DJ Andi Manzano is fulfilling her plan to explore the world of television as she joins the pool of talents of the Kapuso network. She is one of three new female Kapuso celebrities who will be introduced on Party Pilipinas next Sunday, August 22.
"It's nice also to try TV at the same time kasi iba rin naman ang world ng radio sa TV," said Andi, who is also a regular radio jock at Magic 89.9, during the media junket prepared for her and the two other Kapuso talents being launched by Channel 7, namely Ellen Adarna and Gwen Zamora, last Friday, August 13, at the GMA network building. (CLICK HERE to read related article.)
The 23-year-old radio personality said she developed her passion for TV hosting when she started working as a video jock for MTV Philippines. She became one of the faces of the music channel after she won the MTV VJ Hunt in 2007. (CLICK HERE to read related article.)
Andi said, "Iba talaga ang feeling ng nasa TV ka rather than radio. Kasi, sa radio parang nasa kuwarto ka lang, feeling mo walang nakikinig sa 'yo. But on TV naman, nakikita mo ang sarili mo sa TV 'tapos may mga nakakakilala sa 'yo. Iba talaga ang feeling."
She said that appearing on TV would not only give her more public exposure but enhance her hosting skills as well.
The niece of actor-TV host Edu Manzano said, "They hear me on radio, but to finally see me on TV is a different thing. Hindi ko alam kung kilala na nila ako kasi usually they know me by my voice or maybe they see me on pictures. But to be on TV talaga, I mean, it's something new for me na I'm excited na. At least, finally, GMA-7 gave me like Party Pilipinas, which I love to do—hosting, introduce the bands, singers. It's something that I've always been doing na. And to do it on TV, talagang I'm excited na!"
Andi clarified that her decision to join mainstream TV didn't mean that she was leaving radio.
"I will never leave radio," she told PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal). "It's not naman conflict, e. This is why I love GMA-7, they try to revolve around my radio schedule. Kasi, I was saying naman na, you know, nakilala ako sa radio, I don't want to let go of radio naman. I love radio."
DJ MO'S SUPPORT. Andi gained popularity when she joined colleague DJ Mo Twister's defunct radio show Good Times on Magic 89.9. Did Mo, who now hosts on TV5, give her advice about working on local television?
Andi said that Mo was the one who encouraged her to try TV.
She recalled, "I started kasi sa morning show niya. So, when he started sa TV, parang sinasabi niya, 'O, bakit hindi ka mag-TV din?' So, he was the one who's pushing me to audition for MTV Philippines. He was also telling me, 'Why not try it out kasi marami namang opportunities diyan.'"
Although DJ Mo is now in the midst of a legal tussle with GMA-7 (CLICK HERE for related story), Andi said he was one of the first to congratulate her after she told him she was joining the network. "He's happy naman. I'm happy where he is now and he's happy where I am," she said.
For now, Andi will be concentrating on hosting jobs for GMA-7. There are no plans yet for her to do acting, which she's also open to.
"If there is like a show that has a really nice character, na nakakatuwa, na makaka-relate ako, na I'm not gonna have a hard time. Pero kung drama, wait lang, kailangan ko munang mag-workshop. Now, I wanna be known muna as a host. Ayaw ko namang to jump into something na hindi ko kaya. We'll see," Andi said.