GMA Network Archives - MARKETECH APAC

Manila, Philippines – Media giant GMA has launched its own artificial intelligence (AI) sportscasters, which debuted at the start of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Season 99.

Following the release of it, GMA has been hit with negative publicity, most especially from media practitioners, over the ethics of launching it and ‘cheapening’ quality of mass journalism in the country.

Exclusive data obtained from Meltwater by MARKETECH APAC notes that negative sentiment for it comprise around 25% of the online discussion, while neutral discussion comprising around 55.4% of online discussion. Lastly, positive sentiment was around 19.6% of online discussion.

Most of these highly-engaged discussions on Twitter, to where much of the discussion is coming from, have noted also negative sentiment media reportage of the AI sportscaster launch.

GMA joins a growing list Asian media entities who have launched their own AI newscasters, including Hong Kong’s RTHK with Aida, Indonesia’s TVOne with Nadira and Sasya, India’s OTV with Lisa, Malaysia’s Astro AWANI with Joon and Monica; amongst others.

In a press statement, Oliver Victor B. Amoroso, senior vice president and head of integrated news, regional TV, and synergy at GMA; said of the launch, “GMAIN’s adoption of AI technology also demonstrates our commitment to innovation in journalism. We embrace emerging technologies to stay at the forefront of the media industry by providing our audience with a modern and engaging sports news experience. Through this initiative, we continue to fulfill our commitment to providing valuable information and enriching the lives of Filipinos worldwide.”

Manila, Philippines – Top industry players in the Philippines including, Globe, GMA Network, Cignal TV, KROMA Entertainment, and Smart Communications have joined hands with the Asia Video Industry Association’s (AVIA) Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) to announce the formation of the Video Coalition of the Philippines (VCP).

The VCP aims to push for stronger intellectual property protection in the country that will protect both original content and users, as well as promote the Philippines’ creative and media industries, not only in the Philippines but around the world.

VCP convenors will also be building on the momentum of the presentation of the proposed Revised Intellectual Property Code in the Philippines’ 19th Congress in July and the recent Protection of Online Content Summit held on September 2 in Manila. House Bill No. 0799, filed by Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda, aims to update the Philippines’ patent application system and make it ‘more attuned to the digital age’. It also ‘provides for technologies and media that were not anticipated’ at the time the intellectual property code was enacted.

Moreover, proposed revisions give regulators greater authority to combat IP violations, including the power to issue ‘permanent blocking orders, takedown orders, cease-and-desist, or disable access orders’ against websites, service providers, and online platforms, including social media. The current IP code does not cover electronic or online content in its definition of pirated goods and lacks clear provisions that would allow for efficient and effective site blocking, and other interventions against online IP violations.

Matt Cheetham, CAP’s general manager, said, “With the presentation of Bill No. 0799, ‘An Act Establishing for the Revised Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines’ to the House, the Philippines has a golden opportunity to not only update and future proof its intellectual property regime, but to act as a launching pad for intellectual property to protect consumers and advance the overall Philippine economy.”

Cheetham further noted CAP’s recent YouGov survey showed Philippine consumers believe a government regulation for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block pirated content would be the most effective measure to reduce piracy in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, Anton Bonifacio, Globe’s chief information security officer, said, “Revising the Intellectual Property Code will go a long way in protecting Filipino consumers from the dangers that lurk in pirate sites and improving cybersecurity in the country, especially as Filipinos now rely heavily on digital platforms.”

Jil Go, KROMA’s head of broadcast and publishing, noted, “Upholding intellectual property rights in the Philippines enables the creative industry to grow and thrive. KROMA, through the Video Coalition of the Philippines, is committed to collaborating with stakeholders to ensure that this is observed, for the industry’s success and sustainability.”

Joseph T. Francia, GMA International’s first vice president and head of operations, said, “GMA’s participation in the Video Coalition of the Philippines presents an opportunity to further strengthen our existing anti-piracy initiatives by working with other players in the industry to push for the implementation of site blocking mechanisms and help protect our viewers and GMA content against unauthorised uploaders.”

Pointing to the impact of site blocking in Indonesia, where traffic to pirate sites has dropped by more than 75% since the government implemented their rolling site blocking procedures in 2019, Cheetham further noted, “The effectiveness of site blocking is backed up by CAP’s most recent YouGov consumer surveys in which more than 50% of Indonesian consumers say that they have stopped or rarely access pirate services as a result of the highly efficient and effective blocking measures in place there.”

“Perhaps, more importantly, 76% of Indonesian consumers say they are accessing more legal content and pirating less, and 26% have subscribed to legitimate sources as a result of illegal streaming sites being blocked. Blocking as an educational tool may also be evident in 95% of Indonesian consumers agreeing that online piracy does have negative consequences – the highest in the region,” said Cheetham.

