Dispatches by Adrian Conoza

Writings are gathered from articles written by Atty. Ed Tolentino (on Spin.ph), Michael Angelo S. Murillo (on BusinessWorl d), The Manila Times , and Agence France Press (both on BusinessWorld and Manila Times ) "Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport... the thrill of victory... and the agony of defeat... the human drama of athletic competition..." That is how ABC television network in the US signed on its sports program entitled Wide World of Sports back in the 60's to the 90's. And that is what I have got myself into these past weeks and months. What before seemed to me an area I would not like, now it happens to be something I marvel about. I recently got interested in that "wide world of sports", thanks to television, newspapers, and the Internet, of course. It has been fascinating to observe the action the games produce—from the matches in the UAAP, to the battle of Ginebra and San Miguel last PBA Commissioner's...

Being a communication arts student, I’ve just encountered our fifth major course—Scriptwriting for Radio and TV. Our block have just learned how to pitch ideas and put them into writing. We were also made familiar with different video techniques and audio cues, so we briefly viewed episodes of TV series or even scenes from movies to figure out such technical things. I’ve observed my classmates being so interested in TV series and/or movies that it is usually the way by which we discuss the topics we had in Scriptwriting.  Even when it’s not Scriptwriting class, I would hear them talk about a series they were following and marathon-ing, or a movie they have just watched, and much more on the celebrities that act on those series or movies. Be it How To Get Away with Murder , or Pretty Little Liars , or Game of Thrones , or Star Wars , or Civil War , and a lot more that I’m not familiar with...And I just feel overwhelmed, alienated. Even within the family. I think Ma and I are the odd...

From: www.hardrainproject.com Watching the news is one of the activities that keep us informed and in touch with the world around us. Aside from primetime dramas and sporting events, television newscasts most probably huddle people (particularly families) together while they eat their dinner, have their coffee, etc. Newscasts, as I see them, are a part of our culture that generations can be classified by those who grew up watching RPN 9's Newswatch and those who identify with Noli de Castro's "Ti-veeeeeeeey Patrol!". From breakfast to dinner, and even before bedtime, television newscasts accompany us. From: drnorth.wordpress.com I've observed, somehow, that when it comes to watching news—especially when we're with other people—it seems that we're responding to the news instead of listening to the news. I think an ethics in watching the news is helpful for such a circumstance, especially with respect to concerned and socially-aware individuals who want to ...

Image credit: David Brent Johnson via Twitter 8. Producer/presenter of a jazz program in DZFE or Crossover I’m so inspired by the American jazz-oriented program Nightlights that I would like to work for a jazz program or to simply play jazz music. I find it fulfilling to educate the musical taste of the Filipino and encourage him to listen to various genres, including jazz. 9. Work for a talk-oriented radio program I’ve heard from a lot of those who discuss matters and share their opinions on both FM and AM. Among these radio personalities, I often listen to Ben Tulfo ( example ) and Joel Reyes Zobel. I find myself smiling when I listen to Sir Ben's program, but I also get understandable opinions. I’m also inspired by Larry King, who, before having a program in CNN, became an overnight (graveyard shift!) talk show host on America’s Mutual Radio. On Larry's show, he interviewed a particular person; then  opens the line for his listeners to ask questions to the guest; then talk ...

 5. Simply put, a DJ Image from: www.straitstimes.com  Now here’s a primary prospect. I’ve been interested in radio, and I still am. Mostly, among different formats, either it’s working for the jazz station (if ever, Crossover, more classical jazz please…); or for the classical station (I appreciate classical a lot, but it would take a long time for me to cultivate the flair); or the oldies or the alternative. Either it’s at daytime ( “Goooood Morning, Vietnam!” ), or afternoon, or graveyard. In fact, graveyard shift is that which stuck on my mind for a long time, especially when I refused to sleep to get schoolwork done. I got used to being an owl since high school, that graveyard shift might be fit for me. Don’t many start there? Don’t few occupy it? Why don’t I? 6. Speaking of graveyard, an anchor in the graveyard shift. This reminds me of both NBC News Overnight in US and ITN Morning News in UK in the 80's. The earlier’s concept has gained my high regards and great admir...

