Who needs TV when you can watch almost everything online? 

For a lot of us who just seem to ignore the fact that access to internet is still a privilege we enjoy, just so you know, most of the Filipino population (talking about those in C, D, E classes especially in rural areas) still lack the means to be able to surf the web. If that's the case, imagine how few can afford cable? The numbers may seem big but comparing it to how huge the actual populace is (we're talking about millions here!), the percentage of Filipinos getting quality television shows is very little.

For so many years, Pinoys who rely on free TV for their daily dose of amusement and information had no choice but to endure some horrible and idiotic TV programs shown on leading networks. It's a good thing that recently, some of the shows on air are getting [a little] better and the general public has [a little] more channels to choose from.

In 2011, one of the newest channels on free television is ETC. This was made possible by Solar Entertainment, the media conglomerate which is also behind cable networks 2nd Avenue, Jack TV, Diva Universal and Universal Channel. Celebrating a fruitful 2011, Solar held "Destination Entertainment," a thanksgiving party last January 17 at Genting Club in Resorts World Manila. It was a night of food, music, prizes and presentation of the media company's line up of shows for this year.

After the Pinkbox event, I still managed to go to the party just to show my support to Bloggers United's ETC family. Dubbed as the No. 1 channel for the young female demographic, ETC has believed and supported our  [Bloggers United] event since the beginning and the least that I can do was show up. 

Kudos to  Solar  for such a grand gathering!

Patti Grandidge and Kim Jones - the hosts of Etcetera

Shows You'll Love 

American Idol, Season 11 (ETC)

Coming Soon: Project Runway Philippines (ETC)

I'm such a sucker for reality shows that feature talent and hard work. Being a big dreamer like everyone else, I believe I can relate to the contestants and knowing their life stories are always a good source of daily inspiration.

Two Broke Girls (ETC)

How I Met Your Mother (2nd Avenue)

Big Bang Theory (Jack TV)

Modern Family (2nd Avenue)

Friends with Benefits (ETC)

Smash (2nd Avenue)
From the makers of Chicago, Smash is a drama series about a girl who wants to make it big in broadway. Think of Glee but for a more mature audience with a better treatment at its production numbers.