19 Years on TV — Still Counting

Today, 19 years ago the TV show Motoring Today aired its first episode on Channel 4 of the People’s Television Network. That was when the time-tested tandem of Pocholo Ramirez, the country’s racing "living legend" and I was born. He was the resource person for motor sports with his extensive exposure to the sports discipline and I was the broadcaster with my modest number of years in media having gone through many of its aspects from disc jockeying, to radio live coverage to TV hosting and production together with media marketing and sales.

If my fading memory is not fading now, I remember it was Billy Martinez, one of those pioneer motor sports buffs that we still had around, who was our special guest for our maiden show. I completely agreed with my Director then, Philip Daffon (currently the host & producer of the TV show "Mag Agri") that it was apt to have people who could trace the beginnings of motor sports in the country to kick off the show’s initial presentations. The second episode, which we taped on the same day that we did the first, had Gus Lagman, who’s now the president of AAP, Automobile Association of the Philippines (Formerly PMA) and Robert Aventajado, at that time the country’s "winningest" rally driver (and who became much later on a senior cabinet member of the ERAP administration), as guests who continued guiding the viewers through the history of motor sports in the Philippines.

The taping venue of our first two episodes, which was graciously hosted by Biboy Enriquez, was the Playboy Club of what was known then as the Silahis Hotel. I think it is now known as the Grand Boulevard Hotel. I also remember that all throughout the show we were being served by Playboy Bunnies in their patented way of serving drinks and food, which was with their back towards the table while in an almost kneeling position — and please don’t ask me why it was such.

After taping the first few episodes and spending a small fortune on the rented equipment, we were forced to go Spartan (using one VHS camera with a single light that was attached to the camera itself), lest we would have to close shop without even finishing a season due to the untenable "pocket-empting" logistic requirements of producing a weekly TV show. That was when Pocholo and I started taping in one of the Card Rooms of Valle Verde Country Club of which he was the General Manager — how convenient.

Fortunately the show immediately established a loyal following largely due to its pioneering format (we were the only TV program showing Formula 1 and World Rallye Championship races, thanks to Pochie’s first born, Kookie Ramirez who was then in the States taping all these motor sports events shown on TV and sending them to his Dad) and to a very great extent also because of our schedule of airing, which was right before the then very highly-rated PBA games. That meant that those waiting for the start of the coverage of the very popular basketball games were already watching Channel 4 with the big public TV sets in pizza parlors and restaurants also tuned in. As we were also the only TV show covering local motor sports events, we had a captive audience among those who participated in them counting also their family members and friends.

As we trudged along we also adjusted to the needs of the times while trying to keep our heads above water and striving to survive. We were also the pioneers in covering the events and reporting on the developments in the automotive industry long before there was a motoring beat in the media to speak of and long before "motoring journalists" became local buzz words.

From motor sports as a jumping board, Motoring Today evolved and innovated with similarly focused involvement in the motoring industry and likewise in public affairs relevant to transportation and traffic management thus covering almost all the aspects of motoring in the country.

There were sponsors who we need to acknowledge for having laid their trust on our vision of catering to the needs and concerns of the motoring public and also for sharing with us the pioneering spirit of treading in unknown and untested waters. There was Marlboro, with Quito da Roza and Gerry Aquino who gambled on supporting us from "Day 1" of the show by sponsoring the Race of the Week (now known as Race Weekend) and there was also STP of First Brands Philippines with Mon Calimbahim backing our weekly Car Care Tips, Bobby Garcia of Ramcar for Showcase and of course my brother Rey, who was then top honcho for corporate communications of Pilipinas Shell, which was also one of the pioneer sponsors of the TV program. I also need to mention here the invaluable support of my major partner in STV, Sunshine Television, the man who raked in the fortunes then for the PBA, salesman par excellence, Tony Sulit, who also greatly helped make our show survive during those very trying and challenging times.

