THE ICONIC TALENT SEARCH CONTINUES: AMERICAN IDOL PREMIERES MARCH 4 ON ETC

Manila, Philippines – Having toured 24 cities across the U.S. last summer, American Idol is again in search of the next superstar. Philippine #AIONETC fans can catch the inspiring journey starting Monday, March 4 via satellite at 6PM with a prime time encore at 8PM. Watch ETC to see the first crop of Idol hopefuls audition for their shot at a ticket to Hollywood. The cross-country audition tour will move forward with an all-new episode on Thursday, March 7, rounding out a talent-filled premiere week. New 2-hour episodes will continue on ETC every Monday and Tuesday weekly with via satellite and prime time encore episodes airing back-to-back.

The iconic talent search series that revolutionized the television landscape by pioneering the music competition genre returns to find a fresh batch of talented hopefuls. Helping to find the next singing sensation are music industry legends and all-star judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. Emmy®-winning producer Ryan Seacrest will also return as host, and famed multimedia personality Bobby Bones will take on the role of in-house mentor.

Stay tuned for American Idol All-Star Duets with guest appearances from artists such as Jason Mraz, Julia Michaels, Lukas Graham, Elle King, and Shaggy.

The home of American Idol since 2012, ETC has featured countless hopefuls go through the audition phase to get a ticket to Hollywood. Let us know what you think about the contestants in real time, tweet #AIONETC and your tweet could be featured on screen as you watch the show with fellow fans.

Tune in starting March 4 at 6 PM on ETC to find out, who will be the next American Idol? Join the conversation at #AIonETC!

For all American Idol updates and happenings, tag ETC on www.facebook.com/etctv, on Twitter and Instagram via @etc_channel, and log on to etc.com.ph.

Encompassing diverse interests, ETC speaks to every woman. It tickles their fancy, warms the soul, and stirs passions. From the young to the young-at-heart, ETC is now home to all women, a channel that provides entertainment that’s provocative, inspiring, and empowering. Tune in to ETC on UHF channel 21, Sky Cable channel 16, Destiny Digital channel 16, Global Destiny channel 28, Cignal channel 9, Cablelink channel 34, or East TV channel 1.


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About Solar Entertainment Corporation

Solar Entertainment Corporation is the largest content provider and channel operator in Southeast Asia. It is committed to elevating the network to a global standard and maintaining Solar as a leader and innovator in the industry. Until today, Solar continues to widen its programming to meet the demands of emerging audiences. For more details, log on to http://solarentertainmentcorp.com/.


About ETC

ETC, the number one free-to-air female entertainment network, is an interactive platform where ladies of all ages can freely share and express who they truly are and who they aspire to be. It is a channel that not only embraces but also celebrates everything that a woman value; from beauty and style, to her interests, passions and relationships. With world class shows paired with its own local content, ETC is sure to deliver the latest trends in the world of TV, fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and Hollywood news tailor made for the fun and stylish Filipina today.

Filipino-Kiwi Designer Wins Sony Channel’s The Apartment: Passion for Design

Once again, Filipino pride takes the limelight as Fil-Kiwi fashion designer Stephanie Dods was selected the winner of Sony Channel’s The Apartment: Passion for Design, and walked away with the biggest prize in the series’ history - the deed to a luxurious UMLand apartment at D’Lagoon located in Iskandar, Malaysia.

Declaring in the show that failure was not an option, the beauty queen-model fiercely proved her worth by out-performing competition from the US, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia in a series of grueling challenges that showcased her flair for innovative design, eventually conquering Asia’s biggest design reality series.

Dods hurdled the weekly challenges with her style and confidence. It was no walk in the park, as she narrowly escaped elimination many times.

Dods has now become the second Filipino contestant to win the prestigious competition after Cebu-based interior designers and best friends Deankie Latonio and Tiara Sison won the third edition in 2013.

In the semi-finals, Dods shared the spotlight with fellow Filipino contestants, Jesy Cruz and Eugene Del Rosario, who both performed strong but in the end just came just a bit short, paving the way for Dods.

The season finale saw Dods going head-to-head with Malaysian make-up artist Rachel Lee in the ultimate challenge to design and furnish an apartment from scratch.

The latest season featured a formidable and glamorous panel of judges, which included world renowned interior designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen as the head judge, Filipino interior designer and media personality Cat Arambulo as one of two new judges, together with Tyler Wisler, one of New York’s most influential and dynamic designers. Award-winning designer and author Jamie Durie returned as series host and mentor.

The Apartment: Passion for Design is a Sony Channel Original Series created and produced by Imagine Group Entertainment, the leading entertainment production company in Asia.

For more information, visit TheApartmentTV.com or @TheApartmentTV on Facebook and
Twitter.

Sony Channel is available on Cablelink Channel 39, Cignal Channel 120, Destiny Cable  Channel 35, G Sat Channel 48, and SKYCable Channel 35.

About Sony Channel 

Sony Channel is the premier destination for female-skewing entertainment with the biggest and best of Hollywood. Designed for the socially connected viewer, Sony Channel features some of the most captivating and talked-about drama, comedy, lifestyle, and reality programs on TV, all airing close to the U.S. telecasts, together with popular feel-good movies.

