Last year before Christmas, TV5 announced an arrangement with Viva Communications, Inc.’s Vic del Rosario that would strengthen the network’s entertainment component beginning this year.
Early last week, Del Rosario and his company held a press conference to launch the first of several programs that would dominate the primetime block on TV5.
The opening salvo, said the top gun of one of the biggest media conglomerates in the country is a nationwide search for a singer that would eventually become the next singing superstar in the same mold as those it discovered, like Sharon Cuneta, Regine Velasquez, Sarah Geronimo, Rachelle Ann Go, and Mark Bautista.
Billed Born To Be A Star, the weekly competition will air on Saturday primetime starting Feb. 6. Multi-awarded singer-songwriter Ogie Alcasid will host the hour-long show together with VIVA’s young and promising singer-actress Yassi Pressman and pop heartthrob Mark Bautista.
Four of the country’s top-caliber performers namely, concert queen Pops Fernandez; rock star Rico Blanco, acoustic sensation Aiza Seguerra and Pinoy rap icon Andrew E., will act as judges.
Star hopefuls will perform onstage each week until the Ultimate Star’s name is called. The Ultimate Star will receive a total of P3 million in prizes, including P1 million in cash, a P1 million worth of management contract from VIVA Artists Agency (VAA) and TV5 and a real estate property worth P1 million.
Contestants will have to pass two pre-audition processes before they are able to sing in the show. Auditions are open to male and female applicants, aged 13-18. Auditions have started yesterday at SM City Bicutan. There will be another one today. Interested individuals can also go to SM City Sta. Mesa on Jan. 16 and 17; SM City San Mateo on Jan. 23 and 24; and SM City Novaliches on Jan. 30 and 31.
Five major audition legs will also be held in Cebu, Davao, Batangas, Dagupan and Metro Manila starting March.
Four new contestants will be introduced in the show each week. Each episode will show the “making” of the stars and their back stories apart from the competition. Viewers can expect to see not just tough and competitive performances on stage but also touching, real-life drama unfold before their very eyes.
Contestants who will make it to the weekly round will undergo a make-over session and mentoring from some of the country’s highly regarded vocal coaches.
From the weekly set, lucky contestants will advance to the monthly round. The winner of the monthly round will proceed to the finals night. A primer will be aired prior to the pilot episode.
So, who will be the country’s next big thing? Will he/she follow in the footsteps of the Megastar, the Asia’s Songbird, the Broadway Gems or the Popstar Royalty?
Find out as Born To Be A Star premieres on primetime television on Feb. 6 on TV5, your Kapatid Network.
TV5 can be seen on the following cable channels: Cignal Digital TV, Ch. 5; Destiny Cable, Ch. 6 (Analog) and Ch. 10 (Digital); and Sky Cable, Ch. 10.