Excited si Paolo Bediones sa kanyang bagong role.

At hindi role sa isang teleserye o pelikula ang ikinae-excite ng dating Kapuso at Survivor Philippines host, kundi mas mabigat pa—ang role ng pagiging network executive/programing executive ng ngayo'y Manny Pangilinan-owned TV station na TV5.

Dating pag-aari ng banking magnate at businessman na si Antonio "Tonyboy" Cojuangco (Bank of Commerce, Dream Sattelite Broadasting) ang Novaliches-based TV station na Channel 5. Last year, napabilang na ito sa maraming negosyo ng telecommunications czar na si Pangilinan (PLDT, Smart Communications). Kasabay nito ang pagkuha ng istasyon ng mga bagong talents, at kabilang sa mga unang talents na kinuha ng Singko ay si Paolo.

Kahapon, Martes, March 9, nagpa-presscon ang TV5 para sa dalawang bagong News and Public Affairs program ng istasyon, ang Tutok Tulfo na pangungunahan ng hard-hitting public service show host at radio broadcaster na si Erwin Tulfo at ang USI (Under Special Investigation) na programa naman ni Paolo. Sa presscon na ito rin na ginanap sa Annabel's restaurant sa Tomas Morato, Quezon City, ipinahayag ni Paolo na bukod sa pagiging host ng USI ay mas malaki at mas mabigat pa ang role niya sa Ka-Shake station.

Una, bilang programming executive, "There would be specific programs assigned to me by the programming committee, and I will be overseeing the development of the production and the talents as well," pahayag ni Paolo nang makausap siya ng PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal).

"As a network executive naman," patuloy niya, "it involves—not just sa public affairs but in entertainment as well—training, yung pagpili ng mga talents, and giving them tips or whatever, kung anong puwedeng gawin. Whatever expertise that I have acquired in the 12 years that I have been in the industry, in terms of the various formats—reality, game show, talk show, news magazine show, beauty pageants and whatnot—these are things that I will be putting into that one big basket and they can just pick from it, basically.

"So, now, it's a good position. Because now, nakakatulong tayo sa mga kasama natin sa industriya who have talents, who deserve a shot, whether it's a new shot, a second shot, a third shot, it doesn't matter."

LOOKING FOR THAT DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH. Pero nilinaw ni Paolo na hindi naman lahat ng lalapit sa kanya ay matutulungan niya.

"Ang daming mga kasama natin sa industriya on-cam and off-cam na lumalapit sa akin. Tutulungan naman natin—yung iba. At the end of the day naman, siyempre, if I'm gonna vouch for someone, I have to know their work ethic, e. So, hindi lahat ng lumalapit, matutulungan natin. Hindi naman tayo tipong public service, e. At the end of the day, it's still a business. At ayoko namang mapahiya na ang taong sinu-support ko, o I'm vouching for, cannot deliver. Kasi it will reflect on my judgment."

Dagdag pa ni Paolo, mas gusto pa nga raw nila sa TV5 na mag-develop ng "diamonds in the rough." Ipinaliwanag niya nung mismong presscon proper kung ano ang ibig niyang sabihin dito.

"You don't wanna get someone too polished. You wanna get someone who's basically a 'diamond in the rough' that you can train, that you can instill the right values into. Kung makikita po ninyo the way that we've been moving sa TV5, is that we either get pillars or we will develop our own talents.

"The ones in between, minsan medyo mahirap nang ayusin yung tamang pag-iisip. So, we'd rather start with someone we can train from the very beginning or someone na haligi na talaga at puwede naming sandalan bilang poste sa iba't ibang mga programa namin," ani Paolo.

PAOLO THE NEWS ANCHOR. Sa PEP Alerts! kahapon, na-announce na si Paolo rin ang official primetime news anchor ng TV5. Aniya, ito raw ang magiging priority niya sa istasyon, sa sandaling mai-launch na nga ang bagong TV5 News and Public Affairs grid na kinabibilangan ng dalawa pang bagong public affairs shows na ia-announce pa lang sa mga darating na araw.

"If I could list my priorities now, number one for TV5 would be head anchor of the daily newscast, pangalawa na lang ang pagiging network executive," sabi ni Paolo.

Pagtatapat ni Paolo, hindi raw niya in-aspire o pinangarap na maging news anchor. Naging entertainment show host na siya sa S-Files, naging morning show host sa Mornings@GMA at Unang Hirit, magazine show host for Gameplan, game show host for Digital LG Quiz at pinakanagmarka ang paho-host niya sa Extra Challenge at Survivor Philippines, pero never daw siyang nangarap talaga na maging news anchor, lalo na nung nasa GMA-7 pa siya.