Philippine Idol

For the GMA Network program and its successor of this show, see Pinoy Idol.

Philippine Idol
Philippine Idol logo
Format	Interactive reality singing competition
Created by	Simon Fuller
Directed by	Rich Ilustre Mark Reyes
Starring	Ryan Agoncillo Ryan Cayabyab Pilita Corrales Francis Magalona Heart Evangelista
Country of origin	Philippines
No. of episodes	34
Production
Executive producer(s)	Perci Intalan
Location(s)	SM Megamall Cinema 3, Mandaluyong City; Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City
Running time	Varies
Broadcast
Original channel	Associated Broadcasting Company
Original run	July 30, 2006 – December 10, 2006
Chronology
Followed by	Pinoy Idol
External links
Official website
IMDb profile

Philippine Idol was the first franchise of Idol series in the Philippines, the 35th in the world to air a national Idol franchise and sixth in Asia.^[1] The franchise was awarded by FremantleMedia, 19 Entertainment and CKX, Inc. first to Associated Broadcasting Company (ABC) in 2006 and then to GMA Network in 2008. Just like the premise of original show Pop Idol, Philippine Idol aims to find the best young talent in the country who can be defined as "the national singer".^[2][3] Local television personality Ryan Agoncillo hosted the program.^[4] Ryan Cayabyab (musical composer), Pilita Corrales (singer, known as Asia's Queen of Songs) and Francis Magalona (rapper and producer) were judges of the show. Agoncillo, Corrales and Magalona auditioned to be a part of the program, while Cayabyab was chosen by program's producers.^[5] Actress Heart Evangelista hosted the daily updates program, I ♥ Philippine Idol.^[6] Composer Mel Villena was the musical director beginning at Semifinal round.^[7] Mau Marcelo, an aspiring singer from Lucena City, defeated two other contenders at Finale to become the first Philippine Idol.^[8][9] Fremantle Media subsequently awarded the franchise to GMA Network and was renamed Pinoy Idol. GMA does not recognize the results of ABC's franchise.^[10]

Production

ABC started negotiating with FremantleMedia in acquiring a Philippine franchise of Idol in 2004, when Filipino-American Jasmine Trias placed third in American Idol's third season. The price tag was reportedly in millions of dollars.^[2] During development stage, notable personalities in music and recording tried out to become Idol judges, among them were former Eraserheads vocalist Ely Buendia, singer-actress Pinky Marquez, and talent manager Wyngard Tracy.^[11] The chosen judges were addressed according to their agreed-upon nicknames. Cayabyab was called "Mr. C", Corrales as "Mamita", and Magalona as "Kiko".^[3] Before it was launched, there were skepticisms among local entertainment press about Philippine Idol as singing contests are common in local television, with recent ones branded as Idol knockoffs. The Filipino culture of "westernized conservatism" was also noted, as Pinoys tend to shy away from direct criticism especially in front of cameras.^[11] Promotions began during Finale of American Idol season 5. One of its taglines include, "Hindi lang STAR, hindi lang SUPERSTAR, kundi PHILIPPINE IDOL" (Not just a STAR, not just a SUPERSTAR, but a PHILIPPINE IDOL). This was in reference to two singing contests being held during that time--Search for the Star in a Million on ABS-CBN and Pinoy Pop Superstar on GMA Network.^[11] Initially, the program was scheduled to begin on July 29, 2006, but ABC moved it to July 30, 2006. On its premiere, Philippine Idol registered a 7.7% rating according to independent survey against GMA Network's Mel and Joey at 21% and ABS-CBN's Rated K at 26.7%. Officials at ABC, however, were overwhelmed at the results considering they were up against "giant networks". They also noted that ratings for Philippine Idol increased to as much as 12% towards the last 30 minutes of first episode.^[12]

An advertisement of Philippine Idol featuring (from left) Cayabyab, Magalona, Corrales, and Agoncillo. Notice that it shows the program's original premiere date of July 29, 2006.

