Sidebar | May 4 News: Pacquiao and others

By: John Reiner M. Antiquerra

Read article: All eyes on Pacquiao, the boxer: But what of the legislator?

THE HIGHLY anticipated Pacquiao-Mayweather fight was aired by the broadcasting networks ABS-CBN 2, GMA-7 and TV5 on May 3.

They ran their own campaigns and sent out news teams to cover the fight from the preparation stage to the fight night until Pacquiao’s return to the country. CMFR looked at the May 4 primetime news coverage of the three networks (GMA-7’s 24 Oras; TV5’s Aksyon; ABS-CBN 2’s TV Patrol) and CNN Philippines’ Network News.

Aksyon had the most reports in terms of the number of news on the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight and its percentage related to the total news hole. Aksyon came in close second to TV Patrol with 67.93 percent of its total broadcast time spent to news on the boxing match.

TV Patrol spent the most broadcast time to news on the fight among the newscasts, with 68.35 percent, and was second to Aksyon in terms of the number of reports on the fight in relation to the total news hole. Except for Network News, all the newscasts dedicated more than half of their broadcast time to reports on the fight.

All the newscasts dedicated their first cut to reports on the Pacquaio-Mayweather fight except for 24 Oras which aired one report on fitness boxing, the growth of which the report said Pacquiao inspired.

Only TV Patrol and 24 Oras was able to get a live interview with Pacquiao but the interview contained almost the same information people can get from that night’s reports.

Of the newscasts, 24 Oras was the most partisan. During a live interview with Pacquiao, anchor Mike Enriquez repeatedly referred to him as “Champ,” while Vicky Morales, who was with Pacquiao in his house in Los Angeles, kept butting into the interview. When Mel Tiangco asked Pacquiao about plans for his next fight, Morales butted in, and said “Naku Manny, may tsismis, Amir Khan daw, sa London, totoo ba ‘yun (Hey Manny, rumor says, it’s going to be Amir Khan, in London, is that true)?” Morales ended the interview by hugging Pacquiao.

Self-promotion and advertorials were also evident in the newscasts of Aksyon and TV Patrol. Aksyon reported on the “viewing party” of TV5 in the Smart-Araneta Coliseum (TV5 is owned by the same conglomerate that owns Smart Communications) and Boracay, while TV Patrol reported on public viewing in selected areas through the ABS-CBN TV Plus.