Nasentro ang usapan sa nababalitang merger ng GMA-7 at TV5 bago napag-usapan ang mga bagong palabas para sa second quarter lineup na dapat abangan mula sa Kapuso network kaninang tanghali, June 11.

Inaasahan na raw ni Atty. Felipe Gozon, Chairman at CEO ng GMA-7 network, na tatanungin siya sa paulit-ulit na balitang binibili raw ni TV5 Chairman Manny V. Pangilinan—o mas kilala bilang MVP—ang Kapuso station.

THE TRUTH? “There are really many companies that are interested in acquiring GMA-7,” umpisa ni Atty. Gozon.

“One of them is the company controlled by Pangilinan… MVP.

“If you will recall, in 2002 I think, if I’m not mistaken, we actually signed a Memorandum of Agreement selling GMA to MediaQuest."

Ang MediaQuest Holdings Inc. ay isang media conglomerate ng Beneficial Trust Fund ng Philippine Long Distance Company sa pamumuno pa rin ni MVP.

THE PRICE? Pinangunahan na ni Atty. Gozon ang maaring itanong kung magkano nila ito napagkasunduan noon.

Aniya, “I will not mention anymore the amount but it’s a fraction of what we think the company is now worth.

"For reasons beyond the control of Many Pangilinan, the transaction did not push through.

"So it’s attributable to their side and not to our side.

“And I understood the predicament so I didn’t create too much trouble or fuzz about that and allow them to back out of the signed Memorandum of Agreement.

“But Manny never lost interest in acquiring GMA,” pagpapatuloy pa niyang hindi doon nagtapos ang kanilang pag-uusap sa pagdaan ng panahon.

“And as I said, the price of GMA naman in the meantime kept on rising.

“From the ridiculous 500 billion [pesos] to which I jokingly responded that if it’s 100 billion, I will sign with my eyes closed. Et cetera, et cetera.

“But that was meant all to be a joke because I thought that 500 billion amount, which did not come from us, was a big joke."