Early reviews could not help comparing the show with American Idol, which was shown locally on ABC. Entertainment scribes said that the local Idol franchise was not as glossy as its American counterpart, but it was able to pull off because of its promising elements such as human interest, talent, and proper casting of judges and host.^[12] Reviews during Finale were mixed. Nestor Torre of Philippine Daily Inquirer commented that Performance Show was phlegmatic and anticlimactic as the Final Three failed to rise up to the challenge and instead played safe, while Results Show was stretched out with one unspectacular number after another. Sound glitches were also noticed, which he blamed on faulty equipment and lax personnel.^[13] Meanwhile, Billy Balbastro of Abante Tonite wrote that he was impressed with the show's "flow", song choices, pacing, and camera shots. He also noted that the Finale did not have melodrama and lingering shots for the sake of effects.^[14]

Auditions

The main auditions were held in 3 cities, each representing a major island group: Pasay (advertised as Manila) for Luzon, on June 3, 2006, in Philippine International Convention Center; Davao for Mindanao, on June 23, 2006, in Waterfront Insular Hotel; and Cebu for Visayas, on July 4, 2006, in Bigfoot Entertainment’s International Academy of Film and Television.^[15] Fast-Track Screenings were also held in SM Supermalls located in key cities such as Baguio, Lucena, Batangas, Iloilo, and Cagayan de Oro on May and June. These screenings were also done in cities without an SM Mall such as Dagupan, Ilagan in Isabela, Tacloban, and Zamboanga. Applicants were asked to fill up necessary forms and perform two songs before a set of judges, usually from local radio and music industries. Successful applicants were given a pass for Main Auditions. ABC and its media partners Radio Mindanao Network and Manila Broadcasting Company provided free transportation, food and lodging to those who were eligible for Theater Eliminations.^[16] The Luzon Main Auditions and Fast-Tracks yielded up to over 10,000 registrants.^[3][17] Contestant no.0001 arrived at audition venue at 1:00 a.m., while auditions started at 9:00 a.m.^[3] The Main Auditions composed of three stages, wherein passing the first two stages would award the participant with a blue form to face the Idol judges about a week after.^[3] The Idol judges were overwhelmed with the amount of talent presented to them that it was difficult for them to say "no" to aspirants who do not pass their standards. Cayabyab exasperatedly stated during the Luzon Main Auditions,

He admitted blowing his top at times and felt like he was the anti-hero because of intense reactions from rejects who viewed the competition as a ticket out of poverty. The judges even allowed candidates to sing up to five "redemption songs" after saying "no" for the first time.^[18] After seeing the auditions, FremantleMedia supervising producer Sheldon Bailey said that she was amazed at the abundance of musical talent in the Philippines as well as the overflowing amount of touching human stories.^[17]

Theater round

The Theater round of the show was held on August 1 to August 3, 2006 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. A total of 169 aspirants received the Gold Pass from the three main judges, 119 were from Luzon and Metro Manila, while 17 and 33 were from Davao and Cebu respectively.^[15] The list of Gold Passers can be found in the official website.^[19] However, only 157 showed up for the Theater Eliminations as other Gold Passers either backed out or were allegedly "pirated" to join rival talent search Pinoy Dream Academy.^[20] They were billeted at the Bayview Park Hotel, where Gold Passers from outside Luzon arrived via first-class in Super Ferry, while the Luzon contenders were picked up in selected SM Malls.^[21] The contestants were divided into 11 groups with 15 members. Each contestant performed in a cappella. After the group members rendered their songs, the judges selected who would go home and who would advance to next round.^[21] From 157 contestants, 84 were chosen to proceed to the group performance. Each group has 3 all-male or all-female members.^[21] The list of the Top 84 can be found on the official website.^[22] From 84 contenders, the list was trimmed down to 40, each of which sang solo with a piano accompaniment. Eventually the judges selected the Top 24 who would compete for the Semi-Final Round, which was held on live television.^[23] The Top 24 was officially announced on August 27, 2006.