Fresh, confident and stylish, with a dash of clever wit, Sony Channel is visually stunning with a brand identity that perfectly complements its line-up of high calibre programming. Sony Channel appeals to a female-skewed, male-inclusive audience who loves to escape, engage, and lose themselves in premium content. Viewers are modern, social, stylish, and aspirational.

Sony Channel is wholly owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment and managed by Sony Pictures Television Networks Asia, which also operates pay-TV channels AXN, Animax, ONE and GEM.

Visit www.SonyChannelAsia.com, and join the conversation @SonyChannelAsia on Facebook and Twitter.

About Imagine Group

Imagine Group (“Imagine”) is a leading international TV Production company headquartered in Singapore. Amongst its hit TV productions are Fit for Fashion, The Contender Asia, The Biggest  Currently the ONLY production company in Asia that produces large scale ORIGINAL reality TV shows to an American production standard that are sold and formatted worldwide, Imagine has shows in production and development across a variety of genres including Music, Sport, Fashion, Lifestyle, Design, Magic and kids’ content.

More information at www.imaginegroup.tv.

America Crowns Maddie Poppe the New American Idol!

After an exciting night of performances, America has voted for singer-songwriter Maddie Poppe the winner of American Idol! Performing her audition song, “Rainbow Connection” with Kermit the Frog at the results show, Poppe endeared herself to the judges and the audience.

“I don’t have many words to say, I felt like I was kind of an underdog for a while. I really did because my music is not mainstream, and so to know that I pulled this off just doing what I love, and I didn’t have to change myself is pretty incredible.” Poppe gushed.

The results show had another OMG moment when it was revealed that Maddie Poppe and Caleb Lee Hutchinson are dating. Ultimately, Hutchinson came in second place

while country powerhouse Gabby Barrett took third place after being eliminated during the first hour.

Sony Channel premiered American Idol in the Philippines, express from the US in March, and aired the final performance and results shows same time as the US.

Sony Channel has consistently offered top-tier shows to its viewers, consistently making it as among the top-rated cable channels in the General Entertainment category. For more exciting updates, visit www.sonychannelasia.com.

Sony Channel is available on Cablelink Channel 39, Cignal Channel 120, Destiny Cable Channel 35, G Sat Channel 48, and SKYCable Channel 35.


About Sony Channel

Sony Channel is the premier destination for female-skewing entertainment with the biggest and best of Hollywood. Designed for the socially connected viewer, Sony Channel features some of the most captivating and talked-about drama, comedy, lifestyle, and reality programs on TV, all airing close to the U.S. telecasts, together with popular feel-good movies.

Fresh, confident and stylish, with a dash of clever wit, Sony Channel is visually stunning with a brand identity that perfectly complements its line-up of high calibre programming. Sony Channel appeals to a female-skewed, male-inclusive audience who loves to escape, engage, and lose themselves in premium content. Viewers are modern, social, stylish, and aspirational.

Sony Channel is wholly owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment and managed by Sony Pictures Television Networks Asia, which also operates pay-TV channels AXN, Animax, ONE and GEM.

Visit www.SonyChannelAsia.com, and join the conversation @SonyChannelAsia on Facebook and Twitter.

*This is Press Release

American Idol Set to Return to Asia First on Sony Channel March 12 Express from the US

American Idol, the iconic, genre-defining music reality series, returns to Asia at its new home on Sony Channel on Monday, March 12. Featuring superstar judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, the season will take viewers on a mesmerizing musical journey to discover America’s next singing sensation. Emmy award-winning host and producer Ryan Seacrest will return as the host of the renowned series.

“American Idol is a series that truly revolutionized the TV landscape and pioneered the music competition genre. The sizzling new series makes its home on Sony Channel for the first time and is sure to captivate audiences across the region with its breadth of talent, musical variety and witty banter, courtesy of the three dynamic judges,” said Virginia Lim, Senior Vice President and Head of Content, Production and Marketing, Sony Pictures Television Networks Asia.

The nationwide search for the next superstar kicked off in August 2017, as the American Idol Bus travelled across the U.S.A covering 23 cities. Auditioning was made easier than ever as hopefuls also had the opportunity to submit audition videos online, as well as via select social platforms using an official tag #TheNextIdol, cultivating over 300,000 posts. Also, for the first time in American Idol history, hopefuls could audition through a live stream platform.

American Idol premieres on Sony Channel within 12-hours of its U.S. telecast on Monday, March 12 at 6:00pm. American Idol airs every Monday and Tuesday at 6.00pm, with same night encore at 9.45pm.

American Idol is produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment, a division of CORE Media Group. Executive producers include FremantleMedia North America’s Trish Kinane and Jennifer Mullin, along with co-executive Megan Wolflick.

Sony Channel is available on Cablelink Channel 39, Cignal Channel 120, Destiny Cable Channel 35, G Sat Channel 48, and SKYCable Channel 35.

*This is Press Release