Switching channels: Richard signs up with GMA...Will Regine move to ABS-CBN?

Curtain-raisers:

• The Buzz will devote the whole one-hour-and-a-half episode to an exclusive interview with Claudine Barretto this Sunday, April 14. Claudine will finally answer all the questions everybody has been asking since her former boyfriend, Rico Yan, died in his sleep last Good Friday. After that much-awaited Buzz episode (4 to 5:30 p.m. on ABS-CBN Channel 2), maybe we can let Rico rest in peace and pray for the repose of his soul. Claudine, too, should be left alone and Rico’s bereaved family, of course.

• When you tune in to GMA 7 tomorrow afternoon, you won’t find Rosanna Roces beside co-hosts Lolit Solis and Butch Francisco on Startalk (2:30 to 4 p.m.). Yes, Rosanna has gone "on leave." Is she being "sanctioned" by GMA for making those sweeping statements about Rico‘s death in last week’s edition of Startalk (for which GMA publicly made an apology)?

• On her DZRH radio program a few days ago, Tiya Dely put the successive deaths of Lucio San Pedro, Levi Celerio and Diomedes Maturan within only days of each other in another perspective. Said Tiya Dely, "Lucio composed a song wherever he’s now and he needed a lyricist, kaya kinuha niya si Levi. And then they needed somebody to sing the song, kaya kinuha nila si Diomeng." Aptly put, isn’t it? I’m sure that up there, the three are making beautiful music together, with angels as back-up singers.

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When Richard Gomez co-hosted last Sunday on ABS-CBN’s A.S.A.P., the show’s regular viewers didn’t have any idea that it was his farewell appearance. Richard was barely able to say a formal goodbye to both his co-hosts and A.S.A.P. followers, although he "high-fived" with Pops Fernandez (yes, she knew).

The day before, April 6, Richard and his manager, Douglas Quijano, had closed a deal with GMA 7 which includes topbilling a new soap (details to be announced as soon as it’s finalized) and co-hosting S-Files with Janice de Belen and Paolo Bediones. This Sunday, when Richard makes his debut as showbiz talkshow host, Paolo won’t be around. People will be wondering, I’m sure: Is Richard replacing Paolo?

No, he isn’t. Paolo is taking a seven-episode leave from S-Files to pave the way for the new GMA game show Txters 5 (premiere on Sunday night, April 14), a co-production venture with Globe. After the seven-episode special season, Paolo will go back to S-Files, making him the most visible guy on TV Sundays, with three shows no less: Digital LG Quiz Show at noontime, S-Files in the afternoon and Txters 5 in the evening.

"It’s a dream come true for me," said Richard. "I’ve always wanted to be a talkshow host, whether a showbiz talkshow or a political talkshow, basta any talkshow. As of now, though, I still don’t know what I’m gonna do on S-Files. Bukas (meaning today) pa lang kami magbi-briefing."

Now, what made Richard leave ABS-CBN, his home-sweet-home these past many, many years?

"Except for co-hosting A.S.A.P, I felt that they didn’t have any other plan for me. The negotiations between GMA 7 and Dougs (Quijano) actually started in January. I’d been trying to have a meeting with the ABS-CBN executives but they were always not available. Palaging mayroong hitch kaya hindi matuloy-tuloy ang meeting ko with any of them. I took it as the sign Lucy (Torres, his wife) and I were asking from Him."

Richard made it clear that he left ABS-CBN under friendly circumstances – meaning, no hard feelings? "I can still guest on ABS-CBN shows, why not? Huwag lang ’yung katapat ng show namin (on GMA)."

As a talkshow host, who are the three celebrities Richard is looking forward to interviewing (and/or "grilling" on the hot seat)?

"One is Kris Aquino (co-host with Boy Abunda of The Buzz, aired on ABS-CBN at the same time as S-Files). I’m curious kung bakit parang tahimik ang buhay niya ngayon. Another is President GMA. I want to ask her what her real plans for the country are and how she’s handling allies who are turning their backs on her. And there’s (former President) Erap. Ang dami kong gustong itanong sa kanya."

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Meanwhile, speculations that she, too, is "switching channels" will surely be fanned some more now that Regine Velasquez, one of the hosts of GMA 7’s Sunday show S.O.P., is doing a concert produced by ABS-CBN, entitled One Night with Regine Velasquez, on April 26 at the National Museum for the benefit of Bantay Bata 163 which is building the Children’s Village in Bulacan (Regine’s home province).

Is this concert a sure step toward maybe a regular show (a soap? a variety show? a co-hosting job on A.S.A.P.?) on ABS-CBN?

At the presscon the other day, Regine made it clear that, no, she isn’t moving – yet? – to ABS-CBN, that she’s happy co-hosting S.O.P. and that the One Night concert is just that – a fund-raising concert – and not a "grand entrance" into the ABS-CBN Family.

"Actually," said Regine, "it’s not my first time to be doing a concert produced by ABS-CBN. Two years ago, I guested on one of their concerts and I also did last year. I believe in the objectives of Bantay Bata, so..."

Initially, ABS-CBN proposed a TV special for Regine who suggested that a concert would produce better results.

One Night will be staged four days after Regine’s birthday (April 22). Regine will be performing with the 85-piece San Miguel Philharmonic Orchestra and the 55-piece San Miguel Master Chorale, with Ryan Cayabyab as musical director and RJ Rosales, Roselle Nava, Carol Banawa and Bituin Escalante as guest performers.

Part of her repertoire are songs by Michel Legrand with whom Regine is recording an album (seven originals and seven old favorites) sometime in July. (Her favorite Legrand songs are Papa, Can You Hear Me? and Piece of the Sky.) Days after the concert, Regine will fly to Paris to meet with Legrand (she’s staying there for one week and a half) and then do a US concert tour in June before buckling down for the album recording.

(For tickets to the One Night concert, call 411-0856 or 415-6625; look for either Kate or Mike of Bantay Bata. You can also call the SM Ticketnet at 911-5555.)