For our second Pundit’s Hat, we will analyze and look into the upcoming war that will wage in the Philippine airwaves, a war that would make Hero TV a primary contender in the battle for Philippine Anime supremacy.

It’s going to be 1. an external war with a probable AniMEGA Channel on Cignal Satellite TV, which is touted to be the next best competitor for Hero and Animax Asia as well, and 2. an internal competition coming from their Parent company, ABS-CBN, which will involve Digital Terrestrial TV (DTT) using the Japanese ISDB-T Platform, which is expected to eat up potential viewers from Hero..

For our first outing, we will tackle the external competition first… TV5

A bit of background first, Hero is the first all Filipino-dubbed anime channel in the country, Launched by ABS-CBN subsidiary Creative Programs, Inc. (Now ABS-CBN Cable Channels and Print Media Group, or CCPMG) in 2005, it was first tested on Provincial operators early 2005 before it had a preview on SkyCable channel 44 August 2005. The channel was launched on November via Hataw Hanep Hero, their first Anime Event and, up until 2006, the only anime event to be beamed live via satellite nationally (via the hourly H3 updates which used ABS-CBN’s Satellite News Van.)

Hero became the Philippines in general, and ABS-CBN in particular, answer to Animax Asia, who gained a foothold of the anime viewing market until Hero came. According to an article by Manila Bulletin’s Walden Sadiri last 2006 to former CPI Managing Directress and currently ABS-CBN Global Managing Directress Olivia Finina “Chinky” De Jesus, Hero TV is a brainchild of Network Chair Gabby Lopez.

According to Ms. De Jesus, Hero TV is the brainchild of ABS-CBN Chairman Gabby Lopez based on the high ratings of Tagalog Anime on free TV.

“Kuha nila ang mga bata and you are talking to them in their language. You are showing them colorful visuals. Because of the popularity we said why not come out with their own channel that will give them what they want…in contrast to other children channels we only air for 18 hours.”

Among the plans for Hero TV during that time was going international, and they did, to the tune of a Hero TV Block on TFC which lasted until late 2007. So far, there are no more plans for Hero to go international as of posting time.

Hero TV was supposed to be the alternative to Animax Asia, and for quite a few years during the year 2005-2008, they did, pilfering some of the best anime shows like “Mirmo de Pon”, “Dice”, “Gundam SEED Destiny”, “Eureka Seven”, “Bokura ga Ita” and other notable ones, while retaining the network’s crown jewel, “Naruto” and another crown jewel, “Katekyo Hitman Reborn”, which was always aired first on the parent network. Some of these titles added ABS-CBN’s Anime War Arsenal, and to even prove ABS-CBN’s seriousness in promoting Hero, in 2007, they made a Hero-branded Anime block on Weekends, and later, on Weekdays, titled “Hero Zone”.

But by 2009, Hero’s star was faltering, because of an unexpected competitor in late 2008, the arrival of a revitalized ABC, now programmed by Primedia, Inc. and dubbed as TV5. TV5 got the interest of anime fans because of the unusual serving of anime on the least expected, but highly-regarded Primetime timeslot, A slot which was lorded by GMA before they switched to an all-teleserye programming in 2004.

Not only TV5 got hold of the Anime fans who wanted Anime programming on Primetime, they also satisfied Otaku hunger by getting the most unexpected titles: “Code Geass”, “Noein”, “Shakugan no Shana”, “Yamato Nadeshiko” , “Mai Hime” and the first ever same-year anime telecast in the country via “Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood”.

The First Competitor : TV5

When Hero was faltering on its front end, only getting few titles in their front last 2009, TV5 was suddenly being transformed not just into “a third network” but “THE third network” because of Tony Boy Cojuangco’s decision to sell the Parent network to MediaQuest Holdings, the media investment arm of the PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund. Alas, they become the next thorn on the side of ABS-CBN and GMA, ABS-CBN especially because of the plan of MediaQuest.

MediaQuest said it investments in ABC5 and Primedia are in line with its strategy of developing media, content and production resources to complement its other media assets and platforms such as Cignal, a direct-to-home satellite service launched in July this year.

By investing in both ABC5 and Primedia, Mediaquest said it expects to further enhance TV5′s programming, ratings and sales as well as improve the broadcast network’s coverage and signal strength throughout the country.