Semifinal round

Main article: Philippine Idol semifinalists

After the Semi-Finalists were selected and divided by gender, the two groups alternately performed at SM Megamall Cinema 3, where a stage was specially built for the live shows. The viewers voted for their favorites by dialing a toll-free telephone number or sending an SMS as often as possible from the end of the show until 8:30 p.m. the following day. The four contestants of each group who received the highest number of votes entered the Top 12.^[6] Then ten of the remaining 16 then performed in a Wildcard round, with the Top 4 completing the Top 12. Candidates for the Wildcard was announced after the second Semi-Finals Results Show, although it was shown on television a day later.^[24]

Final round

Main article: Philippine Idol finalists

The Final 12, as they appeared in an advertisement for the program.

The Final Round started on September 30, 2006, wherein each finalist sang one to three songs under a specified theme and received comments from each of the judges. The viewers continued to vote for their favorites until 8:30 p.m. the following day, which was shortened to two hours starting on Finals Week 5. One finalist was eliminated during the Results Show every week. However, there were special circumstances wherein there were no eliminations during the a Results Show, but the votes would be carried over the week after and eventually eliminate two finalists.^[25][26] The 12 Finalists also recorded a compilation album entitled Philippine Idol: The Final 12, consisting of OPM songs they have performed during the first Finals Week.^[27] The remaining three contenders--namely Gian Magdangal, Jan Nieto, and Mau Marcelo--battled it out at the Finale, instead of the usual two contestants in most Idol shows, held on December 9 and December 10, 2006, at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.^[28][29]

Weekly themes

• September 30 - OPM songs dedicated to their special someone
• October 7 - Soul / R&B
• October 14 - Songs from the Metropop Song Festival
• October 21 - Contemporary Filipino rock
• October 29 - Personal theme songs
• November 5 - Dance music
• November 12 - Radio hits
• November 19 - Movie themes, and Broadway show tunes
• November 26 - Big band
• December 9 - Personal choice, Judges' and Musical director's choice, and Record company's choice

Guest judges

A guest judge was enlisted each week for five weeks beginning October 14 while resident judge Magalona was away in a working tour in Europe.^[30] Additionally, a sixth guest judge supplemented the panel on the week of Magalona's return. Each guest judge generally has expertise relating to that week's theme.

• October 14 - Hajji Alejandro (interpreter of the first winning song of the Metropop Song Festival)^[30]
• October 21 - Wency Cornejo (songwriter and front man of AfterImage)^[31]
• October 29 - Luke Mejares (solo artist and former vocalist of South Border)^[32]
• November 5 - Regine Tolentino (professional dancer, former MTV VJ and TV personality)^[33]
• November 12 - Mo Twister (radio DJ and talk show host)^[34]
• November 19 - Lea Salonga (Tony Award-winning singer and musical-theatre performer)^[35]

Results summary

Notable events

The Philippine Idol stage, which was set up on SM Megamall Cinema 3.