Manila, Philippines – In a historic deal in the Philippine media and entertainment landscape, the country’s largest media conglomerates ABS-CBN and GMA Network have signed a deal where ABS-CBN’s movies from its film and studio catalogue Star Cinema are now licensed by GMA Network for viewing on their channel.

Said deal is significant in the context of the country’s current mediascape, as the two media conglomerates have been neck-and-neck over the past few decades as the leading network in the country.

Gilberto R. Duavit, Jr., president and chief operating officer at GMA Network, said that the partnership is mutually beneficial for both companies.

“To us, we are very pleased because the significance of our partnership today ushers in the possibility of a far broader set of conversations, potential partnerships and cooperation that will have the benefit not only mutually to GMA and ABS-CBN but as importantly, if not perhaps more importantly, to the benefit of the public we both serve – the Filipino viewer.”

He added that looking forward, since they have, as they say, broken the ice, there is great optimism that these conversations will start and continue, and that they look forward to the possibility of this type of opportunity again moving forward.

Meanwhile, Jose Mari R. Abacan, first vice president for program management department at GMA Network, commented, “During my time programming the network and buying the film, I am very happy that after having a lot of relationships with other majors, we will be able to add another group that I have been looking forward to since the beginning. Many thanks, Star Cinema and ABS-CBN. And I am inviting everyone to witness this momentous affair.”

Lastly, Carlo L. Katigbak, president and chief executive officer at ABS-CBN, commented, “Every storyteller’s dream is to have as many people as possible experience their creations. Now, because of the kindness of our friends at GMA, we have the special opportunity to bring our Kapamilya stories to a new audience. We hope the Kapusos find joy and inspiration in viewing our Star Cinema movies and we also look forward to a new era of friendship and cooperation within our small industry.”

Manila, Philippines – Philippine media network giant GMA Network has unveiled seven new executive promotions, ranging from updates positions for their entertainment arm and business strategies.

Redgie A. Magno is appointed as first vice president for the business development department of drama productions at GMA, and Cheryl Ching-Sy was likewise promoted to senior assistant vice president of drama productions at GMA.

Under Magno’s leadership, GMA Drama has consistently produced content for the growing audience across media platforms, while Ching-Sy played a vital role in creating strong foundations for the Drama Department’s operational success, and in providing key management support to drive content production and development to the highest standard.

Magno and Ching-Sy have worked closely together to spearhead GMA Entertainment Group’s Drama Department as it continuously produces new stories and entertainment pieces that cater to the different tastes of viewers. Some of these notable GMA Drama programs include ‘Encantadia’, ‘Ika-6 Na Utos’ and the Philippine adaptation of Korean drama series ‘Descendants of the Sun’.

Meanwhile, Darling De Jesus-Bodegon was named first vice president for business development department III (Talk/Magazine/Musical Variety/Specials and Alternative Productions), where under her helm, the department was able to rise up to the challenge of innovating formats to adapt to the challenges brought about by the pandemic. Her team continued to produce fresh episodes for the Network’s flagship musical-variety program ‘All-Out Sundays’.

Other promotions include Arlene Carnay as vice president for GMA Public Affairs, Jaileen Jimeno as senior assistant vice president at GMA Public Affairs, Jaemark Tordecilla as senior assistant vice president for news and public affairs digital media at GMA, and Victoria T. Arradaza as first vice president and head of supply and asset management department at GMA.

Manila, Philippines – Marketing technology engagement platform Zoomd has announced a new deal with Philippine-based media company GMA Network, in embedding Zoomd’s on-site search engine within GMA’s platform.

Through the partnership, Zoomd aims to increase the page views of GMA News’ site, decrease bounce rate, and extend average session length for GMA web visitors, which is estimated to be more than 200 million.

“This is a hot period for our sector and we intend to maximize monetization opportunities and target regional expansion, getting more publishers and more clients to adopt Zoom onto their platforms. The Philippines is an important and strong market for us and we welcome GMA to our line of top-tier publishing clients,” said Amit Bohensky, chairman and co-Founder of Zoomd.

Zoomd uses artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) technology, which is aimed to provide new advantages to publishers by optimizing site traffic via on-site search, and guiding advertisers in managing their user acquisition (UA) across hundreds of media channels.

Founded in 2012, Zoomd allows advertisers to save significant resources that would otherwise be spent consolidating data sources, thereby maximizing data collection and data insights while minimizing the resources spent on the exercise.

Further, Zoomd is a performance-based platform that allows advertisers to advertise to the relevant target audiences using a key performance indicator-algorithm that is focused on achieving the advertisers’ goals and targets.