GMA Network launches Northern Mindanao TV station

FOR the year of the Water Snake, Feng Shui says it is better to start a new life and open doors for greater opportunities.

Banking on this insight, GMA Network Inc. welcomes the New Year with a bang as it further strengthens its presence all over the country in bringing quality entertainment and “serbisyong totoo” via the Kapuso brand of news, particularly in Northern Mindanao.

Kagay-anons and the rest of Northern Mindanao will now have a clearer view of their favorite shows and be updated of current events in their community and the rest of the country as the network launched its new GMA Northern Mindanao station in Cagayan de Oro on Thursday.

Rikki Escudero, assistant vice president for Regional TV and head of expansion and production, says Cagayan de Oro City, being the economic hub of Northern Mindanao, is the strategic location of the new station, which is expected to serve over 1.4 million TV households in addition to the widening expansion of the network’s reach in Mindanao.

“In enabling the station to become a reality, GMA invested over P70 million in state-of-the-art studio, technical operations center, satellite multi-link microwave system and electronic news gathering equipment,” Escudero says.

GMA Northern Mindanao is the third originating TV station launched by the network in just a span of eight months.

Earlier, the network launched GMA Ilocos in June 2012 and GMA Bicol in August 2012.

“The new station joins GMA’s growing number of originating stations with the widest coverage areas in their respective regions, topping GMA Central Eastern Visayas based in Cebu, GMA Southern Iloilo and GMA northern and Central Luzon based in Dagupan,” Escudero says.

GMA also has TV stations in General Santos and Bacolod.

During Thursday’s grand launching, reputable anchors and cameramen were formally introduced as the new TV station’s main frontliners in bringing the latest happening in the locality.

Kapuso star Bella Padilla hosted the launching who came along with Francheska Yan and Mark Herras.

Starting February 5, GMA Northern Mindanao will air its much anticipated local newscast, “Testigo Northern Mindanao,” as part of the network’s late afternoon prime telecast to be seen in Cagayan de Oro, Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Camiguin, some parts of Southern Bohol, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Compostela Valley, North and South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Agusan del Norte and Sur, Surigao del Norte and Sur, Zamboanga del Sur and Maguindanao.

Atty. Felipe L. Gozon, GMA chair and CEO, says the establishment of GMA Northern Mindanao gangs up the network’s goal of reaching more Filipinos nationwide.

“We consider this part of our responsibility to viewers in bringing serbisyong totoo, information and quality entertainment that they deserve, wherever part of the country they may be,” Gozon says. (Nicole J. Managbanag)