GMA News and Public Affairs

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GMA News and Public Affairs

Division of	GMA Network
Country	Philippines
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Marissa L. Flores (Senior Vice President and Head, News and Public Affairs) Grace Dela Peña-Reyes (First VP, News) Nessa S. Valdellon (First VP, Public Affairs) Michelle Seva-Recto (VP, News Programs and Specials) Clyde Rolando Mercado (SAVP, Public Affairs) John Manalastas (AVP, News Production) Mike Enriquez (Consultant, Radio Operations and RGMA President) Oliver Victor Amoroso (First VP and Head, GMA Regional TV and Synergy) Florian Balmes (Head, GMA News Research) Jaemark Tordecilla (AVP, News and Public Affairs Digital Media and Editor-in-Chief, GMA News Online) Norilyn Temblor (News Operations Manager, Super Radyo DZBB 594)
Headquarters	GMA Network Center, EDSA cor. Timog Ave., Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
Former names	RBS News Department GMA Radio-Television News GMA Rainbow Satellite News
Slogan	Walang Kinikilingan, Walang Pinoprotektahan, Walang Kasinungalingan, Serbisyong Totoo Lamang (English: Nothing is Favored, Nothing is Protected, No Lies, Just True Service) Ang News Authority ng Pilipino (English: The News Authority of the Filipino) Sagot Namin ang Balita, Kahit Saan, Kahit Kailan (English: We Take Care of the News, Anywhere, Anytime) Redefining News for the Filipino
Language	Filipino English
Website	www.gmanetwork.com/news

GMA News and Public Affairs (formerly known as RBS News Department, GMA Radio-Television News and GMA Rainbow Satellite News; and commonly GMA News) is the news and public affairs programming division of the GMA Network Inc.

The division produces news, public affairs, infotainment, and lately, sports and entertainment programs for free-to-air TV channels (GMA Network and GTV), national radio station (Super Radyo DZBB 594) owned and affiliated regional television and radio stations in the Philippines, and international TV channels (GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV and GMA News TV International).

History[]

News division[]

GMA News and Public Affairs logo with the "Serbisyong Totoo" tagline, an older logo as well.

The GMA News division traces its origin from the Republic Broadcasting System (RBS), established by Robert Stewart in 1950. The programming of its flagship AM radio station, DZBB, depended mostly on news reports. The station covered the eruption of Mt. Hibok-Hibok in 1951 and the election and death of the former Philippine president Ramon Magsaysay.

While RBS Channel 7 was established in 1961, it was in the 1970s that GMA became one of the most-watched television news source in the country. In 1983, Channel 7 was the first to break the news of Ninoy Aquino's death and later would be the only television station to broadcast his funeral. The channel also became the first station to broadcast the Ramos-Enrile break-away that led to the People Power Revolution, also known as EDSA Revolution. In 1998, GMA teamed up with The Philippine Daily Inquirer to produce the coverage of that year's election.

GMA News became a pioneer in local television news in many ways. GMA became the first TV network to be fully reporting the news in Filipino language with their late-night newscast GMA Network News in 1998 which was anchored by Mike Enriquez and Vicky Morales. GMA was one of the pioneers of women in broadcast journalism. Tina Monzon-Palma (who moved to TV5, later ABS-CBN) was one of the first female co-anchors when she first presented News at Seven, one of the most-watched news programs in the 1970s, Helen Vela was the first woman to anchor news in Filipino for GMA Balita in 1986 and Mel Tiangco was the first late-night sole anchor for Frontpage in 1999. During the time of Martial Law by then-President Ferdinand Marcos, GMA was the first to broadcast an hourly news bulletin program. GMA News Roundup aired from 1974 to 1976. The program was later replaced by GMA News Digest in 1976, GMA News Live in 1987, GMA Flash Report in 2002, GMA News Update in 2016 and in 2020 it was now rebranded as 24 Oras News Alert. In the 1980s, GMA also took the lead becoming the first ever television network to broadcast on weekday latenights and weekend primetime.

The station was also the first to use a ticker for breaking news and traffic information. In 1995, GMA News was the first to use Electronic News Gathering Vans in the country. In 2004, it regularly began to use Satellite News Gathering facilities to reach more remote areas. GMA News also covered major events in the country such as the World Youth Day 1995, 2000 Today and 2003 World Meeting of Families.

