Big News

The Big News
The Big News
	Final titlecard of Big News in 2008
Also known as	The Big News; (1962–1972, 1992–2004 - ABC-5); Big News; (2004–2008);
Genre	News program; Live action
Created by	Associated Broadcasting Company
Directed by	Rosario Andres
Presented by	Amelyn Veloso; Atty. Mike Toledo; Cherie Mercado; various contributors;
Country of origin	Philippines
Original languages	English; (1962–1972, 1992–2004 - ABC-5); Filipino; (2004–2008);
Production
Executive producers	Sonny Fernandez; Jackie Sierda
Running time	30 minutes (1962–1972, 1992–2008 - ABC-5)
Production company	ABC News and Public Affairs
Release
Original network	ABC 5
Original release	First incarnation: March 19, 1962 – September 22, 1972 (ABC-5); Second incarnation: February 21, 1992 – August 8, 2008 (ABC-5);
Chronology
Preceded by	Live on 5; (1992–2004); (as hourly news-bulletin newscast); Sentro; (as evening newscast);
Followed by	ABC News Alert; (2006–2008); (as hourly news-bulletin newscast); TEN: The Evening News; (2008–2010); (as evening newscast);

The Big News is the evening television news program of ABC 5. It was the first evening news program on Philippine television. It aired from March 19, 1962 to September 22, 1972, and was originally anchored by Eric Eloriaga, Tina Monzon-Palma and Kathy Tanco-Ong, it aired again from February 21, 1992 to August 8, 2008, and was replaced by TEN: The Evening News, Amelyn Veloso, Atty. Mike Toledo,^[1] and Cherie Mercado served as the final anchors.

History[]

The Big News, first era (1962–1972)[]

It was originally anchored by Duds Rivera and Bong Lapira^[2] with Antonio Tecson as head of the newsroom. Lapira later left the newscast in 1967 to transfer to ABS-CBN to anchor Newsbreak on DZXL-TV Channel 9. He was replaced by Jose Mari Velez.^[3] The show first aired on March 19, 1962 and went off the air in 1972 due to martial law.^[4]

The Big News, second era (1992–2004)[]

On February 21, 1992, as ABC returned to the airwaves, the program resumed its telecast,^[4] but this time, it was anchored by Eric Eloriaga and Tina Monzon-Palma. In 1993, they were joined in by Kathy Tanco-Ong. In 1997, they were replaced by Anthony Pangilinan and Thelma Dumpit-Murillo, who also anchors the network's early evening Filipino newscast Balitang Balita as its new anchors. Tanco-Ong would bow out of the newscast a year later and was replaced by Janice Pronstoller thereafter. Monzon-Palma went to become anchor of ABS-CBN's late night newscast The World Tonight while Eloriaga became anchor of RPN's NewsWatch, both newscast's main rivals during pre-Martial Law days.

On May 3, 1999, Amelyn Veloso became the new anchor of the newscast. On May 22, 2000, Veloso was joined by Rod Nepomuceno as her co-anchor. On June 3, 2002, Nepomuceno was replaced by Atty. Mike Toledo.

Big News (2004–2008)[]

On April 12, 2004, when the network reformatted most of its programs, former ABS-CBN anchor Cherie Mercado and joined with Veloso as co-anchor and the newscast switched to Filipino in order to compete with the other networks' newscasts.

On October 2, 2006, the newscast exchanged timeslots with Sentro, the early-evening news program of the network.

On August 8, 2008, the program, together with Sentro aired its final broadcast and on the next day (August 9), it rebranded as TV5.

Anchors[]

Duds Rivera (1962–1972)
Bong Lapira (1962–1967)
Jose Mari Velez (1967–1972)
Eric Eloriaga (1992–1997)
Tina Monzon-Palma (1992–1997)
Kathy Tanco-Ong (1993–1998)
Anthony Pangilinan (1997–2000)
Thelma Dumpit-Murillo (1997–1999)
Janice Pronstroller (1998-1999)
Amelyn Veloso (1999^[5]–2008)
Rod Nepomuceno (2000–2002)
Atty. Mike Toledo (2002–2004)
Cherie Mercado (2004–2008)

Substitute anchors[]

Gallery[]

Big News logo used until September 2007

References[]

^ "Mike Toledo joins Metro Pacific as managing director". Manila Standard. 30 December 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
^ "In 1966, ABS-CBN News' true start came with the birth of its longest standing show". ABS-CBN News. 5 July 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
^ "'Being first is not so important as being right'—and other credos of ABS-CBN News' early days". ABS-CBN News. 6 July 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
^ ^a ^b Francisco, Butch (8 October 2002). "LONG-RUNNING SHOWS HONORED". www.newsflash.org. The Philippine Start. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
^ Serato, Arniel C (24 August 2017). "CNN Philippines anchor Amelyn Veloso dies at 43". PEP.ph (in Tagalog). Retrieved 14 November 2021.