After withdrawing its membership from the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), GMA Network became No. 1, edging its nearest competitor, ABS-CBN who was No. 1 for about 15 years, to No. 2. Because of their public affairs and news entertainment programs, GMA Network became No. 1 on Sept. 23, 2004. -Atty. Felipe L. Gozon, chairman/president/CEO of GMA Network
"But I’m not saying that because we withdrew from KBP, we became No. 1," Atty. Gozon hazened to add. "It’s just that soon after we withdrew our membership from the KBP, we became No. 1." They became No. 1 because of hard work; because they did the right moves and the right projects, after studying the strength and weaknesses of their closest rival. "Pinag-aralan kong mabuti kung ano ang mga ginagawa nila sa kabila, with the same dedication and zeal like when I reviewed for the bar." I have to learn from their weakness and strength. What he found out among others was that their closest rival had no homegrown talents at that time, that they were just "buying contracts" (that resulted in the rampant piracy of their talents) so they were somewhat operating on "borrowed abilities." And on their side, because they were counter-programming, he removed those standing on the way.
He closed down their entities that weren’t making money, like GMA Films (they lost about P40-million from their so-called ambitious projecst like "Rizal" he said), but when they had developed enough talents of their own (from their reality-based programs like the first ever artista search in the country, "StarStruck") he not only revived GMA Films (with his daughter Atty. Annette G. Abrogar at the helm) which he was proud to say is already making enough money to stand on its own; and GMA Records.
He said that his bold moves were borne out of his belief that if you own and produce the content of your programs, "kailangan ka ng mga viewers and they are our partners." But of course, at first, his people at GMA were skeptical. "So I had to get their cooperation and make myself credible to them first." Atty. Gozon had been chairman of the network since l977, he said but it was only in 2001 when he and his group including Gilberto R. Duavit, Jr., EVP/COO) assumed management from the Jimenezes. He and Duavit own 65% of the network, and the Jimenez group, the remaining 35%. Atty. Gozon now holds the distinction of having "instituted a culture of excellence, making GMA the No. 1 TV station in the country.
Success motivates him, he said, and he never regrets anything he does, "even if I fail." His goal now is to make his network remain at No. 1 for the longest time, but he also said he’s not scared to become No. 2 again, if worst comes to worst. "After all, we’ve been there before."
A graduate of UP College of Law who took his masters at Yale University(his daughter Annette took hers at Harvard) Atty. Gozon was a corporate lawyer before joining GMA Network. Now he finds it more challenging to run a TV station than lawyering. "You can’t make research for your success in the broadcast industry," he said.
But why did GMA Network withdrew membership from the KBP?
"Because I did not believe in the regulatory function that KBP was imposing on members. That was obsolete already. The KBP was Marcos’ idea to regulate the broadcast industry. I did not agree in what KBP wanted to impose. I do not believe in censorship. I did not agree on load limitation. Even the US National Association of Broadcasters couldn’t impose load limitation now after they were hauled to court and the court ruled in favor of the complainant."
At the press conference held at the GMA station in Cebu, Atty. Gozon enumerated GMA’s achievements for the consumption of the local media. For almost three years now, "we have been the undisputed No. 1 TV station in the country. And we are confident that we will be able to maintain the No. 1 position in the future," he said.
"In 2005, we were named Terrestrial TV Station of the Year by the Asian Television Awards, beating the TV stations from 14 Asian countries. And this year - after three years of not finding a station worthy to receive the award - the Rotary Club of Manila gave GMA Network the TV Station of the Year Award.
