Looking for the next big thing

TV5, Kumu, Cornerstone Entertainment to launch new P-pop group search

TV5’s CIGNAL Entertainment has partnered with content streaming platform Kumu and multimedia company Cornerstone Entertainment for the Pinoy singing boy group talent search, Top Class, The Rise to P-Pop Stardom.

Top Class is an original talent search “survival” series focusing on male performers. The show will highlight young aspirants as they undergo training and take on challenges while competing to become a member of the next Filipino boy group.

“We have the raw talent. It’s just a matter of providing the right training, the right influences, and the right support,” Cornerstone Entertainment Vice-President Jeff Vadillo told members of the press after the contract signing at the TV5 Media Center on Feb. 28. “This is the kind of future that we’re working on, to be able to create Filipino artists and doing [so] excellently that other people from other countries can appreciate and relate with it.”

Cornerstone Entertainment is the talent agency behind performers such as Erik Santos, Kayla, Jay-R, Arci Muñoz, Moira Dela Torre, Julia Montes, and Markki Stroem. It is also the creator of shows like the drama series Niña Niño and singing game show Sing-Galing through its production arm, CS Studios.

“In terms of the trends nowadays, you can see that there’s diversity. It’s not just one genre running the airwaves in terms of music. If we’re talking about music, a lot of genres getting their own market, and getting their own audience,” Mr. Vadillo said.

The talent series will feature Filipino hosts and mentors who are known globally for their body of work. They will guide and prepare the young talents for the music and entertainment scene.

STREAMING THE SHOW
The growing popularity of the content found on Filipino live streaming app Kumu also motivated the decision to discover the next P-pop group. Launched in 2018, there are more than 10 million registered users on the platform from over 55 countries.

“It’s a natural direction for us to partner with Kumu, because of their appreciation for developing diverse styles [of entertainment],” Mr. Vadillo said of the partnership.

“It’s natural progression that we actually put together a show where we can allow these creators to progress in their career. We are not in the business of talent management and production, so we work with Cornerstone who will help us and will always complement the show that we’re putting together,” Kumu Chief Commercial Officer Luis Paolo Pineda said, “And [of course], you need a free to air platform so that a majority of the Filipinos can watch.”

Since its return to the entertainment production scene in 2020, TV5 has been working to create more content through partnerships.

“It’s very encouraging that our decision in 2020 to work with different production companies has performed well,” TV5 President and CEO Robert P. Galang said.

“2021 was a year of building capabilities, not just the network side but also the content creation side because we’ve also been able to team inside Cignal. We got very talented people [who] know how to execute [shows],” he said.

The mechanics of the competition and the requirements for interested candidates are yet to be announced. Top Class, The Rise to P-Pop Stardom is set to premiere this year.

For more information and updates, visit Cignal TV’s official Facebook page () and the official account of Top Class on Kumu (). —�� Michelle Anne P. Soliman