• On the first Finals Week, no contestants were eliminated due to disrupted telephone and mobile phone services in many areas of Luzon caused by Typhoon Milenyo. In the results show, the finalists still went through the scare of familiar elimination routine. Agoncillo called three contestants to an area dubbed the "Hot Spot" before revealing that no one would be eliminated and the votes would be carried over to the succeeding week. The reason this was done was that there were no official results to be announced. According to sources from the network, the votes were not yet counted at the time. ABC-5 Director for Creative and Entertainment Production Perci Intalan also clarified that the three finalists who were put in the "Hot Spot" (Marcelo, Armarie Cruz and Jelli Mateo) were not necessarily the Bottom Three. Intalan said, "We were not allowed to announce who the Bottom Three were because the votes will be carried over next week and it might affect the voting if people know who the Bottom Three were."^[36]
• On the second Finals Week, two contenders—Stef Lazaro and Drae Ybañez—were eliminated in view of the preceding week's non-eliminations.^[26]
• No one was eliminated again on the fourth Finals Week due to reports of disrupted voting (among Sun Cellular and Smart subscribers). The votes amassed for this week were carried over to Week 5. Through the rest of the results night, each of the judges picked one finalist to give an encore performance: Cornejo picked Cruz, Corrales chose Marcelo, and Cayabyab picked Magdangal.^[37]
• Starting on the fifth week, performance nights were held on Sundays while elimination nights are on Mondays, as opposed to the previous setup of Saturday performances and Sunday eliminations.^[37] Also, voting time was shortened to two hours.^[32] This change was adopted (partly due to public clamor) to pattern the voting from American Idol, which limits voting to a window of two hours after performance night. Mateo and Cruz were eliminated because of the non-elimination on the previous week.^[38]
• On the seventh week, each finalist sang a song chosen for them by a fellow Idol based on these assigned pairings: Magdangal and Nieto, Marcelo and Mendoza, Chavez and Dingle.^[39] After the night's performances, guest judge Mo Twister expressed with certainty that Dingle would be eliminated the next night and even wagered that he would go to work in a dress for a week if his prediction proved wrong.^[34] Dingle was indeed eliminated the following night.^[40][41]
• On the eighth week, each of the remaining five contestants performed two songs. This was the reason cited for a thirty-minute extension for voting during that night.^[35]
• The remaining four finalists gave "mini-concerts" on ninth week, each performing 2 song numbers with a short spiel to the audience in between. On results night, Agoncillo initially called Marcelo and Nieto to the Hot Spot, then sent Nieto back and retained Marcelo. Agoncillo then posed to Marcelo the scripted question of whom she thought should accompany her to the Hot Spot. When Marcelo picked Mendoza, Agoncillo confirmed the correctness of her choice, then immediately went on to reveal that Mendoza was the one eliminated.^[28]
• The tenth week featured special segments about the final three contenders: Marcelo, Magdangal, and Nieto.

Finale

Mau Marcelo cried out loud on stage when she was declared as the first "Philippine Idol".

On December 9, 2006, Philippine Idol held its Performance Night Finale at the Araneta Coliseum dubbed The Big 3 at the Big Dome. Each of the three remaining contenders performed three songs, one personally chosen by the contestant, one by the judges and one by Sony BMG Music Philippines. Agoncillo hosted the performance night alone; he was then joined the next night by Heart Evangelista.^[42] The next night at the same venue, the star-studded results show was held, headlined by Magdangal, Marcelo, and Nieto together with the rest of the Final 12. The show also included performances from Cueshé, Aiza Seguerra, the SexBomb Girls, G Toengi, Hajji Alejandro, and Gary Valenciano, as well as resident judges Francis Magalona and Pilita Corrales. Ryan Cayabyab also performed his compositions by joining the finalists through his piano accompaniment. In what can be regarded as the climax of the show, the Final 12 and resident judges Corrales and Cayabyab performed a medley of songs composed by Cayabyab, including an original one which he made with finalist Miguel Mendoza entitled "Here I Am".^[43] Marcelo was voted as the first Philippine Idol, amassing about 35.26% of the vote. The vote was a hotly contested one with the runners-up earning about 33.84% and 30.90% of the votes. It was not revealed, however, which runner-up garnered which percentage, but they each received P250,000. Aside from the title, Marcelo also earned a contract with Sony BMG Music Philippines, a management contract with an agency of Fremantle Media's choice, a P1,000,000 non-exclusive contract with ABC, and a cash prize of P1,000,000.^[44]

Post-Idol

Marcelo's first post-Idol music video for her single "I Shine For You".

