Millennium Live: The Story of ABS-CBN and the Worldwide Broadcasters

Millennium Television Network/MTN was a media entity conceptualized in 1996 and formally launched in 1998 with the aim of producing a 24 hour broadcast covering midnight celebrations heralding the so-called New Millennium (or in reality, New Year 2000). In 1999, ABS-CBN signed up as the broadcast partner for MTN's broadcast dubbed as Millennium Live: Humanity's Broadcast.

By 12-28-1999 however, more than 72 hours before the broadcast was supposed to air on ABS-CBN and various media networks worldwide, news got out that MTN collapsed. So is the 24-hour New Year 2000 broadcast it was going to produce.  Not to be left out in the dark, executives in ABS-CBN communicated with its Millennium Live broadcasters (numbering around 50 networks worldwide) on pushing through with the broadcast without MTN, saying "The show must go on!"

And it did went on by 6:00pm of 12-31-1999 on ABS-CBN's Channel 23 which combined the simulcasts of New Year 2000 broadcasts from Channel 2 and ANC and the special broadcast focusing on the segment of The Fort’s night-to-morning Millennium Extravaganza and the live feeds from scores of Millennium Live broadcast partners.

For the concept of "The show must go on" credits are due to ABS-CBN and the other Millennium Live broadcasters--partially listed here. (Note: A number of these broadcasters happened to be partners too for Millennium Live's rival broadcast 2000 Today.)

Australia: Channel 9
Brazil: Bandeirantes
Canada: City TV
Chile: Chilevision
China (People's Republic): CCTV4
Cuba: Cubavision
Denmark: Channel 2
Estonia: Channel 1
Egypt: ETV
France: France Televisio
Fiji: Fiji TV
Finland: YLE
Germany: SAT1
Ghana: GBC
India: Zee TV
Indonesia: Indosiar
Israel: Channel 2
Italy: RAI1
Japan: Channel 6
Kenya: KBC
Korea: KBS
Lebanon: LBC
Malaysia: Astro
Mexico: Channel 22
New Zealand: Channel 3
Portugal: SIC
Romania: PROTV
Russia: RTR
Singapore: TCS
South Africa: SABC1
Spain: Channel 5
Thailand: UBC
Turkey: NTV
United Kingdom: ITV Channels
Venezuela: Venevision
Vietnam: VTV

The Story of Family Rosary Crusade on ABS-CBN

1953 marked the start of television in the Philippines with the first TV broadcast of ABS-CBN as BEC/ABS Channel 3 (BEC = Bolinao Electronics Corporation; ABS/the ABS in ABS-CBN = Alto Broadcasting Systems). That year was the start of ABS-CBN's long-running partnership that proved to be a lifeline of the network: a partnership with the Family Rosary Crusade Movement.

In the early years since 1953, ABS Channel 3 aired Family Theater, a drama production by the FRC Movement headed by Fr Patrick Peyton CSC in the US and Fr James Reuter SJ in the Philippines.  Yes, Fr James Reuter (or Fr Jim for short) was the mastermind behind the first live dramas on TV as aired on ABS-CBN (via ABS Channel 3), among them the historic Cyrano de Bergerac. Both Fr Patrick and Fr Jim campaigned for the praying of the Rosary in every home be it in the Philippines, US or worldwide during those days via Family Theater and other activities (among them Family Theater on Radio via Philippine radio station KZPI-AM since 1951).  Family Theater became an important program in the ABS Channel 3 lineup that it landed into primetime in the 1960s.

Various Filipino celebrities became part of Family Theater, hence becoming Kapamilyas of some sort in the 1950s and beyond. Among them were Vic Diaz, Celia Diaz-Laurel, Barbara Perez, Vic Silayan, Pancho Magalona, Tita Duran, Jaime Zobel de Ayala, Zenaida Amador, Baby Barredo, Noel Trinidad, Subas Herrero, Robert Arevalo (yes, one of the original new anchors of TV Patrol in 1987) and Cristina Ponce-Enrile.

