PBA: Kabarkada Mo!

Following yesterday's meeting among the PBA board of representatives, the remainder of the 36th season will now be aired on ABS-CBN's UHF channel Studio 23 (much to the delight of veteran mediaman Ronnie Nathanielsz perhaps who has written countless columns in support of the Lopez owned network) instead of PBA commissioner Chito Salud's preferred VHF channels (ABS-CBN 2, NBN 4, TV5, GMA 7, RPN 9, IBC 13).

From a fan's perspective, this would definitely hurt the league as far as re-establishing it nationwide is concerned. While they will eventually draw support from Studio 23's mother station ABS CBN (expect Boy Abunda to somehow get his hands on the James Yaps of the league), you have to take note that not everyone gets Studio 23. Why? Simply because not everyone has cable.

Nathanielsz used and basically milked the crap out of the Azkals' games' ratings. What he forgot to mention was the marketshare or kind of viewers they pulled. Personally, I have close friends in the streets, and not one of them has an idea on who an Etheridge or Younghusband is.

The PBA enjoyed a resurgence somewhat the past two years because they were able to reconnect with the everyday people, the games were cheaper, the players less snotty and there were even "NBA cares-like" efforts.

Hopefully, the PBA will continue to work on the foundations built by Salud's leadership which looks more and more like he's trying to do something that Noli Eala and Sonny Barrios forgot to-- strrengthen the foundations of the league FIRST before thinking of expansions.

As for Studio 23, we could only hope that they learned their lessons in the mishandling of the PBL. Yes, the UAAP coverage will always rate (thanks to the different participating schools' alumni), and so will the NCAA. But the PBA is a whole different monster altogether.

Can't wait for ABS CBN to finally get their hands on Chris Tiu (which will probably happen in a year or two once he leaves Smart Gilas/ is absorbed by the PBA).