GMA Network Announces Promotion Of Officers

GMA Network Announces Promotion Of Officers

Abacan

GMA Network recently announced the promotion of two of its officers to the position of First Vice President.

Francia

Jose Mari R. Abacan was appointed First Vice President for Program Management. Abacan paved the way for GMA to become the pioneer in Koreanovelas in the country by introducing the likes of Full House, Stairway to Heaven, and Jewel in the Palace– all of which drove the ratings of the Network - to the Filipino audience. As the new First VP for Program Management, he will continue to lead and oversee all program acquisition initiatives from foreign producers, while ensuring that these are responsive to the viewers’ consistently changing preferences.

Abacan has been with the company since 1993 and rose through the ranks being a Project Coordinator, Program Unit Manager, Program Manager and eventually, Vice President for Program Management in 2015. With more than two decades of experience in program management, he has been selected as a juror at the International Emmy Awards on multiple occasions and is a key figure behind award-winning programs, GMA Telesine and Pira-Pirasong Pangarap. Concurrently, he will continue to serve as Project Director of GMA Network Films, working closely with its President in conceptualizing and producing various movies. Abacan holds a Psychology degree from De La Salle University, Manila.

Meanwhile, Joseph Jerome T. Francia was named First Vice President and Head of International Operations. Francia is credited with negotiating content distribution deals for the Network’s premium channels GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV, and GMA News TV International with international multi-platform pay-TV giants.

With these deals, he has successfully launched a multi-million dollar international content distribution business, with thriving affiliate relationships with pay-video operators in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and other Asia-Pacific territories, as well as various countries in the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe. In his new position, Francia will continue to be responsible for the Network’s international operations together with his team composed of programming, marketing, business development, and broadcast operations professionals in the country as well as abroad. He has been with the company starting 2004.

Francia graduated with a degree in Journalism from the University of the Philippines, Diliman. He is an alumnus of the Post-MBA Program of the Kellogg School of Management in Illinois, USA and a High Distinction alumnus of the MBA program of Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. He also attended the CTAM U Executive Management Program at the Harvard Business School in Massachusetts, USA. /MP