Looking at this story below I often wonder if anyone has looked at the direct decline in language skills and the decline in English language programs on television. Yes, TV - I mean take the percentage of TV shows in English and then look say back to 1995 and then to today and just do a air-time survey in metro manila and other parts of the country then look at the numbers overall.

The shift did not improve ratings - the ratings posted of 9 and 10's at night say for news and current affairs shows and other programs are about the same for the two major networks.

No late night news program has equaled say the ten year stint of TV Patrol of high 20's or low to mid 30's in ratings. even if you add or factor in the numbers game that is TV after all.

The same can be said for canned shows - and the sitcoms - numbers per time slot are about the same in either language - but- the effect on the level of English proficiency is clear. So in part - look also at radio broadcasts - notwithstanding AM; which has for many decades been the home of Tagalog or other regional dialects. But FM entertainment or music radio, Have ratings improved with the shift in language overall - not really -its the music after all not the announcers or dj's people want to hear more than anything.

So what I am saying is perhaps - if indeed there are those who want to see higher level of language proficiency in English in the country considering only the numbers of BPO opportunities predicted in the next ten years as more and more companies go off-shore for the service economy sector - perhaps by keeping some level of one of the two national languages out the on the air - perhaps - there might be a reflected level of increase in proficiency seen.

[]... Arroyo out to reverse skid in English skills - By RENE Q. BAS Sunday Times Editor
President Arroyo has set aside P600 million to upgrade the skills of teachers in English and help reverse the deterioration in the proficiency of Filipino students in the language.
Sources in the Cabinet told The Manila Times Sunday that through a package if Mrs. Arroyo wants to increase the Filipinos’ competitiveness in business-processes outsourcing (BPO). ... []
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=42085

The advertiser would not mind - because the ratings would be about the same based on viewer habits, the people would not mind maybe- because like with manufacturing which is almost non-extent in most western countries the service sector is going off-shore in the developed world because the costs of maintaining on demand 24/7 24 hours a day seven days a week full call center coverage is too high - most likely daytime hours in the developed world would in some form still remain on shore- but- those firms seeings 24hour penetration would to be cost competitive move the jobs to where the needs could be met - and service given at lower cost.

It is ironic to me that perhaps some of the largest providers of call center space are broadcasters - they use their telecoms facilities to beef up those service industries that have located to here- and yet- end up having to double hop outsource to India themselves on pass on schemes in order to meet customer demand.

If I see this correctly it is ironic that by their programing options years ago - they lowered the employment pool margin for language skills by their actions. funny... in a way... ironic too.