Thanks to Vic; Congrats to the GMANews.TV team

Dropping the (news) ball

(From Mr Vic Agustin's Cocktales)

Both the Inquirer and the ABS-CBN Web sites devote considerable money and personnel to be THE Philippine news portal but, in yesterday’s coverage of Meralco shareholders’ meeting, the GMA site was miles ahead of the two competitors.

As early as 8:48 a.m., the GMA Web site already had a curtain-raiser on the tumultuous meeting, slugged “Boos, pro-Lopez chants greet GSIS chief at Meralco.”

Its second take came at 9:38 a.m., “SEC to take over Meralco stockholders’ meeting.”

Despite its access to its affiliated Manila Electric Co., ABS-CBN only posted its first take on the day’s unfolding battle more than half an hour late, an eternity in broadcast terms, with its first story “SEC halts Meralco board election” being uploaded only at 10:16 a.m.

The Inquirer, whose owners are related by affinity to both the Lopezes and the Romualdezes, uncharacteristically took on a glacial pace, posting its first story by lunchtime, “Meralco defies SEC order, calling it ‘null and void’.”