There's more to come after ALLTV, the premiere television station of the Advanced Media Broadcasting System (AMBS), was launched last Sept. 13.
During a Zoom conference with the entertainment press recently, AMBS President Maribeth C. Tolentino thanked the viewers who tuned in during the soft launch of the new broadcast network. She also gave an assessment of the launch.
"Internally, marami pa kaming dapat i-improve. Hindi pala ganun kadali yung mag-launch ng network pero unti-unti nakikita namin how to improve 'yung aming system, yung aming organization. So internally, yun ang assessment namin. Marami pa rin kaming dapat idagdag na content," Tolentino said.
Tolentino also discussed the celebrities who signed with the network and the others who were rumored to join ALLTV.
On Toni Gonzaga Soriano, Tolentino said: "Toni is talented. Magaling siyang host. Magaling siyang actress. Ang product natin ay star eh. Hindi ka naman puwedeng mag-offer sa ating mga viewers ng hindi magaling. So yung mga basher hindi namin iniinda yun. Kailangan lang naman namin yung talent magaling."
"Kung hindi magaling si Toni yun ang problema namin. Pero magaling si Toni. Kaya nga siguro siya bina-bash dahil magaling siya. Naiingit lang sila," the TV network executive also said.
Tolentino said she was surprised about the rumored P500 million contract with Toni.
"Baka maipit naman si Toni sa balitang yan. Baka siya lang ang dapat magconfirm niyan hindi ako. Very confidential ito dahil earnings nya yun. Marami siyang earnings na galing sa iba. Meron galing sa advertisers. Isang part lang kami ng kita ni Toni," she commented.
"Ganun ba kalaki? Hindi naman ganun kalaki. Baka ma-tax ng malaki niyan si Toni. Hindi ganun kalaki yun. Sino ba ang nagbalita niyan? Nakita ba niya ang kontrata?" Tolentino added.
Topnotch broadcasters Korina Sanchez-Roxas and Noli "Kabayan" De Castro were also rumored to be joining the network.
On Kabayan and Korina, Tolentino said: "Iko-confirm ko kapag nagsign na sila ng contract. Hindi pa kami nagsa-sign. Mga usap-usapan pa lang."
There were also talks that Karla Estrada and Luis Manzano were joining the bandwagon.
"Nagusap na kami ni Karla. Nakausap na rin ni Willie (Revillame) si Luis. Magkaibigan 'yang dalawa dahil matagal na rin sila sa industriya. So nag-uusap na. Tumitigin na lamang kami ng bagay na programa," said Tolentino.
Fans were also excited about the prospects of teen celebrities Lorin Bektas, daughter of Ruffa Gutierrez and Yilmaz Bektas; Atasha Muhlach, daughter of Aga Muhlach and Charlene Gonzalez; and Juliana Gomez, daughter of Richard Gomez and Lucy Torres, being in one project.
"Target market din natin yung mga anak ng artista. So kinakausap din natin yung mga magulang nila. Once na kinausap sila, sasabihin nila yung ang anak ko puwede na rin. Siguro kung may show na kami para sa kanila, that's the time na kakausapin namin sila," said Tolentino.
The ALLTV president revealed that there were many celebrities who really wanted to join the network.
"Hindi talaga sila makapag-sign dahil may contract sila. Yung iba naman, gustong-gusto pumunta sa amin pero wala pa kaming concept para sa kanila. So andun pa talaga kami sa pag-gi-grid ng programs namin. Once complete na yun, we can easily get them and babalikan namin sila. At kung gusto nilang mag-join sa amin, puwede na. Ang dami pa kasing nagpi-pitch ng program so isa isa naming pinipili yun. Sino ba ang bagay na artista dun? Hindi yung una ang artista," she said.
Tolentino added: "Ang daming nagpaparamdam na artista from other network. Kung pinatulan namin, ang dami na naming artista. Yung iba talaga may kontrata pa at yung iba naman, wala pa talaga kaming concept para sa kanila. Remember gusto natin magbigay ng quality movies, teleserye. Even variety show. So iniisip namin, sino ang bagay rito? Ganun ang pagbuo namin."
Asked about the dream cast for the TV network, Tolentino said: "Gusto namin silang lahat makasama. Ayoko mag-name names, baka magtampo yung iba. So we will just surprise you. Mas maganda yun, may element of surprise."
Other celebrities signed with the network were broadcaster Anthony Taberna, singer-actress Ciara Sotto, and television host-actress Mariel Rodriguez Padilla.
Tolentino said that the network is hoping for a complete line-up of programs prior to the grand launch soon.
"Hindi pa siya puno. May mga nabili rin kaming canned materials from other networks. Unti-unti pinupuno namin siya para maka-offer kami ng complete program grid. We're hoping na mag-grand launch kami, complete na yung program namin," she said.
ALLTV is excited about its initial collaboration with other networks, said Tolentino.
"First collaboration namin is CNN. Other station yun. The second collaboration is yung mapapanood na teleserye from ABS-CBN. So hindi namin kino-close yung doors for partnership sa ibang groups. Kahit sino puwedeng magbigay sa amin," she added.
Tolentino also said that the network will add more transmitters aside from the existing ones.
"Unti unti meron kaming dinadagdag. Hopefully by the grand launch, malaki na rin yung madadagdag namin. Yung frequency kasi andyan na yan. Ang mga transmitter naman ang matagal dumating. Hindi kaagad natin mai-install dahil mga imported."
Tolentino said the new network is hoping that it will launch its own teleserye in 2023.
“Marami na silang nag pi-pitch para sa teleserye. Next year baka makapagsimula na kami ng teleserye. Pero wala pang group na na-award para sa teleserye. Marami ang nagpi-pitch pero wala pa talaga kaming napipili,” she said.
Following the launch, some viewers were confused about the TV channel of ALLTV on the digital box. “We have received reports about it. I suggest na i-re-scan na lang digital box nila at hanapin lang ang ALLTV at lalabas naman ang ALLTV.”