Karambola merges social, traditional media
KARAMBOLA, a political and current events commentary program aired over station DWIZ 882 AM, ranks today as one of the most popular radio programs in the country. Besides radio listeners, it also enjoys increasing patronage among social media users since its video and audio files were uploaded into the internet in 2018.
Over its 15 years on the air, Karambola can take credit for paving the way for two innovative concepts in broadcasting. Its “ka-rambola” format with more hosts means more voices and more divergent views being expressed and debated. This is a departure from the usual two-host commentary programs. Its presence on the Internet through live streaming, its own Facebook page, and the website of DWIZ operator Aliw Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is a successful merger of traditional media and social media. With this bold and daring fusion, Karambola reaches the biggest number of people possible and delivers the best of what the two media platforms can offer in the service of the Filipino people.
Karambola was conceptualized by Aliw Broadcasting founder Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua as a no-holds barred radio talk show featuring a panel of several broadcasters and journalists who would look at current and relevant issues from all an-gles.
This format, he believed, would best fulfill radio’s role as a information medium that can shape an enlightened citizenry because of its extensive reach in the remotest areas.
He then initiated a series of meetings by DWIZ management to discuss the buildup on the program, particularly the possible panel members, the launching date, and the plugging of advertisements to announce the program.
Karambola was officially launched on April 11, 2005, as a daily morning public service and commentary show. It was intro-duced as a takeoff from “Kontra Punto,” an afternoon political commentary program hosted by Party List Rep. Jonathan de la Cruz.
Today, de la Cruz, Jonat to colleagues and constituents, is the lone holdover from the original Karambolistas. With him in the pioneer batch were Alvin Capino, his co-anchor in Kontra Punto, and television personality Cielo Villaluna. They were later joined a few weeks after by columnist Alex Magno and former Cabinet member and congressman Salvador “Sonny” Escudero.
Magno and Villaluna, however, stayed for only a few months. They were replaced by Teodoro “Teddy Boy” Locsin Jr., now the Foreign Affairs secretary, and Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla, now Cavite governor.
This first batch of Karambola hosts – Alvin Capino, Jonathan de la Cruz, Teddy Boy Locsin and Sonny Escudero – worked to-gether until Escudero died in 2012, for a total of seven years.
Escudero’s wife Evie replaced him on an intermittent basis. Vice President Leni Robredo also joined the program for a few ses-sions.
Capino and de la Cruz were later joined by journalist Dodo Dulay, Cavite Gov. Boying Remulla, and columnist Ed Javier.
This second batch stayed together as hosts until Capino died in 2014. Shortly after this, TeddyBoy Locsin, Boying Remulla, Dodo Dulay and Ed Javier bid goodbye to the show, leaving Jonathan as host.
At this time, Evie Escudero was requested to stay and spend more time
in Karambola together with Joel Paredes.
Joining de la Cruz in 2015 to comprise the third batch of Karambola hosts were columnists Jojo Robles, Conrad Banal, Alex Magno and Tonton Contreras. Magno and Contreras, however, left not long after.
In 2018, blogger RJ Nieto or “Thinking Pinoy” and lawyer Trixie Angeles came on board as Karambola co-hosts . With Ro-bles’ death on May 23, de la Cruz, Banal, Nieto and Angeles remain as the third batch of Karambola hosts.
These movements mark the past 15 years since Karambola kicked off in 2005. DWIZ management led by D. Edgard A. Cabangon is confident that the coming days will be “more exciting, informative and funfilled for listeners and viewers on FB Live and live streaming.”
De la Cruz sums up the outlook for the program: “Karambola has served as host to all kinds of personalities: from politicians to business people to foreign dignitaries and even ordinary citizens. It has also been at the center of controversy for its exposés and prescient commentaries.”
With its insightful unrestricted observations and analyses delivered in the Karambola hosts’ provocative and stimulating style, the program promises to draw in more and more listeners and viewers.
Comments are closed.