“Such partnership allows the development of new convergent services through the fusing of telecommunications services with rich multi-media content, which include the recent launch of PLDT’s WatchPad and Smart’s Sandbox,” said MediaQuest, which is the major media and content partner for PLDT and mobile unit Smart Communications Inc.

That was the plan, and with All Youth Channels’ recent fold-up of MTV Philippines, All the portents were good, the ingredients ready, for a TV5 AniMEGA Channel sometime in the future.

You may ask, But why create a TV5 AniMEGA Channel?

It’s because of the biggest reprogramming slap-up of TV5, removing AniMEGA in the process and alienating much of its viewers, prompting Anime Radical sites to spring up demanding AniMEGA’s return. That and a very much big interest to kids’ programming with the inclusion of Cartoon Network, and later, Disney blocks on the programs created a helluva stir among anime fans to dislike TV5.

Adding insult to injury was the truncated return of the block when it was moved to Saturday 11am-3pm. For the first few weeks, all was better, but suddenly the schedule wobbled and, with the inclusion of Lupet and the move of 5max Movies on Saturdays (which eventually became Saturday Super Sine), TV5 AniMEGA was conveniently dead.

But even before TV5 could step-up and create their answer to Hero TV, The latter got wind of the situation and pilfered titles which will kill the AniMEGA TV dreams goodbye of TV5 and Cignal Satellite TV: They were TV5 properties “Code Geass” and “Gundam 00″.

Nipping it in the bud, so to speak.

That is why, for sure, TV5 did first AksyonTV, their touted first 24-hour News and Sports channel on Free TV which is airing on Channel 41 but uses Cignal for the feed. What I noticed on the times they were airing AksyonTV on Cignal is that there were intermittent signal issues. But one thing was certain, TV5 is ready for a third channel on Cignal.

So what will be my pointers for TV5 to become successful in their Anime Channel venture? Here are the salient points:

1. Put the Convergence Strategy to Work - AniMEGA TV will work if the convergence among all PLDT properties will be executed perfectly and swiftly. They could use Smart Bro, Smart Buddy, and Level-Up! as advertisers and push LU! to create a gaming or lifestyle show produced by TV5, as well as allot coverage time for Level-Up Live!, the gaming company’s highly-successful event.

2. Use the AniMEGA strategy in wooing young people to at least switch to Cignal - Cignal has only a few channels that could be proud of, and reportedly, their customer service is one of the most unfriendliest in the business. To woo young people who are not keen on either watching Hero or Animax. Cignal has to tweak their marketing strategy a little bit and get the untapped “internet fogies”, or young people who spend more time on the net that watching TV. AniMEGA could serve that purpose: By linking the AniMEGA branding and the channel, more young people might convince their parents to switch to Cignal or add Cignal to their present subscription. And put it on the minimum package (which costs PHP299/month for the SD variant and PHP599/month if TV5 wants to put AniMEGA in the HD map)

They could also use anime events to promote Cignal, just like what SkyCable is doing,

3. Program the Channel to those who do not watch Hero or Animax - And that includes some youth lifestyle shows, Put up a Cosplay show for instance with Cosplay.ph as coproducer, or partner with either Ozine or other anime groups and convince them to coproduce shows for the channel (not a blocktime, a co-production deal), but the bulk of the channel should be devoted to Anime of course. And also, use the production capabilities of TV5 to produce a live Anime event coverage.

4. Get the most stirring Anime Titles - whether it’s on HD or on SD, TV5 should learn the lesson of not securing both the terrestrial and the cable rights of the animes that they are airing. That is why the next time TV5 tries their hand in acquiring titles either for the main channel or for the satellite channel. they should get both the terrestrial and the cable/satellite rights. There are so many compelling and explosive titles that the network could exploit. Vampire Knight anyone?.. and..

5. Be the first Filipino Anime Channel to Broadcast in HD -well, if TV5 is going the HD route. why they could use their capability to broadcast in HD for Anime! A little investment, and they’re on their way to becoming the first Filipino Anime Channel in HD, eclipsing Hero and Animax’s plans.

That is our full analysis for the external competitor, now we will tackle the internal competitor next post,

 

Headin’ Out!