“We never had any intention of leaving GMA. We have no reason at all para umalis,” says Mr. Tuviera. “Wala kaming anumang pinag-aawayan o disgusto sa isa’t isa. 16 years na ang ‘Eat Bulaga’ sa GMA. Lumipat kami rito in 1995. It’s the longest we’ve been after 10 years sa Channel 9 and more than 5 years sa ABS.”
Don’t they intend to leave their current Broadway Centrum studio and move to GMA’s spanking new studios? “No, okay na kami roon. Ayaw na namin sumabay sa busy schedule ng network, kaya we have our own people and equipment to run the show para mas controlado namin ito.”
We’ve noticed “Eat Bulaga” is having more and more public service portions. “That’s true. It’s our way of giving back to the audience who’ve been supporting us for 32 years.”
Sen. Tito Sotto butts in: “GMA is well known for its news and public affairs and ‘Eat Bulaga’ has evolved as a public service program masquerading as an entertainment show, kaya magka-matched sila.”
Were they bothered when ABS had another new show against them? “We worry every time a new show is pitted against us,” says Mr. Tuviera. “We still meet every week para paghandaan ang aming rival shows. We always try to offer something new to keep the interest of our viewers who are loyal to us.”
Will they have out of town shows this summer? “We’ll have special shows in Cebu and Davao to get more viewers down south and, in April, we’ll do a show in Vancouver, Canada. For Holy Week, we’ll dramatize the most memorable human interest stories in our ‘One for All, All for One’ segment.”
