They didn’t dare cover showbiz until….

What makes entertainment beat, its news attractive to readers or watchers and journalists/reporters/writers stick to its coverage?

Aside from the colorful events and intriguing stories that show business churns out every day, the intricacies and common experiences shared among celebrities and the quotidian, showbiz narratives easily popularize both the subject, the surrounding circumstances and their presenter because they gather enough interest from the reading and viewing public.

The scope of the market widens and deepens by the popular appeal of the entertainer’s private and public activities.

I’ve experienced it myself first hand when I was writing for fanzines, tabloids, broadsheets in both English and Filipino.

It was impacted and galvanized when I was doing the former “Star News” of the first wave of ABS-CBN primetime news show, “TV Patrol” or Radio Philippines Network (RPN) Channel 9’s block timer or outside production public affairs program “Action 9” or its in-house news and current events component, “Aranglada Extra Balita” where I did their respective tinsel town reports.

Entertainment news becomes more powerful and affecting when its medium has wide readership, listenership or viewership.

For instance, when I got to interview the late action star Eddie Fernandez about his incarceration at the penitentiary of the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) in Muntinlupa and wrote about it in Modern Romances and True Confessions Magazine (MRTC); scored a scoop about Lito Lapid siring a baby girl with actress Michelle Ortega and reported it in the broadsheet Diario Uno; researched and exposed on the alleged “ampon issue” about Regine Velasquez in Artista Magazine; tackled obesity among stars, past and present, spread them out in Jingle Extra Hot Magazine, among other hot topics, they were the most talked articles among peers and readers alike.

At the time, fan mags and other publications including komiks were only few and their frequency was far and between, their Purchased Orders (POs) or quantity of circulation was bulky, their readership, especially among the masses, were highly rated.

When I got exclusively the story of the late Lothario action star Mel Francisco having an affair, begetting children simultaneously with sisters Margie and Nina Sara or the visual revelation of the romance between Edu Manzano and Maricel Soriano when it was still under wraps through the lens of my cameraman Pablito Manalo or my ambush interviews with Fernando Poe, Jr. and Nora Aunor at the time they were scarce in our “TV Patrol”‘s “Star News,” among other scoops and rare footages, they were controversial and legendary because the ABS-CBN newscast was at the rime zooming up.

In the age of digital tech, my Facebook posts on Coco Martin or Bea Alonzo, among other famous celebs, are gathering thousands or even million likes and views but which also depends on boosting and viraling.

These materials helped create more visibility and credibility on one’s name in the media.

Indeed, showbiz news caters to the most numbers of audiences which in turn build the career of the messenger and the medium.

This is exactly what happened to news anchor Angelique Lazo when she was fielded as the entertainment news presenter.

Angelique might have the talent like persuasive, charming voice and the looks very attuned to glitz and glam, surely, but her messages were also big factors in her rise to fame.

Her predecessor Inday Badiday was also catapulted to popularity by her scandalous showbiz revelations or simply featuring well-known stars and therefore her talk shows were highly rated.

In the beginning, Mel Tiangco and Korina Sanchez didn’t like to lineup showbiz personalities in their individual shows particularly in their main turf like news headlines or main discussion they better left entertainment stuff like tidbits or gossipy  items to other segment hosts (but they would touch on celebs who figure in police cases and other so-called hard news involvement) because they were primarily identified with hardcore social and political issues and its representations like high profile society leaders, historical figures, newsmakers in politics, sports, business, community, military etc.

Later, they changed their tact not necessarily as a memo from the top brass broadcast management nut their own volition and strategy to feature, especially established or noted movie, television, stage and music stars or those embroiled in controversies because they add numbers to the rating charts.

How do you call Julius Babao, a household name in news the department, interviewing on cam actors and actresses, retired, semi-retired or faded into oblivion with juicy soundbites?

There’s no demarcation line anymore of subject matters to interest the demographics.