'Marimar' returns to RPN-9

June 1, 2014

**The repackaging of RPN-9**: I think, decided that the management of RPN-9 need to have a stronger and more impressive niche in Philippine television so slowly but surely, you re-repackage them.

Just look at the DJs of the FM radio station 99.5 Play FM, playing the contemporary hit radio (CHR) and more OPM hits. It channels 2 and 7 are going for the masses. Is the strategy of RPN-9 to go for more intellectual viewers for a good one.

The Tieng-owned network has further opened its primetime to blocktimers and co-producers like Solar Entertainment, which is definitely good since network executives that can be into top-rating shows. Further hear that RPN-9 wants to beef up not only its entertainment shows, but also its news and public affairs programs. Personally like RPN-9 for coming up with really good original shows. They come up with very interesting ideas in case often. They both really lack marketing and more aggressive marketing for more maatract to viewers through producing shows and repackaging added new programs.

I'm tired of watching the shows from 2 and 7 craving for more intellectual from local channels.

**GOOD FOR CHANNEL 9**: RPN-9 has good shows intend to complete more viewers. After acquire the *KBL* and *MBA* games, in attract more viewers of the Kasama network should invest more on genre shows.

The no.1 fans started the comedy and variety show, and some mini-drama and Mexican telenovelas likes the popular star Thalia and the rest of our drama series brings back and their quality talk shows, news daily and update of our report, the blockbuster movies as well. Some of Mexicanovelas to rule again like *Esmeralda*, *Preciosa*, *La Usurpadora* and *Luz Clarita* with the popular child star Daniela Luna who grew up as an adult movie princess in Mexico and I wish that RPN got back in an old days that our rules all the top-rating shows in competing with the other giant networks ABS-CBN and GMA as well as IBC and TV5 showing the number 3 spot in the ratings game at the point even I wish that primetime shows of our network will rule again like telenovelas and variety shows will airs on 4 p.m. to midnight slot.

Go RPN! *Kasama Ako!*, more telenovelas and Koreanovelas as well. Acquisition of thye popular US programs are undergoing negotiations.

The Kasama Network will have a new station with a transmitter tower in Panay Avenue, Quezon City. Althrough they will retain the Broadcast City studios in Capitol Hills, DIliman, Quezon City, the Panay Avenue will cater mostly to LIVE programs that is both accessible to the talents and audience.

Before that, RPN-9 competes with *Thrilla in Manila*, *Olympic Games* and *Apollo Missions*; the award-winning Filipino mini-series like *Malayo Pa Ang Umaga*, *Bisperas ng Kasaysayan*, *Cebu*, *Davao* and *Boracay*, and with its local op-rating shows like *John en Marsha*, *Superstar*, *Champoy* and *Buddy en Sol*. Also the Mexican telenovela hits: *La Traidora*, *Marimar*, *Simplemente Maria*, *Acapulco*, *Luz Clarita*, *Maria la del Barrio*, *Piel*, *Maria Isabel*, *La Usurpadora*, *Alguna Vez Tendremos Alas*, *Los Parientes Pobres*, *Esemeralda*, *Gente Bien*, *La Dueña*, *Luz y Sombra*, *Preciosa*, *Quinceañera*, *Serafin*, *Siempre te Amare* and *Maria del Cielo*, showing an outstanding foreign canned programming (*MacGyver*, *The X-Files*, *Buffy the Vampire Slayer*, *Ally McBeal*, *Felicity*, *NYPD Blue*, *Dharma and Greg*, *Chicago Hope* and *The Practice*). Now that RPN-9 is still struggling I hope this year will be a good one for this channel.

Told us our friend, Wilson Tieng, the chairman of RPN set to relaunch the 2nd season of *Boses Tinig Pinoy*, the biggest singing reality search in Philippine television last May 31, 2014. Plans also said the TV networks do something of the natinowide and worldwide version. I personally feel that RPN should take a chance on getting a local franchise of *American Idol*. The yuppies are a great target audience especially now when singing contests in Philippine TV seem to be only focused on making pathways for 15-19 year olds. Yuppies, too, need Idols coming from the 20-28 year olds age bracket.

Gradually also now that Channel 9 especially given the third spot behind ABS-CBN and GMA.

According to Tieng, many new local programs are reportedly planning to launch RPN-9 this year to be more competitive they turn into the two giants. RPN-9 is now owned by telecom magnate Wilson Tieng.

Some of Thalia's popular telenovelas like *MariMar*, *Maria la del Barrio*, *Quinceñera* and *Luz y Sombra*. For those of telenovela hits like *La Traidora*, *Acapulco*, *Luz Clarita*, *Preciosa*, *Piel*, *La Usurpadora*, *Maria Isabel*, *Esmeralda* and *Siempre te Amare* becoming the huge margin.

The Kasama Network RPN-9 is set to bringing back the hit telenovela that started it all, *Marimar* starring the Mexican actress Thalia airing on June 2 from Monday to Friday at 6 p.m. This is part of the network celebration of its 20th anniversary of being the 'Home of Telenovelas'.

