Vets, indies brave new world of paid TV

JOSELITO “Jay” Altarejos

Intending to come up with a “high quality and edgy” lineup of programs, Cignal TV and Viva Communications, Inc. have tapped veteran directors, as well as independent filmmakers, for its soon-to-be launched, 24/7 all-Filipino entertainment channel called Sari-Sari.

“The quality of content will be different, since we’re not solely aiming for high ratings and advertising revenues. We want to build affinity and loyalty. We want to establish the channel as a producer of excellent shows,” Noel Lorenzana, Cignal TV president and chief operating officer, told the Inquirer at a recent press conference.

That Sari-Sari will be seen on paid TV, Lorenzana pointed out, means that they can afford to be more experimental with their concepts.

“Paid TV is flying high in the United States now because of its edginess; it offers things that can’t be shown on free TV…That’s our vision for Sari-Sari,” explained Lorenzana, who’s also president and chief executive officer of TV5.

LAWRENCE Fajardo

“We’ll give viewers a wide range of genres—adventure, suspense, horror, love stories,” he said, adding that offering Sari-Sari in high definition in the future is a possibility, too.

Vic del Rosario,Viva chair and chief executive officer, on the other hand, said he believes that Sari-Sari would be able to give much-needed exposure to creative talents, especially the younger ones. “We hope to create more jobs for directors and writers; we hope to give them good breaks,” he told the Inquirer.

Among those directing Sari-Sari’s initial batch of original content—which include “Tabi Po,” “Class 3-C has a Secret,” “Barrio Kulimlim,” “The Feb 15 Club,” “Kuya and Me” and “Sa Ngalan ng Anak”—are Joel Lamangan, Paul Basinillo, Lawrence Fajardo, Joselito “Jay” Altarejos and Ryan Evangelista.

Fajardo, the director behind the acclaimed movies “Imbisibol (2015), “Posas” (2012) and “Amok” (2011), said that Sari-Sari could be a good platform for him and his fellow indie filmmakers to hone their craft.

“It’s my first time doing a project for paid TV, so I’m a bit nervous and pressured,” he told the Inquirer. “But I’m also looking forward to collaborating

JOEL Lamangan

with a pool of highly artistic people. This is something new to me, because, as an indie director, I’m used to doing just about everything by myself.”

Aside from original shows, Sari-Sari will also feature Viva’s catalogue of classic films and newer blockbuster hits, as well as some of TV5’s series and made-for-television movies.

Meanwhile, Manny Pangilinan, chair of MediaQuest which owns Cignal TV and TV5, said that Sari-Sari could possibly provide the Kapatid network and Viva’s rosters of stars an additional venue to work in. “Perhaps we can mix and match our artists,” Pangilinan said.

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