The Philippine Idol finalists reunited in a special concert that was held on March 23, 2007 in Araneta Coliseum. Reports said that major sections of the venue were not filled and the concert experienced major sound glitches from faulty microphones that shadowed their laudable performances.^[45] Marcelo still remains as the finalist with a recording contract with Sony BMG Music Philippines with the release of her new album entitled On My Own, derived from its carrier track "Try It on My Own". Weeks after her winning (on December 20, 2006), Marcelo performed in Malacañang Palace for the Christmas party of Office of the President.^[46] Marcelo has also released her first post-Idol full-length album entitled I Shine for You.^[47] A remixed version of "I Shine for You" is used as a theme song for local television show Shall We Dance: The Celebrity Dance Challenge, which is being shown on ABC. On the other hand, runner-up Magdangal signed a non-exclusive contract to GMA Network a month after Philippine Idol and is a regular on Sunday noontime variety show SOP Rules, which he confirmed in his Yahoo! Group.^[48][49] However, it has been noticeable that he is not mentioning "Philippine Idol" in his appearances on GMA Network.^[50] He also won Best Performance by a New Male Artist at the 20th Awit Awards on August 2007 for his song "Himala" that was part of Philippine Idol: The Final 12 Album.^[51] Meanwhile, fellow runner-up Nieto has since resigned from his high-paying job at Unilever Philippines to fully pursue his singing career.^[52] Nine months after Idol, he signed a contract with GMA Network and was introduced in SOP on October 2007 as its newest "Kapuso".^[53] Nieto and Mendoza also appeared on the ABS-CBN variety show ASAP '07 alongside Piolo Pascual, Sam Milby, Jay-R Siaboc, and Ronnie Liang. Moreover, Nieto was also interviewed in TV Patrol World about his appearance on the show. Along with Mateo, Nieto also sang a food condiment jingle that was rearranged by Cayabyab. Mateo is a co-host in Pilipinas Ngayon Na!, an infotainment program in state-owned National Broadcasting Network.^[54] She also briefly appeared in ABS-CBN's noontime show Wowowee as one of its co-hosts. Meanwhile, Drae Ybañez was featured in the February 6, 2007 edition of the ABS-CBN late evening news program Bandila. Philippine Idol was not explicitly mentioned in the report; rather, it focused on his charity work. He announced during a performance in De La Salle Philippines' grand reunion that he is taking up Music Production in De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. Reymond Sajor won in the Senior Vocalist category in the World Championships of Performing Arts 2007, which was held in Los Angeles, USA.^[55] Sajor is also recording his debut album with musical direction by Gerard Salonga. ^[56] Armarie Cruz, Ken Dingle, and Apple Chiu formed "AKA", a singing group that performs in Metro Manila's bar and hotel circuits. It was formed by a former Idol writer, with former Mulatto band member Jun Lacanieta as the group's musical director. The group also admits that all the 12 finalists support each other even after the competition.^[57] Pow Chavez returned to her band "Joint" and continued to perform around Metro Manila bars.

Kakaibang Idol

Main article: Kakaibang Idol

Yova Alonzo, winner of the Kakaibang Idol.

Kakaibang Idol was a special episode of Philippine Idol held on September 23, 2006, a week after the Top 12 Finalists have been named. It was an interactive reality singing competition consisting of notable auditionees who either did not pass or failed to make it through Semifinals. The program was named Kakaibang Idol (A Different Kind of Idol) because the seven contestants made an impact among viewers of the show. The twelve finalists were present that night, but only performed at beginning and end of the show. Likewise, Magalona, Corrales, and Cayabyab took a back seat, appearing in clips taking their "time off". Taking over jury duties that night were comedic performers Ethel Booba, Arnell Ignacio, and Tuesday Vargas.^[58] Although that night was a breather, voting was still active, involving viewers to pick the performer who should be proclaimed Kakaibang Idol. The next night, with the presence of the finalists and judges, Kenneth Paul "Yova" Alonzo--a transsexual call center agent from Cebu City--was chosen by viewers as Kakaibang Idol.^[59][60]

I ♥ Philippine Idol: Exclusive

I ♥ Philippine Idol: Exclusive, originally Philippine Idol: Exclusive, is a thirty-minute daily program that features updates, news and behind-the-scene footages of the show. Since its premiere on August 14, 2006, a male voice talent (who also voices the plugs for ABC programs) has been facilitating the program, with appearances by Jmie Mempin who is also a production associate of Philippine Idol. Actress Heart Evangelista took over on September 4, 2006. Accordingly, Philippine Idol: Exclusive was renamed I Love Philippine Idol: Exclusive with a heart shape reflecting the new host.^[61]

Controversies

Czarina Rose Rosales as a Gold Passer in Philippine Idol (above) and as a NCR Star Dreamer in Pinoy Dream Academy (below).

