They can still remember as if it was yesterday. Even me.

IN OUR OPENING salvo over two weeks ago, one thing was clear: TV5 is finally standing on its own. Let’s skip the corporate talk and call it what it truly is. For years, the Red Network of Reliance felt less like a media powerhouse and more like a cozy boarding house for the homeless elite. It was the sanctuary where ABS-CBN crawled for refuge after its 2020 franchise renewal rejection, a hollowed-out space where blocktimers, sports, and news filled the gaps of an incomplete identity.

The last megaserye of GMA, currently running for 7 months, is suffering a letdown. Sorry for the out-of-context flow, pero I need to answer it fast.

What's next for GMA Network this 2026 -- after the election and anniversary hype (an underwhelming one)?

Squeaky clean, you say?

Back to reality na tayo! Patapos na ang bakasyon para sa ating mga government employees, students, at private sector workers whose VL were granted. Tomorrow, balik-trabaho at balik-eskwela na…

THE FINAL FIREWORKS have faded into a grey smudge in the morning sky as street cleaners fight a losing battle against heaps of confetti, and the midnight countdown’s roar is now just a ringing in o…

THE FINAL FIREWORKS have faded into a grey smudge in the morning sky as street cleaners fight a losing battle against heaps of confetti, and the midnight countdown’s roar is now just a ringing in our ears. Standing at the brink of 2026, honestly, it feels a bit dizzying. Usually, a New Year is just a fresh page in a dusty notebook.

WE'RE ON the flickering edge of 2025—the so-called perfect square year of our lifetime. Sounds poetic, but it doesn’t feel that way. If your brain feels fried, fragmented, or just plain tired, you’re not alone. Before 2026 demands its turn, it’s worth pausing. This isn’t a countdown or a “Best of” list wrapped in a bow. It’s a vibe check.

Made with Tally, the simplest way to create forms.

A DOZEN YEARS. The phrase seems simple, but to a historian, just a footnote; to a young adult, the span from high school to a stable career. For me, the 4,380 days from 2013 to now feel like a lifetime—a complex, deeply personal journey. Each year part of a deliberate, sometimes chaotic, tapestry of words, stories, struggles, and unexpected joys.

For the 12th year, the Yuletide tradition of Timow’s Turf continues—predicting, analyzing, and sometimes critiquing how Filipinos experience television during the most festive time of the year. With the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) memo issued, this holiday season signals the end of nearly three-quarter century in analog broadcasting in Mega Manila—unless the DTTB (Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting) transition is unsurprisingly delayed…

Good day, respondents! As we approach the end of 2025, we’re once again gathering your valuable insights to help identify the 25 Filipino individuals and groups that truly shaped the news this year. I...

THIS MONDAY (December 1), Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko (KKMK) — the longest-running public service television program in the country — marks its 50th anniversary. It is a milestone no other show of its kind has ever reached, a testament to five decades of compassion, community, and quiet heroism. But this golden celebration comes wrapped in grief. Just two weeks earlier, …

BEFORE THE PROPER, here's the context of this special blog post: Since the beginning of this year, the rumors about what’s happening to Play FM (DWRT-FM) 99.5 MHz have been spreading quite widely, especially after the passing of its station manager, CJ Rivera, last August 2024. I wasn’t able to tackle any of the developments -- especially for one obsessive listener from Bicolandia but he's not the chief requester of this blog post -- until the decision was finalized and confirmed.

TWO DECADES AGO, on November 11, 2005, a modest yet memorable channel quietly appeared on our screens. I was in Grade 6. It didn’t demand attention with teleseryes or gossip shows. Instead, it whispered, “Quality Television.” QTV-11, later simply as Q was a GMA Network sister channel that dared to be different in a world dominated by heavy drama, slapstick, and sensationalism.

WHEN A STATION known for laughter and love stories suddenly falls silent, it sends chills through the radio dial. That’s exactly what happened at 106.7 Energy FM, once a lively hub of talk, advice, and high-voltage personality. In mid-October, listeners noticed something was wrong—the voices were gone. The jingles still played, but the energy—the essence that made the station feel alive—had vanished into endless music and ads.

In the noisy jungle that is Philippine media, the loudest beasts—those roaring networks with decades of legacy and ego—often steal the spotlight. But if you tune your frequency a little finer, you’ll catch the hum of a quiet disruptor that’s been busy building something of its own: Prage Management Corporation (PMC), better known under its louder, glossier banner—the…

IN THE WHIRLWIND WORLD of Philippine television, where shows often vanish as quickly as they appear, only a handful manage to etch themselves into the nation’s cultural DNA. Bubble Gang isn’t just one of them—it’s in a league of its own. For three decades, it has made Filipinos laugh, taught us new lingo, and parodied every fad and phenomenon. Since its inception, the show has been a Friday late-night staple, a perfect cap to the work week that provided necessary satirical relief.

ALT: a black and white cat with the words my god what have i done behind it

WHILE EVERYONE'S eyes are on the FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship—especially with Alas Pilipinas (as gracious host) fighting tooth and nail for national pride—and amid ongoing frustrations in national and international politics, I was left stumped. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty to write about mass media. Since I published my blog post on Magic 89.9 last month—my most viewed article in nearly 12 years—requests have been pouring in nonstop.

TWO MONTHS after 99.5 FM rebranded as XFM Manila, the station is revealing its true form. In July, we noted its quiet, strategic entry into Metro Manila’s crowded airwaves. Back then, XFM was in “soft opening,” with a minimal schedule and listeners wondering what would fill the gaps. After 60 days of experimentation, a few talent shake-ups, and more show launches, XFM Manila now has a clearer identity.

NOTHING BEATS A JET—oh wait, scratch that. This isn’t a sponsored post. What we do have is something many Filipinos look forward to every year: the official list of holidays. Yesterday, Malacañang issued Proclamation No. 1006, laying out all the national public holidays for 2026. Perfect timing for those who hoard planners, calendars, or those limited-edition coffee chain diaries (yes, the ones you exchange after downing too many holiday frappes).

FOR YEARS, smooth jazz was more than a radio format in the Philippines—it was a cultural niche, a lifestyle, and a daily soundtrack that eased Metro Manila's traffic. But today, it seems to have lost its rhythm on the airwaves—and online. The recent closure of Crossover Radio Online, the digital successor of the legendary Crossover 105.1, marks the near extinction of the genre.