Kapamilya comedian Vice Ganda revealed what transpired behind-the-scenes before ABS-CBN’s noontime show It’s Showtime transferred from TV5 to GMA’s GTV channel.
In his vlog released on Tuesday, June 27, Vice Ganda recounted that it all started with speculations via Twitter that It’s Showtime’s blocktime contract with TV5 would not be renewed. He said he learned about this before his US concert early June.
“Nagsimula ‘yun, nabasa ko siya sa Twitter. Umugong na siya eh bago pa kami kausapin. Tapos, I was going to the States for a concert tour that time,” Vice Ganda said.
Before leaving the country, he said he sought clarification from ABS-CBN broadcast head Cory Vidanes about the speculations circulating online. The Kapamilya executive, in turn, informed Vice that things had yet to be discussed with the management of the Kapatid network.
Later on, he was told that the ABS-CBN management wanted to discuss something urgent with him. At the time, Vice Ganda said he wasn’t too worried about it.
Some of the TV show’s staff, however, felt otherwise and anticipated the worst.
Vice recalled comforting and encouraging them, saying: “’Kumalma lang kayo. ‘Di b ang lagi ko namang chika sa inyo, anuman ang magyayari mapupunta naman tayo kung saan tayo dapat mapunta, ‘yun na lang ang panghawakan natin lagi.”
“Hindi naman tayo pababayaan ng Diyos, mapupunta tayo sa’n man tayo pumunta,” he further told the worried staff members.
That meeting turned out to be about TV5’s proposition to move It’s Showtime to an afternoon time slot of 4:30 p.m. The noontime slot of the network would eventually go to the new noontime show of former Eat Bulaga hosts Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, Joey de Leon and company.
Vice was against the proposed time slot because he felt it did not match the show’s brand.
“Sabi ko personally kung ako, siyempre ayoko nung 4:30 timeslot kasi Showtime is a noontime brand. It will destroy the brand,” he said.
“Kung dati nausog tayo ng 12:30, 12:45, okay pa ‘yun kasi pasok pa siya sa noontime. Pero kung 4:30, hindi na siya noontime, feeling ko that’s not going to be right, personally.
“Pero since hindi naman ako may-ari ng Showtime at sundalo lang naman ako, sabi ko kung saan mapupunta ‘yung programa, hindi ko sila iiwan, sasamahan ko sila,” Vice added.
Vice expressed that It’s Showtime’s loyal viewers, the madlang people, as among the reasons that made him stay on the show.
“Naniniwala talaga kasi ako sa Showtime eh at naniniwala ako sa pagmamahal ng madlang people sa’min, at pagmamahal namin sa madlang people. I believe we were able to establish a strong bond with the audience, with the madlang people at hindi ‘to mangangarag lang nang ganun-ganoon,” he said.
“Sabi ko, kung mawawalan tayo ng isang platform, edi mawawalan. Dati nga isang platform na lang talaga nilalabasan. ‘Di ba umabot nga tayo sa YouTube lang tayo? Tapos pinatuloy tayo ng A2Z, tapos nagkaroon ng Kapamilya channel, tas nagkaroon ng TV5. Sabi ko sa kanila, what else can hurt us?” he said of the turnout of events.
ABS-CBN officially announced It’s Showtime’s departure from the Kapatid network last June 20, as the Kapamilya noontime show found a new home in GTV channel. It will start airing on the GMA Network-owned free-to-air channel on July 1.
Vice thanked the Kapuso network for allowing them to use the GTV channel and for providing It’s Showtime a new home.
“Maraming-maraming salamat sa GMA, sa GTV, maraming salamat po sa pagtitiwala ninyo, at sa bukas-palad, bukas kamay ninyong pagtanggap sa akin. Maraming-maraming salamat. Malaking bagay po ito sa amin at ipinagsasalamat po namin,” he said.
On Wednesday, ABS-CBN and GMA sealed It’s Showtime’s transfer with a contract-signing attended by top network executives and Vice with the rest of the show’s hosts.