Auditions

A fast-track audition that was to be held at SM City Sta. Mesa was cancelled leading to complaints from hopefuls and parents. After hours of waiting, a representative of ABC arrived and relocated each of the 160 frustrated applicants to other scheduled Fast-Track auditions.^[62] There were Filipinos living in Mindanao who reacted negatively to what Philippine Idol judges said after a low Gold Pass turnout at the Davao Main Auditions, with Corrales (a Cebuana herself) was quoted as: "Davao is not the place to look for an Idol. All the good ones are in Cebu."^[63] Corrales later clarified in the Wildcard Round that she said such a statement because of the low turnout in the Davao auditions and the even lower Gold Pass output; she further said that "Davao's best talents" might probably have already auditioned in Manila.

Talent piracy

Another controversy came out when ABC confirmed that a Gold Passer (later identified in the show's official website as Czarina Rose Rosales) was pirated by ABS-CBN's Pinoy Dream Academy, the Philippine franchise of Star Academy.^[20][64] Sources said that representatives of ABS-CBN even approached a judge to "just let (some of) the contestants go."^[65] This came after news that ABS-CBN wanted to co-produce Philippine Idol with ABC, but was denied.^[66] However, ABS-CBN sent a letter to Philippine Daily Inquirer, the newspaper that published the said report, denying the allegations. They said that they successfully staged competitions without poaching contestants from other contests and would fully respect a contestant's choice which competition one would join.^[67] Auditions for Pinoy Dream Academy were being held before the theater rounds. In the aftermath of the "talent piracy" issue, ABC sent a formal letter of complaint to ABS-CBN, alleging that three Gold Passers of Philippine Idol' became contestants of Pinoy Dream Academy. ABS-CBN did not comment on the letter, as neither of the three talents questioned became a finalist of that show.^[68]

Vote padding

Upon the announcement of the Top 4 Male finalists, there were viewers of the show who had negative reactions regarding its format. They were shocked, disappointed, and were left complaining. Two of the contestants that were favored by the judges based on their performances failed to make the cut. Instead, two others who had rather bad reviews from the jurors took the spot. Thus, there were critics that concluded the show as just another "popularity contest" rather than a singing competition. Cayabyab, mentioned that people should not be complacent regarding the contestants' status on the show. Instead, he advised them to keep on voting for their favorites because of the show's factors such as its uncertainty.^[69] This criticism about the show being a mere "popularity contest" was also reflected during the Women's Semi-finals, as talent critics believed two contenders that failed the cut should have made through Top 4. The critics also noted that viewers did not take heed to the judges' remarks about performance.^[70] Torre stated in his article that the results of Philippine Idol Semi-finals revealed that viewers were not yet knowledgeable or objective enough to pick the first Idol. He also pointed the compromised voting based on "subjective campaigns" from some of the semi-finalists' backers.^[71] Torre later commented that the show did not affirm a contestant's popularity but "the determination and deep pockets of his supporters."^[60] This fear can be supported on a report published by Manila Bulletin about contestants who buy their way to the top. Cayabyab divulged that he did not expect the way people voted and would see if that trend would continue in the coming weeks. He admitted however that it was part of the game.^[72]

Looks over talent

During the Results Show of the Wildcard Round, Marcelo jokingly said that Philippine Idol is not a singing contest but a "pagandahan" (beauty contest), which received a thunderous applause and laughter (especially from Cayabyab). Her statement was interpreted by fans in two ways: as a way of venting out her frustrations in the voting process; or as a means of sarcasm. She later made it to Top 12. In a later interview at I ♥ Philippine Idol: Exclusive, she said that she did not mean anything. Marcelo later apologized for her remarks during Finale's post-results show press conference.^[73] The judges were also scored by viewers for their constant comments about contestants who should lose weight, especially Marcelo. Marcelo admitted getting hurt by comments on so-called physical flaws, adding that she entered a "singing contest" not a "dancing competition". Cayabyab said that he avoids commenting on the singer's physical attributes.^[39]