In the show’s almost a thousand weekly episodes, Motoring Today would have probably made almost that same number of on-cam interviews of people — celebrities, personalities, government officials, businessmen, professionals, etc., in our weekly quest to help solve road problems and address motoring concerns that were either referred to us by our viewers or those we encounter ourselves. So far our batting average of success in our weekly Public Service portion has always been in an enviable level, owing probably to our approach of almost begging for help in order to alleviate an adverse road situation rather than harass and threaten with media power as some shows have the inclination to do to get things done.

Well, nineteen years have passed and as we air our show, which is now recognized by many as an institution on Philippine television, this coming Sunday at 4 o’clock in the afternoon on the Sports Plus Channel we would be on our 20th year of service to the motoring public. Much of the entirety of our 19 years of existence was spent on Channel 4. However, when political uncertainty set in earlier this year, the government decided to get rid of most of the block timers like Sunshine Television in NBN, so that majority of the airtime could be used for the government’s needs to disseminate information. Well, this proved to be a blessing in disguise for us when we were left with no choice but to consider cable television as our medium. The extensive nationwide patronage of the Solar Cable TV Network comes very close to the nationwide satellite broadcast coverage of NBN. Another major difference, which is in our favor, is the pre and post programs that we now have on our shows compared to a very volatile program scheduling that Channel 4 has always been known for.

And as we renew our covenant year after year during our anniversary month to keep on going, ’til we can, to serve the motoring public, you can expect Motoring Today to air as your "Sunday viewing habit" even if the hosts would have to be brought in to the TV studio on wheelchairs. Audi Turbo Diesel Engines — having your cake and eating it too

I had the Audi A4 Avant TDI for a few days to test drive and did I make heads turn wherever I drove?

I’m sure our friends from PGA Cars — top honcho Mike Coyiuto, its general manager Spencer Yu and corporate communications director Amado del Rosario were confident that anyone seeing this vehicle pass would not be able to resist taking a second look, firstly because of the impressive aesthetics that the car possesses and probably for good measure, because of the big screaming signs that they placed on both sides saying that it runs at an outstanding fuel performance of "19 kilometers per liter". So, tell me how can you resist taking a good second look when you see this car on the road?

Okay, you take a good second look when you see this car. Now, try taking it for a spin and you’ll definite ask for a second and third and even fourth chance for a test drive.

Why? Because it’s really like having your cake and eating it too! Imagine not worrying about excessive fuel consumption (at 19 km per liter it’s a fuel miser) while having an acceleration rate of from 0 to 100 kph in just 9.7 seconds and having 140 horses under your hood with a torque of 320 Nm.

The Avant, similar to the Audi A4 four-door sedan has a 4-cylinder 2.0 liter TDI (turbo diesel) engine mated to a 7-speed multitronic automatic transmission, which is considered as one of the most modern engines in its class. This is the same engine technology that powered the Audi R10 to the first ever victory of a Diesel-powered sports car at the 12-hour Race at Sebring, USA and is built in every Audi TDI sedan and Avant you can drive everyday.

Well, you can actually forget everything that you have just read in this column about the car and just call PGA Cars for a test drive. Find out for yourself what it’s all about — hands on!

Auto Focus makes way for the French Open

Whoa guys! Hold your horses. Your favorite automobile TV magazine has not gone away again. Auto Focus, the premier motor show on television that’s exclusively dedicated to the automobile and the auto industry, still airs on the Sports Plus channel but temporarily on different slots to make way for the "live" coverage of the French Open.

Our guard in the office was kept awake last Thursday evening explaining the temporary change to the many loyal Auto Focus followers who called worried about the fate of the show, while our e-mail inbox was to the brim with letters from concerned viewers saying, "What, you’re gone again?"

So here goes — this Thursday, June 8, it’s at 7 pm, next week, June 15, it’s at 8 o’clock and similarly at 8 pm on June 22. Now, on June 29 we will be back on our regular schedule and we shall also be airing a special presentation featuring the highlights of the Petron 2006 Auto Focus Automobile/Motorcycle of the Year — People’s Choice Awards, from opening weekend to the awards night.

Happy Motoring!!!

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