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Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - �What Willie said made it sound like GMA 7 was trying to �pirate� him," said GMA 7 president and CEO Felipe Gozon, reacting to Willie Revillame�s recent statement that the network offered him a show while he was on indefinite leave from ABS-CBN.
�That is not accurate," Gozon told Inquirer Entertainment on Thursday. �It goes against (company) policy."
During his 50th birthday celebration last week, Revillame said Gozon had offered him a game show that would air on prime time. Willie�s words: �Mr. Gozon told me not to worry because, he said, �You�re talking to the man.'"
In a statement sent to Inquirer, Gozon recounted that lawyer Boy Reyno, a �common friend� and now one of Revillame�s business partners in TV5, requested a meeting to discuss �the possibility of Revillame transferring to GMA 7." This was before Revillame signed the coproduction deal with TV5 last year for �Willing Willie."
Gozon added that the subject �was brought up by them." He continued: �We didn�t categorically say yes or no, as there were many complicating factors, primarily the legal problem with ABS-CBN that (Revillame) was surely going to have�not to mention the commercial considerations."
Advice to Willie
The Kapuso network head also recalled telling the TV host that he (Revillame) was �probably going to be better off if he produced his own show and be an independent producer like Oprah Winfrey." Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-awarded show, produced by her own company, Harpo.
During the meeting, Gozon said, he asked Revillame about the latter�s relationship with ABS-CBN �to have a clearer understanding of the kind of legal problem that he was going to have to face."
�That was how preliminary that meeting was," Gozon stressed. �I did tell him, �I�m the man,' but it was just a joke. It was my way of saying that I'm the top in GMA 7 that he could talk with. The next I heard from Reyno was that Revillame was going to sign up with TV5."
Inquirer Entertainment called Revillame, but the TV host refused to make any more comments on the subject.
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�That is not accurate," Gozon told Inquirer Entertainment on Thursday. �It goes against (company) policy."
During his 50th birthday celebration last week, Revillame said Gozon had offered him a game show that would air on prime time. Willie�s words: �Mr. Gozon told me not to worry because, he said, �You�re talking to the man.'"
In a statement sent to Inquirer, Gozon recounted that lawyer Boy Reyno, a �common friend� and now one of Revillame�s business partners in TV5, requested a meeting to discuss �the possibility of Revillame transferring to GMA 7." This was before Revillame signed the coproduction deal with TV5 last year for �Willing Willie."
Gozon added that the subject �was brought up by them." He continued: �We didn�t categorically say yes or no, as there were many complicating factors, primarily the legal problem with ABS-CBN that (Revillame) was surely going to have�not to mention the commercial considerations."
Advice to Willie
The Kapuso network head also recalled telling the TV host that he (Revillame) was �probably going to be better off if he produced his own show and be an independent producer like Oprah Winfrey." Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-awarded show, produced by her own company, Harpo.
During the meeting, Gozon said, he asked Revillame about the latter�s relationship with ABS-CBN �to have a clearer understanding of the kind of legal problem that he was going to have to face."
�That was how preliminary that meeting was," Gozon stressed. �I did tell him, �I�m the man,' but it was just a joke. It was my way of saying that I'm the top in GMA 7 that he could talk with. The next I heard from Reyno was that Revillame was going to sign up with TV5."
Inquirer Entertainment called Revillame, but the TV host refused to make any more comments on the subject.
original link: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]