Cayabyab losing cool

Idol judge Cayabyab had shown signs of frustrations during Results Shows when best performers the night before would get eliminated. He finally expressed his disgust over the results after Sajor's elimination, calling it "dreadful". He also appeared to have surrendered at the prospect of finding the best singer in the contest, predicting that it would be a "lightweight competition" wherein contestants would be singing nursery rhymes.^[74]

Pinoy Idol

Main article: Pinoy Idol

It had been announced in a report in ABC's early evening news show Sentro that a second season of Philippine Idol was in the works. This was also announced by Marcelo during the concert of first season's Final 12 at Araneta Coliseum in March 2007. However, rumors began to spread that Philippine Idol would not be having a second season as planned, while major station GMA Network was planning to acquire the Idol franchise.^[75][76] Sources claimed that ABC incurred heavy losses in the previous season, primarily because of low advertisement placements despite being a widely-followed show.^[75] ABC asserted that it was still under negotiation with FremantleMedia about the second season, but admitted that they would not make it in time for a premiere in July 2007 like the year before and would instead earmark Asian Idol as its "big launch".^[77][78] However, they said that it was a possibility that GMA was negotiating about Idol as well since it already had local franchises of Celebrity Duets and Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?--both from FremantleMedia.^[76] After months of negotiations, FremantleMedia officially decided to have the second season on GMA Network, slated for a 2008 premiere under the name Pinoy Idol.^[79] FremantleMedia's representative Geraldine Bravo said that it was "very fortunate" to find a new partner, while GMA Network's Senior Vice President for Entertainment Wilma Galvante added that both parties have agreed that the network "has the experience, the resources, and the people to mount talent-search programs."^[10] Reports said that GMA plans to treat Pinoy Idol as a completely different show, without referring to Philippine Idol as its "first season" and not recognizing Marcelo as the "first winner".^[10] Agoncillo and Cayabyab would not reprise their roles in the new Idol show as they will star in the second season of Pinoy Dream Academy.^[79] ABC was reportedly sore about the deal, saying through its Senior Vice President for Corporate Affairs Terra Daffon that ABC was willing to buy only Idol with no other packages attached, but FremantleMedia has apparently found a better deal with GMA, "a giant" according to their network which they described as a "Jack trying to climb the beanstalk". ABC was also saddended by reports that GMA would relaunch the show. Daffon commented that GMA's move to acquire FremantleMedia programs was a complete turnaround from its previous vow not to "buy" foreign franchise, and that it seemed set in battling rival ABS-CBN anew as the latter now has four franchises from Endemol.^[80] Galvante, meanwhile, countered that she will not back down from what she said that GMA will not "copy" foreign franchises completely, without making adjustments to entertain local viewers,^[80] which was different from her statement a year before that the network did not need to "buy" a foreign franchise to put up their own talent searches.^[81] The Philippine Idol finalists who were interviewed said they have "mixed emotions" about the move, but they were looking forward for next batch of Finalists.^[57] Despite ABC losing the franchise, Marcelo's participation in Asian Idol still pushed through, with the network airing the special Idol edition. Corrales also appeared in the show.^[82]

References

• Philippine Idol Official Website

See also

• List of programs broadcast by Associated Broadcasting Company
• Pinoy Idol

Footnotes

•  • e Idol series
National franchises	United Kingdom (original) • Armenia • Australia • Belgium • Brazil • Bulgaria • Canada • Croatia • Czech Republic • Denmark • Estonia • Finland • France • Germany • Greece • Iceland • India • Indonesia • Kazakhstan • Malaysia • Netherlands • New Zealand • Norway • Pakistan • Philippines • Poland • Portugal • Russia • Singapore • Slovakia • South Africa • Sweden • Turkey • United States • Vietnam
International franchises	Africa • Arab world • Asia • Latin America • Serbia, Montenegro & Macedonia • West Africa • World Idol