Politician Shuns Lousy Radio Station

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Some media men and politicians in a huddle recently talked about an electoral candidate who paid a FIVE MINUTES radio interview in a morning program at a premier radio station in Dagupan City.

“How much did he pays?” I asked.

“Seven thousand pesos,” a top brass of that radio station answered.

“Ano ang pina-interview, iyong hindi nila nakuha last Friday iyong pagdating ng Hugpong Pagbabago Coalition led by presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sarah Duterte?” I posed.

Last Wednesday, Urdaneta City Mayor Bobom Perez and City Administrator Ronald San Juan told me about the arrival the following morning at the city’s Cultural Center of the senatorial slate sans Bong Go.

I saw at Face Book that instead of the group of governorship and vice governorship bets Art Celeste and Mark Lambino, it was the group of gubernatorial rival Governor Pogi Espino, his father Fifth District Congressman Amado Espino and Mayor Bobom who, with five mega watts smiles, welcomed the party of Sarah Duterte.

I thought the Celeste-Lambino Group is allied with presidential daughter since Art even went to Davao City last year to meet her about his gubernatorial plan?

Their supporters crowed that Hugpong is with the Celeste Group while Governor Espino and party sided with the PDP – Laban Party of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Does it mean the Espino Group get the acquiescence and collaboration of the two well-oiled coalition and party?
Does it mean the Espino group are more wily like a Machiavellian Fox than their opponents in the fusion game concerning Hugpong?
Son of a gun, this chutzpah ensued more than a month before the March 29 electoral campaign period for the local candidates!

***

Let’s go back to the huddle on that seven thousand pesos five minutes interview on a congressional bet in a premier radio station.

“Bakit hindi na lang nag pa interview doon sa isang radio si candidate, e bigyan niya lang iyong host ng P1000 kahit isang oras silang magkuwentuhan at magbolahan doon panalo na siya sa gastusin?” I asked the premier radio anchor.

“E bukod sa asawa ng anchor at doon sa manager na walang alam sa broadcasting, wala ng nakikinig doon sa kulelat na radio. Sayang lang iyong isang libo. Sa amin, seven thousand kada five minutes kalahati ng listeners ng anim na A. M stations sa amin na nakikinig ayon sa Kantar,” the source, who asked anonymity, cited to me in the vernacular.

***

I met a reporter of GMA-7 TV he told me that a 30 “seconder” infomercial for a politician who aspires for an elective public office in the 2016 election costs P10,000 only while it cost P30,000 at its regional rival ABS-CBN.

“The price will spike during the campaign period. A “30 seconder” in our TV for national viewing is pegged at  P250,000 at election time ,” he said.
I told him that a 30 minute bloc time in the prime time program of Bombo Radyo costs a client P30, 000 a day or P1000 per minute.
“But they are all money’s worth, because your TV and this radio station deliver. Unlike those media outlets that bill you cheaply but there is a dearth of listeners or viewers that patronize them,” I opined.
Besides, advertisers are not stupid enough by just a dropped of a hat they pay  immediately the prohibitive prices these media outfits bill.  They base their decisions on the scientific surveys from Manila that cite the “Who’s Who” in the TV and radio industries that has the most patrons in the province or the region.

(You can read my selected columns at http://mortzortigoza.blogspot.com and articles at Pangasinan News Aro. You can send comments too at totomortz@yahoo.com)