In 2006, GMA News was praised by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for its news coverage, and said that it was the reason for the network's high ratings. In the 2006 SWS Media Trust survey, GMA News garnered 60% of public trust, second only to rival ABS-CBN with 68%. But a similar Pulse Asia survey shows that GMA News is the more credible in the country and to key demographics.

Public affairs division[]

GMA's Public Affairs division was established in 1987^[1] when Tina Monzon-Palma, then head of GMA News, recognized that a 30-minute newscast was not adequate and sufficient to inform the general Filipino public on what is happening to the recently established Aquino government after the historic People Power Revolution^[2] in February 1986.^[3] The public affairs division started with five news personnel including Marissa La Torre Flores (now handles GMA News and Public Affairs as senior vice president) and held office inside the cameramen's locker room before moving into the state-of-the-art GMA Network Center with no experience, equipment, camera and an improvised set broadcasting at the old GMA building in EDSA with only a passion-to-work attitude.^[1] Today this division, with more than 500 news personnel—both locally based and with international assignments—and producing 16 of the most awarded programs on Philippine television today, is one of the more active.

Weekend with Velez was the first network-produced public affairs program on GMA, afterwards renamed Velez This Week and was hosted by Jose Mari Velez.^[1] Later that year it was joined by other public affairs shows such as Firing Line with Teddy Benigno (later on co-hosted by Oscar Orbos); View Point with Dong Puno; Straight from the Shoulder hosted by Louie Beltran and The Probe Team by Che-Che Lazaro and Issues and Answers hosted by Art Borjal.

From a makeshift and improvised set, the once GMA News garnered several honors and recognitions from local and international award-giving bodies, including two gold medals in the New York Festivals and their first Peabody Award in 1999,^[4] one of the most distinguished merits in the broadcast industry, the only one awarded to an Asian country. The first Peabody was given for Kidney for Sale, an investigative work on the selling of kidneys in a depressed area along the coast of Manila Bay. The award also recognizes Marissa Flores as the executive producer and a team of producers, writers, directors and reporters, as well as Jessica Soho, Michelle Seva-Recto, Jay Taruc, Leogarda Sanchez and Rowel Cornejo, Melchor Quintos and Gregg Gonzales.

When the Philippine longest-running noontime show, Eat Bulaga!, celebrated its silver anniversary in 2004, Public Affairs co-produced Eat Bulaga!: Silver Special with the noontime program's production company, TAPE Inc. Arnold Clavio hosted the program with his fellow Unang Hirit host Rhea Santos. Clavio was a contestant in a former segment of the noontime show.

Coinciding with its 20th anniversary in broadcasting excellence, GMA News and Public Affairs aired a documentary entitled 20: Dalawampung Taon ng GMA Public Affairs (20: Twenty Years of GMA Public Affairs) on October 28, 2007.^[5]

In the recent years, GMA Public Affairs has started producing scripted drama serials that usually tackles various issues that affect the Filipino populace.

On April 27, 2020, GMA News and Public Affairs Digital launched a podcast channel available in Spotify and Apple Podcast.^[6]

Accolades[]

GMA Network's then flagship newscast, Saksi, won the 1999 Asian Television Awards and 2002 New York Festival awards for Best Newscast.

In 1999, George Foster Peabody Award recognized the documentaries "Kidneys for Sale" and "Kamao" by Jessica Soho and the I-Witness team and Jay Taruc's child labor story on Brigada Siete.^[7] On December 9, 2003, the Philippine House of Representatives 12th Congress commended GMA News and Public Affairs through Resolution 787^[8] authored by Rep. Rodolfo Plaza for its efforts in uplifting the standards of the Philippine broadcast industry by receiving the first Peabody Award for television news awarded to an Asian country in 1999.^[9] In 2010, Kara David's I-Witness documentary, "Ambulansiyang de Paa," won GMA News and Public Affairs second Peabody Award.^[7] GMA News TV's documentary program Reel Time's "Salat" episode received a Peabody Award in 2013.^[10] In 2014, Peabody awards recognized GMA News' State of the Nation with Jessica Soho, 24 Oras, Saksi, 24 Oras Weekend and Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho for its coverage of the Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).^[11][12]

Im Ready[]

Im Ready or IMReady is a public safety and preparedness campaign of GMA News and Public Affairs launched on 2010. It is the country’s first 24/7, one-stop shop for public safety information.