Family Theater came to a halt in 1972 along with other shows on ABS-CBN no thanks to Martial Law. But with EDSA 1986, ABS-CBN came back and so its partnership with FRC Movement. Family Theater came back on ABS-CBN in late 1986, this time as Ang Pamilya Ko (My Family) on Channel 2. That would last only for 13 weeks due to poor viewership records.

Nevertheless, with the relaunch of ABS-CBN's Channel 2 as the Star Network in March 1987, Fr. Patrick Peyton and the rest of FRC Movement launched the one hour magazine show as we know it today: Family Rosary Crusade. Since 1987, many have taken turns co-presenting the show (even with the passing of the 2 main men of the show: Fr Patrick in 1992 and Fr Jim in 2012). Among them were Rosita "Babs" Hontiveros, Father Larry Faraon OP, the great diocesan priest Father Erick Santos and Loudette Zaragosa Banson. The Family Rosary Crusade programme branched out further within ABS-CBN via Channel 23, and beyond ABS-CBN via Channels 4, 5, 9 and 29.

In 2004, Family Rosary Crusade moved from ABS-CBN's Channel 2 to its current home Channel 23 (then Studio 23, now S+A).  It is now presented by Fr. Joel Francis Victorino, Fr. Allan Samonte, Bernard Factor Cañaberal, Claudine Zialcita and media personality Chi Bacobo (yes, a freelance journalist and a special report contributor to TV networks, ABS-CBN among them).

Catch Family Rosary Crusade every Saturday at 5:00am on ABS-CBN Channel 23/S+A!

My Piece of Cake: Holy Week Programming on ABS-CBN

ABS-CBN has not yet announced its Holy Week programming. Well, take it from a network too busy to mind the Holy Week events. I'm sure, its programming (on Moundy Thursday, Good Friday and Black Saturday) will be:

• special editions of TV Patrol and Bandila, plus Pinoy Big Brother (life goes on @ Kuya's House even on Holy Week-I wonder what's going on there by that time)
• marathon of Filipino movies
• special Holy Week shows sponsored by Jesuit Communications

I hope for this year, they may add either of the following:

• special films on Holy Week (like 2004's Passion of the Christ)
• marathon of cartoons and animated movies (in original English and not dubbed in Tagalog-please, the much-saluted dubbers need a long-needed break)
• marathon of Asian/South American shows (the past: My Girl, Save the Last Dance for Me, Princess Lulu/the present: Inocente De Ti, Mirada de Mujer, Dos Amores, even Princess Hours and Something About 1%)
• live coverage of Holy Week events: Moundy Thursday Chrism Mass, Moundy Thursday Washing of the Feet, Good Friday Memorial Commemoration (different from Way of the Cross and Seven Last Words-the difference: the Holy Host involved), Black Saturday's Easter Vigil [Why not try covering it? If ABS-CBN wills it, the network will do a first for its viewers! That's when I'll say Deal!]

And by Easter Sunday, what a way to cap off with a live coverage of the Pope's Easter Message from the State of Vatican, smack into TV Patrol! [Why not a special one-hour edition of TVP, featuring the Pope's Easter Message?]

I got news of the special programming on ABS-CBN's Studio 23. Well, Kabarkadas, here is the triple Lenten treat!

MOUNDY THURSDAY [5 APRIL 2007]
11:00am-6:30pm Comedy: GILMORE GIRLS-The Marathon Edition (10 Episodes)
6:30pm-8:00pm Special: The Road to El Dorado
8:00pm-11:00pm Special: Forrest Gump

GOOD FRIDAY [6 APRIL 2007]
11:00am-6:30pm Drama: 7TH HEAVEN-The Marathon Edition (9 Episodes)
6:30pm-10:00pm Special: The Ten Commandments
10:00pm-11:30pm Special: Judas and Jesus

BLACK SATURDAY [7 APRIL 2007]
10:00am-7:30pm Drama: 7TH HEAVEN-The Marathon Edition (12 Episodes)
7:30pm-9:15pm Special: Chicken Run
9:15pm-11:45pm Special: As Good As It Gets

I'll have to say Deal for Studio 23's programming this Holy Week.