunay na Buhay
- 7:30pm – Good News
- 8:00pm – iJuander
- 8:45pm – Pinas Sarap
- 9:30pm – On Record (transferee from Power Block Tuesday)
On Sundays, the primetime block could begin with reruns of Pop Talk or IRL, which both ended after the dissolution of the Sarap O’Clock block last week. Another option would be Tunay na Buhay, which as of writing hasn’t given a word yet as to where the program would be moving. Now, should the suggestion above be greenlit, where TNB remains on channel 7, the initial suggestion of reairing Pop Talk or IRL should be pushed through instead.
After that, at 7:30pm, Good News should be placed in lieu of Farm To Table, which was moved to Saturday primetime in the last Schedule Suggestions piece. As for Pinas Sarap, it was already suggested the last time that it should be a candidate for transfer to the Sunday evening block. Finally, at 9:30pm, as it was first thought of the last time, On Record — another Power Block alumni — is a good fit for GTV’s Sunday block, providing an alternative to viewers.
Weekdays at 10:30am
- Monday: Stories of Hope (replay)
- Tuesday: On Record (replay)
- Wednesday: Tunay na Buhay (replay) or Pinas Sarap (replay)
- Thursday: Biyahe ni Drew (replay)
- Friday: Good News (replay)
Moving to the weekday morning schedule that is now slated to become the new home of Power Block, it can be retained as a rebroadcast slot. It would be reminiscent to the days GMA News TV used to reair last week’s PA programming every late-morning.
With the latest revamping of Kapuso public affairs programs, it will also be the perfect opportunity to revisit and rehash the programming of both GMA and GTV. For that endeavor, we say “good luck!”