Im Ready was forged through a partnership between GMA and several government agencies including DOST-PAGASA and Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA). It also draws support from GMA’s collaboration with Google and Waze, the leading traffic navigation app.^[13]

On 2014, GMA New Media, the technology and digital arm of GMA launched the mobile application IMReady where in users can see real-time information and updates including weather, traffic situations, and news alerts. It is available on iOS and Android phones.^[14]

Programs[]

Currently aired[]

GMA Network[]

GTV[]

Regional programs (GMA Regional TV)[]

• At Home with GMA Regional TV (GMA Davao and GMA Northern Mindanao)
• Balitang Amianan (GMA Dagupan and GMA Ilocos)
• Balitang Bicolandia (GMA Bicol)
• Balitang Bisdak (GMA Cebu)
• Byaheng DO30 (GMA Davao and GMA Northern Mindanao)
• GMA Regional TV Early Edition (GMA Iloilo and GMA Bacolod)
• GMA Regional TV Live! (GMA Cebu)
• Mornings with GMA Regional TV (GMA Dagupan and GMA Ilocos)
• One Mindanao (GMA Davao and GMA Northern Mindanao)
• One Western Visayas (GMA Iloilo and GMA Bacolod)
• Balitang Southern Tagalog (GMA Batangas)

Online[]

(officially branded as GMA News and Public Affairs Digital and GMA Online Exclusives)

• Stand For Truth (YouTube, airs weeknights on GTV)
• Adulting with Atom Araullo (YouTube)
• All Access with Joyce Pring (YouTube)
• ExB Rules (YouTube)
• Fact or Fake with Joseph Morong (YouTube)
• #FYI with Richard Heydarian (YouTube)
• @gmanews #tweetcap (Twitter)
• #GMAnewsfeed (Facebook)^[15]
• #Goals with Gabbi Garcia (YouTube)
• TasteMNL with Arra San Agustin (YouTube)
• The Boobay and Tekla Show (YouTube)
• Thousanaire with Reese Tuazon (YouTube)

Defunct programs[]

Defunct regional newscasts[]

• 24 Oras Amianan (GMA Dagupan) - reverted to Balitang Amianan
• 24 Oras Bikol (GMA Bicol)
• 24 Oras Central Visayas (GMA 7 Cebu) - reverted to Balitang Bisdak
• 24 Oras Davao (GMA Davao)
• 24 Oras Ilokano (GMA Ilocos)
• 24 Oras North Central Luzon (GMA 10 Dagupan)
• 24 Oras Northern Mindanao (GMA 12 and 35 Cagayan de Oro)
• 24 Oras Southern Mindanao (GMA Davao)
• 24 Oras Western Visayas (GMA Iloilo)
• Balitang Ilokano (GMA 5 Laoag and 48 Ilocos Sur/Abra)
• Ratsada (GMA 6 Iloilo)
• Ratsada 24 Oras (GMA Iloilo)
• Testigo (GMA 5 Davao)
• Testigo Northern Mindanao (GMA 12 and 35 Cagayan de Oro)

Defunct regional public affairs shows[]

• Arangkada (GMA Iloilo and GMA Bacolod)
• Buena Mano Balita (GMA Cebu)
• Isyu Ngayon
  • Isyu Karon Socsksargen (GMA 8 General Santos)
  • Isyu Karon Southern Mindanao (GMA 5 Davao)
  • Isyu Karon Northern Mindanao (GMA 12 and 35 Cagayan de Oro)
  • Isyu Karon Central Visayas (GMA 7 Cebu)
  • Isyu Mindanao (GMA Davao, GMA Northern Mindanao and GMA General Santos)
  • Isyu Ngayon North Central Luzon (GMA 10 Dagupan)
  • Isyu Ngonian Bicolandia (GMA 7 Naga and 12 Legazpi)
  • Isyu Subong Ilonggo (GMA 6 Iloilo)
  • Isyu Subong Negrense (GMA 13 and 30 Bacolod)
• Isyu ug Istorya (GMA Davao, GMA Northern Mindanao and GMA General Santos)
• Primera Balita (GMA Dagupan)
• Una Ka BAI (GMA Davao)

References[]

External links[]

• Official website
• Official website of GMA News' Youscoop