Taking the big leap from radio to TV

Time was when radio personalities who protected their privacy like a lioness guarding her cub could do so. They can head straight to the radio booth in just their maong and T-shirts, with hardly any makeup on for the ladies. They can bask in the comfort of their booths, secure in the thought that no one will recognize them as the face behind the voice that wakes them up in the morning or lulls them to sleep at night.

DZMM’s recently-launched TeleRadyo has changed all that. By airing DZMM (630 in the AM dial) shows over Skycable’s Channel 22, broadcasters are no longer anonymous voices. They already have a face. Televiewers can see them act, react, interact with their guests and co-hosts.

Radio — the fastest way you can learn about breaking news anywhere, everywhere — is no longer just heard. It’s seen. Radio reporters capture news events on their camera cellphones, send them to the radio network via MMS and voila! You see incidents of election fraud, protests, and the whole package unfold right before your eyes.

DZMM executive Angelo Palmones describes this new thrust as “mestisong Bloomberg”: Like its foreign counterpart, TeleRadyo airs news 24/7. But it doesn’t take the Bloomberg model hook, line and sinker. The Pinoy flavor is paramount.Ariel Ureta and Winnie Cordero discuss food, events and other things close to Juan dela Cruz’s heart in Todo Todo Walang Preno (10:30 a.m.) weekdays.Kaye Dacer lives up to her “Action Lady” image by airing the common man’s grievances and finding solutions for them in weekday show Aksyon Ngayon (1 to 2 p.m.).

Jun Banaag, popularly known as Doctor Love, dishes out pieces of advice to the lovelorn and others in the throes of romance in what else — Doctor Love, Mondays to Fridays, 10 p.m.Real-life couple Julius Babao and Tintin Bersola jumpstart weekends by blending information and entertainment in Magandang Morning with Julius and Tintin at 6 a.m. Cory Quirino teaches wellness inside and out in Ma-Beauty Po Naman, Sundays at 11 a.m. Cesar “Kuya Cesar” Nocum plays `50s and `60s songs in Ikaw Sa Likod ng mga Awit, Sundays at 12:30 p.m.

The shift from radio to TV calls for some adjustment for the hosts. Kaye Dacer, four months pregnant with hers and husband Piwee Polintan’s first baby, for instance, says greater visibility after eight years of anchor work needs some getting used to. Before, she can step out of the house with hardly any makeup on. Now, wearing one is a must. Otherwise, her already fair skin will look pale on TV.

“Too bad this came at a time when I’m not looking my best. Pregnancy makes me look big on screen,” she relates, laughing. “They (the viewers ) should have seen me at my best.”

The upside more than makes up for this uh, slight problem on screen projection for her and other radio-turned-TV-personalities.“

Now listeners have a choice of listening to the radio or watching TV,” explains Kaye. Bernadette Sembrano, who handles Radyo Balita with Tony Velasquez, adds commercial-free news coverage to the list of TeleRadyo’s come-ons. “We can air breaking news anytime it’s needed. Dead air is a no-no,” she explains.There’s one big caveat though: Facial expressions. Now that she’s seen more often on TV, Bernadette reminds herself to rein in any show of emotion on her face. Her guest may be bluffing, she may not believe a single word he’s saying. But she still must remain as impartial as a news broadcaster should be.

The masa, the bulk of radio’s listeners, are not only listening; they’re watching her every move. These moves can shape their opinion more than other forms of media can.Palmones would like to think that someday, TeleRadyo will not just shape the views of the older generation (Read: Age 35 and up) — radio’s usual audience. He looks forward to the day when it will influence the GenXers, thanks to the 3G technology DZMM is now using. After all, ours is a young population. When you win the young generation, you practically have the entire nation on your side.“Digital is the way to go,” declares Palmones. “Someday, we will introduce digital terrestrial TV. Even the C and D classes will have access to new technology.”

It’s a vision ABS-CBN chair Eugenio Lopez III had years back. Now, its time has finally come. All DZMM listeners need do is sit back, relax, and enjoy the unfolding action.