This is the first part of the special Schedule Suggestions anniversary series this year.
June is shaping up to be an interesting month for local television. Networks are making various adjustments to their respective programming grids.
GMA Network, which is the focus of this article, for instance made the “big switch” to its late-evening programming on Monday, June 3.
This, as it transferred late-night newscast ‘Saksi’ to the 10:20 pm slot, the program’s earliest regular time slot in almost two decades.
In exchange, the primetime Asian drama slot has been moved to 11:00 pm, forming a back-to-back slate with the 11:30 pm late-night Asianovela slot that was created back in 2021.
In this edition of Schedule Suggestions, let’s take a look at what else GMA could do with its programming line-up.
- Weekdays
- 5:30 am – Unang Hirit
- 8:00 am – SPY x FAMILY
- 8:30 am – Rewriting Destiny
- 9:00 am – Kapuso Movie Festival
- 10:30 am – To The Moon and Back
- 11:00 am – TikToClock
- 12:00 nn – It’s Showtime
- 2:30 pm – Abot-Kamay na Pangarap
- 3:15 pm – Lilet Matias: Attorney-at-Law
- 4:00 pm – Fast Talk with Boy Abunda
- 4:30 pm – Voltes V Legacy
- 5:10 pm – Eclipse of the Heart / Regional TV newscasts
- 5:40 pm – Family Feud
- 6:30 pm – 24 Oras
- 8:00 pm – Black Rider
- 8:50 pm – My Guardian Alien
- 9:35 pm – Asawa Ng Asawa Ko (Mon-Fri)
- 10:20 pm – Saksi
- 11:00 pm – Shooting Stars
- 11:30 pm – Queen of the Ring
- 12:00 mn – The 700 Club Asia
For the network’s weekday grid, there should only be minor adjustments.
First, in the morning block, the Heart of Asia slot at 9:00 am could be moved to 10:30 am. This is to allow the network to pit it against TV5’s ‘Face 2 Face,’ which will move to 10:15 am starting next Monday, June 10.
Meanwhile, the second change should be for the third GMA Prime drama slot at 9:35 pm, which is currently occupied by ‘Asawa Ng Asawa Ko.’
Rather than making the top-rating drama air for four times a week only, GMA should finally embrace the idea of making all programs of its GMA Prime block air from Monday to Friday.
Moreover, considering that ‘ANAK’ is winning on its slot, extending it to Friday nights should be a no-brainer at this point.
What will happen to ‘Amazing Earth’ then? Please continue reading through.
- Saturdays
- 5:00 am – Agripreneur
- 5:30 am – Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko
- 6:00 am – Pinoy MD
- 7:00 am – Turbo Zone
- 7:30 am – Healing Galing
- 8:00 am – Astig Authority
- 10:00 am – Sarap ‘Di Ba?
- 10:45 am – Pera Paraan
- 11:30 am – It’s Showtime
- 2:30 pm – Abot-Kamay na Pangarap
- 3:15 pm – Tadhana
- 4:00 pm – Wish Ko Lang
- 4:45 pm – Pinoy Crime Stories
- 5:30 pm – 24 Oras Weekend
- 6:15 pm – Pepito Manaloto
- 7:15 pm – Running Man Philippines
- 8:15 pm – Magpakailanman
- 9:30 pm – Amazing Earth
- 10:15 pm – I Witness
- 11:00 pm – Reporter’s Notebook
- 11:30 pm – Dear SV
There is not a lot to be changed for the Saturday line-up of the Kapuso network.
But, as far as running times go, noontime show ‘It’s Showtime’ should be given an extra 30 minute slot on Saturdays, so as to compete evenly with its rival program ‘Eat Bulaga’ on TV5.
On primetime, GMA should be keen to fill the 9:30 pm slot vacated by the canceled weekly sitcom ‘Open 24/7,’ which was temporarily replaced by re-runs of ‘Daig Kayo Ng Lola Ko.’
To permanently replace the sitcom, they should not look any further.
Dingdong Dantes’ weekly docuseries ‘Amazing Earth,’ which currently airs Friday nights, must be moved back to the weekends, specifically on Saturday evenings.
Having ‘AE’ air on Saturdays would allow GMA to hit two birds with one stone: they will have a new permanent show on the time slot and would finally accommodate the five-nights-a-week arrangement for all its primetime dramas on GMA Prime.
Moving on to Sundays now.
- Sundays
- 5:30 am – Key of David
- 6:00 am – Astig Authority
- 8:00 am – Si Manoy Ang Ninong Ko
- 9:00 am – AHA!
- 9:30 am – Born To Be Wild
- 10:00 am – Kapuso Movie Festival
- 12:00 nn – All-Out Sundays
- 2:00 pm – GMA Blockbusters
- 4:00 pm – Regal Studio Presents
- 4:45 pm – Resibo
- 5:30 pm – 24 Oras Weekend
- 6:15 pm – Bubble Gang
- 7:15 pm – Running Man Philippines
- 8:15 pm – Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho
- 10:00 pm – The Boobay And Tekla Show
- 11:00 pm – CIA with BA
Like much of the week, there will only be little changes to the Sunday programming line-up of the Kapuso network.
In the Sunday morning block, GMA’s Astig Authority should run for two hours straight from 6:00 am to 8:00 am. This, as regional programs, specifically for those in Central and Eastern Visayas are airing on these slots.
Meanwhile, ‘AHA!’ and ‘Born To Be Wild’ should air as a back-to-back educational programming on Sunday mornings starting at 9:00 am.
In the afternoon, public affairs show ‘Resibo’ should be moved to a slightly earlier time of 4:45 pm to allow ‘Regal Studio Presents’ to start at 4:00 pm and cut ‘GMA Blockbusters’ down to an exactly 2-hour-long movie block.
But wait, “where is ‘iBilib’,” you might ask. The answer will surface in an upcoming piece that would be part of this special Schedule Suggestions anniversary series.
For now, we have to close this first part focusing on GMA.
With the recent bold move of switching things up in its late-night programming, GMA should explore more opportunities within its entire programming slate.
The adjustments that they could make will not only address scheduling problems that they have in some time slots, but also introduce exciting and creative ways to compete with their rivals.
Trendrod 