Netizens on Thursday expressed their excitement for the comeback of *Marimar* in the Kapinoy channel. RPN refreshed the viewers memory as a teaser video titled *Marimar: The Ultimate Throwback* was uploaded on YouTube. On Twitter Philippines, users were abuzz with the news that the hashtag #ThrowbackMarimar trended on Thursday. RPN-9 announced that *Marimar* rerun will start on Monday, June 2, 2014 with a new telenovela hits liek *Mentir Para Vivir* at 5:30 p.m. and *Porque el Almor Manda* at 10 p.m.

*Marimar* was a Mexican TV telenovela that was first aired in 1994 on Televisa with singer-actress Thalía in the title role. The series had 75 forty-five minute episodes, and is the second part of a "Maria" trilogy. The first was *Maria Mercedes*, *Maria la del Barrio* and *Rosalinda*.

The rights were later bought by RPN 9, dubbed it in Filipino and re-broadcasted on a primetime slot on Philippine television. Pitted against industry giants ABS-CBN and GMA-7, *Marimar* caught the fancy of Filipinos and became a nationwide sensation.Intriguing is the fact that at that time, ABS-CBN and GMA’s shows lord over television and their shows occupy a very huge chunk of the ratings pie. In came *Marimar* and shoved its rival’s ratings. What made this foreign telenovela so special that it was ableto do such? On the marketing perspective, what strategies were employed that led to the tipping of the ratings scale?

Since RPN-9 began to turn around in the year of 1996, thanks to the phenomenal Mexican telenovelas like *Marimar* and *Maria la del Barrio* that helped the broadcast network post a net income of P297 million that year. RPN then opened its programming to block timers, who bought airtime from the network. Solar has been aggressive in improving RPN’s prime time programming by coming up with locally produced shows.

"We have been trying our programming formats to improve our audience share. Hopefully, with RPN, we will have better ratings," said Robert T. Rivera, the president and CEO of RPN.

A widely popular American TV series like *Community*, *The Walking Dead*, *Smallville*, *The Big Bang Theory*, *Chicago Fire*, *24: Live Another Day*, *Revolution* and *Law & Order*. The Kasama Network also broadcasts the phenomenal reality contest *Survivor* and *American Idol*.

Based on media research group Kantar Media/TNS Philippines reports, RPN’s audience share currently hits an average of 19%, at the bottom of the ratings charts behind dominant television companies ABS-CBN Corporation and GMA Network, Inc., which get an average of 54% and 43% respectively. IBC-13 (30%) and TV5 (22%) now also shares the number 3 spot in the ratings game. While not privy to government negotiations regarding the sale of RPN, Rivera expressed optimism that the changes in programming would boost the network’s chances of being sold at a higher price than earlier estimates. The Kasama Network RPN-9 who brought *Marimar*, *Maria la del Barrio*, *Luz Y Sombra* and *Quinceanera* to the Filipinos hearts becoming the huge success on Philippine television as Thalia fans in the Philippines.

The government-owned station RPN-9 first aired a Mexican telenovela *Marimar* in 1996 singlehandedly altered the public's viewing habits and became the highest-rating telenovela in the country that usually reached massive a hit in the Philippines with ratings over 50% and peaking at 46.5% became the one of the well-loved telenovelas in Philippine television history.

Showbiz critics attributed Marimar's success to several of its qualities. First of all, the story was about a poor yet charming young woman who went through a slew of misfortunes brought about by her love for a filthy-rich haciendero. In the end, she discovered that she was the long lost daughter of a wealthy old man. This revelation greatly turned her life around, enabling her to exact revenge on her former tormentors, including her childhood love. It was the characterization of the heroine as an underdog that really tugged at the viewers' heartstrings. The plot, critics said, was flatly formulaic, but Filipinos naturally have a soft spot for the poor and oppressed. Audiences could easily relate with the sufferings of Marimar as a reflection of the socio-economic plight of the majority. Marimar's triumph in the end signified hope, and the fairy-tale ending satisfied viewers as an escape, at least symbolically, from their bleak plight as individuals and as a people.

According to Kantar Media, RPN national ratings during the telenovela’s primetime slot (6 PM) increased by as much as 250% in total urban Philippines and as much as 239% in Mega Manila. Fans of the show have also blown up the micro-blogging site Twitter making subjects related to *Marimar* a constant fixture in the trending topics locally and worldwide. Thalia's physical features, as well as the other actors' faces, were as homespun as ours,  another factor that contributed to Marimar's success. The actors became household names. Babies born at the height of the show's popularity were named after the characters of the soap; even pet dogs were named after Pulgoso, Marimar's loyal talking canine.

Among the cast, Thalia gained the most attention and adulation of local viewers, of course. As expected, her immense popularity called for her to grace the country with a show, which was highly feasible since she's a singer and a performer in real life.

Executives of RPN eventually confessed that they had gladly relented to give P1 million-plus-per-day for Thalia's expenses during her August 1996 visit. Of course, given the projected income generated by RPN during the show's phenomenal run, they could well afford to shell out the hefty sum.

The original *Marimar* telenovela will be replayed by RPN daily airing from Monday to Friday at 6 p.m. while a radio adaptation titled *Marimar Radyo Novela* will be broadcast over 15 RPN radio stations nationwide through Radyo Ronda in Tagalog and Cebuano versions.