The premiere telecast of The Amazing Race Asia season 5, which kicked off in the bustling city of Jakarta, opened with a major twist. Host Allan Wu announced that instead of 11 teams, only 10 pairs would be given the chance to participate in the reality show’s first challenge.
After the flag-off, the contestants had to search for the right compass for clues for their next location. The last team to complete the challenge, the duo from Vietnam, was eliminated, all within the first 10 minutes of the show.
Meanwhile, the teams from the Philippines, TV host and rugby player Eric Tai and wife Rona Samson and beauty queens Parul Shah and Maggie Wilson-Consunji, showed a promising start.
“At first, I didn’t know that there’s another team from the Philippines competing for the $100,000 cash prize. But the good thing about having fellow Filipinos in the competition, we tend to look at each other’s back. I think, it’s a natural thing for us Pinoys,” said Maggie during an interview with Manila Standard.
In their first challenge, where the teams’ navigation skill was challenged, Eric and Rona finished fourth, while Parul and Maggie qualified to be in the next round of challenges when they finished seventh. Another team was already eliminated after the first task.
Following the “agonizing first challenge,” in tomorrow’s episode, the nine remaining teams will race through forests and a tea plantation in West Bandung, a regency in West Java. One of the teams encounters difficulties at the detour and challenges their partnership.
The reality show, which airs every Thursday at 9 p.m. on AXN, is travelling to local Indonesian destinations and to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City, Manila and Taipei before finishing in Bali.
Solar Entertainment channels unveil new look
With seven channels under its umbrella, Solar Entertainment Corporation remains the largest content provider and channel operator in Southeast Asia. And in its continuous effort to deliver the best entertainment in this side of the globe, Solar President and CEO Wilson Tieng announced the big change in its broadcast design.
On Oct. 16, the first integrated rebranding execution of the channels was revealed. Audience saw ETC, 2nd Avenue, Jack TV, Solar Sports, and BTV sporting a new look including newly-designed logos that took the people from the media company a month to finish.
“Innovation has always been our mantra, it has kept us relevant among Filipino viewers who have voracious appetite for content. Through this venture, we aim to boost our viewership and market share by giving a fresh take on our channels,” Tieng told the members of the press in a media launch held Wednesday at the Marco Polo Hotel in Pasig City.
The head honcho added that the TV network continues to grow and keep up with the changing landscape by tapping its key market. The TV network is opening all the avenues for marketing and revenue to maintain its advertisers continued support. In doing so, the network also aims to woo a discerning audience, especially the millennials.
“Solar has kept its fingers on the pulse of media-savvy Filipino audiences. We pay attention to emerging viewing habits while at the same time, setting the trend and changing mindsets. There are more exciting announcements for this last stretch of the year and onto 2017, specifically for the channel content and digital assets of Solar. We are definitely going for more,” Tieng shared.
As he punctuated his statement, Tieng revealed that in the last stretch of the year leading to 2017, the entire Solar Entertainment group will diversify into new formats and genres. While keeping Hollywood favorites, some European shows will be added into the programming list.