I haven’t written for this blog for a very long time. I was busy during the first semester of my first year in college, and finally I’m done with it. I’m currently taking up Communication Arts (CA), and for the past 4 months I’ve been learning a lot about this course. Despite times when my mind plays with doubts of belonging to this course, I’ve been appreciating what I’ve learned about communication, as well as mass media—it's forms, history, and growth. Often, moments come when I think of what career I will have upon finishing CA. Many ideas come to my mind, both usual and odd. There are those that I caught from what I’ve learned from media history out of watching television archives and listening to foreign stations and old airchecks—all of them through the World Wide Web. Here are those possible careers that come to my mind, and some of them are conceived and perceived as dreams 1. Continuity presenter on television This is more than a voice-over. It is something more...

One pounding beat. Then another. And another. And one last more. A brass fanfare follows, alongside a snare, slowly going crescendo, then blasting before it pauses. Alongside this sound is a capture of a long, black, swivel chair that seems to be a kind executives sit on. The atmosphere around the studio is black and serious. Spotlights show up, shining at the chair, then to four people sitting on one side. This is how every Mastermind episode begins. This is what the game show is known for—its seriousness, shown in the dark studio and in the theme music entitled "Approaching Menace". This is a game show where intellect counts a lot. This is not aired in the Philippines, but it is very popular in United Kingdom, where it aired since 1972, and stopped at around 1997, then came back at 2003. Mechanics There are 2 rounds in Mastermind. In the first round, the four people are going to be asked, one by one, by the game master about a specialist subject each of these contestants h...

A news boomed on the television last Wednesday morning while I tuned in. Talk TV is going to change to inform and inspire this October 30. What do I mean? Talk TV, another cable channel of Solar Network, will go forward as a news channel . Talk TV, launched after ETC moved to RPN 9, emphasizes on talk , with a line-up of talk shows and news programs, getting programs like Today , Inside Edition , and Dateline from its sister channels like 2nd Avenue. More programs were added as the channel evolved, being watched and patronized after its soft launch. There's The Talk , then Anderson (which became Anderson Live ), then Undercover Boss (an inspiring program). Then this: as planned and intended, Solar, being an entertainment and sports provider on TV, started on a new venture—news. Sources told it before, and I finally saw it. Solar's news service started on Talk TV with the coverage of the impeachment trial of former Chief Justice Renato Corona, recruiting veteran journalis...

  Author's Note: The post was written before classes started. Due to lack of time, it was  just posted today. After 73 days of summer vacation, I'll be "back to work". By the 4th of June, I'll go back to school to continue my journey with education. I'll be 3rd year this coming school year, and I expect to acquire more knowledge, cherish new experiences(let's include that Prom), and enjoy the whole school year at my new section. As I write this blog, days are counting and June 4 is coming soon. Summer has just passed. Rains occurred during the day, telling us here that it's starting to rain a lot. Then I thought of reexamining what happened on this vacation. The big question is this: did I enjoy this summer vacation? But before that, what have I done during the past 3 months of leave? There are many, and I'll list them. It's hard to list them in some good order, but I want to list as many and as orderly and clear as I can. Getaways and adventur...

   What if you're summer is like life on Adventure Time —the animated series on Cartoon Network?    Watching Adventure Time is one of the things I do this summer. For your information, Adventure Time is one of the standard cartoons on Cartoon Network today. It is one of my favorite cartoons as a teenager who still appreciates the wonder of cartoons. It follows the adventures of Finn the human and his best friend Jake the dog in a place called Land of Ooo. The cartoons are definitely wonderful. Yes. The cartoons and the stories are weird and funky, but I like it that way. Every story is well-written and cool.  The music is cool, often featuring electronic and synthesizer-made sounds similar to video games from Atari 1600 and Family Computer of the 80's. Adventure Time is certainly distinct and unique.    What if your summer is like Adventure Time ?    I think it would be new, different yet enjoyable.    When you spend that vacatio...