Konek Pinoy service sets stage for Tunog Pinoy Star Search

IDT Asia, the regional operation of IDT Telecom, a leading international telecommunications and technology company, has joined hands with IPVG Corp. of The Philippines to provide a unique solution enabling the first Tunog Pinoy Star Search, a competition for Filipinos in Hong Kong to showcase their singing talent and earn the chance to win fabulous prizes, including a recording contract with Viva Records.

"IDT Asia is always looking for ways to reach out and support activities of various ethnic groups in the markets we serve. And we are thrilled to be supporting this exciting singing competition," said Paul Christensen, vice president, commercial development, IDT Asia.

"The Filipino community has always been one of our most important customer groups throughout Asia and the world. To reach out to them even more effectively, we recently partnered with IPVG to roll out our new value-added service called 'Konek Pinoy'. This unique service offers Filipinos news and entertainment, inspirational messages and prayer requests, as well as 'Onli in da Pilipins' jokes and astrology."

The Tunog Pinoy Star Search competition will be run by IPVG and will air on the popular Philippines Tonight Show hosted by Michael Vincent ("Vinny") on the Metro Plus AM 1044 radio channel.

"I love this type of competition and had been wondering if it could be done in Hong Kong" said Vinny. "So I am delighted that Tunog Pinoy Star Search will be aired in my weekly radio show. I am sure that Filipinos in Hong Kong will be as excited as I am, and I can't wait to hear the entries!"

In order to join the singing competition, contestants must record their songs on the Konek Pinoy platform using an IDT Tawag Na phonecard. Any Filipino living in Hong Kong can record any song they wish, whether a capella or with background accompaniment. Each week the six best entries received will be played on the Philippines Tonight Show on Friday from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Recordings can be made any time from 21st July onwards; with the first weekly shortlist being played on-air on Friday 4th August. Listeners can then register their votes for the best song on the Konek Pinoy platform at any time before midnight on the following Sunday. The two singers receiving the most votes each week will go forward to form a group of six entries for a monthly contest. The two winners of each monthly contest (eight contestants in total) will be eligible for the Grand Finals, which will be staged on Sunday 3rd December, and aired live on Metro Plus AM 1044. The winners of the Grand Finals will be chosen by a combination of listener votes and those of a panel of industry experts.

To encourage wide participation among the Filipino community in Hong Kong, a "Home Partner" element is added to the program. By using drop boxes at any outlet in Hong Kong of RFC, one of The Philippines' leading financing companies, cards of users of IDT's Tawag Na will be eligible to be drawn as the Home Partner of each of the winners. As successful contestants progress through each round both they and their Home Partner (newly-drawn each time) will win a fabulous selection of prizes, including IDT phonecards, cellphones, and Disneyland passes. The Grand Champion will receive a recording contract with VIVA Records plus a Hong Kong-Philippines roundtrip air ticket.

Further information about the contest is available at http://www.idtasia.net