Manny Villar, the country’s richest man, wants to pirate the top news talents of ABS-CBN, GMA Network and TV5 to form a powerhouse news team for his fledgling television network.
According to Politiko’s sister site, Bilyonaryo, Villar wants to sign up former TV Patrol news anchors Noli De Castro and Korina Sanchez, TV5 news chief Luchi Cruz-Valdez, and GMA News TV and radio anchor Arnold Clavio.
Bilyonaryo’s Babbler said Villar is required to establish a news division after his Advanced Media Broadcasting System (AMBS) was granted Channels 2 and 16, the frequencies previously assigned to ABS-CBN.
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Quoting a Babbler, Bilyonaryo said De Castro declined Villar’s offer but the businessman hasn’t given up on convincing his former Senate colleague to leave ABS-CBN.
De Castro resigned from ABS-CBN late last year to run for senator. He went back after shelving his candidacy, though now on a limited capacity since he’s no longer hosting TV Patrol.
Sanchez, meanwhile, is the host of the eponymous show, “Rated Korina,” which airs on TV5, Kapamilya Channel, A2Z and One PH.
In a virtual press briefing on February 8, Sanchez said “all my doors are open” when asked about the possibility of joining Villar’s network.
Cruz-Valdez, meanwhile, is a veteran of broadcast news production, having worked at both GMA and ABS-CBN before transferring to TV5 in 2010. A Babbler said Villar is also looking at pirating TV5 news anchor and producer Jove Francisco to join the AMBS news team.
Villar’s target of hiring Clavio, however, reportedly appears to be a long shot because he’s considered a news icon at GMA. The Babbler, however, said the bilyonaryo businessman is determined to “form the best of both Kapamilya and Kapuso talents.”
