GMA7 Exec Felipe Gozon says open to revival of talks with MVP

MANILA - The chairman of GMA Network Inc on Wednesday said he is open to reviving talks for a buyout by Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co.

"It is up to them. But if they want to revive, we are ready to revive. If tomorrow, MVP comes back and offers a better price, we will entertain that," Felipe Gozon said on the sidelines of the GMA7's third-quarter briefing. 

MVP: "TV5 and GMA7 parang may LQ. Sometimes on, sometimes off"

MANILA, Philippines - Businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan compared the ongoing deal talks between his group and GMA Network to a couple having "LQ" or lovers' quarrel.

"TV5 and GMA7 parang may LQ. Sometimes on, sometimes off," he said during an Internet & Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP) event on Friday, August 24.

"[We're] currently on," he added.

The camp of Pangilinan, who chairs third-liner broadcast player TV5, has been negotiating with the controlling families of GMA Network, the second biggest media group in the country, since December 2011.

GMA7-TV5 Merger, Legal or illegal?

Speaking hypothetically, Kapuso head Felipe L. Gozon insisted that there is nothing illegal about two networks like GMA 7 and TV5 joining forces.

For months now, rumors have been circulating about TV5 boss Manny V. Pangilinan’s interest to purchase GMA 7.

Although both parties have since denied reports of a sale, the question remains: Will a merger be legal?

Two scenarios

During a press briefing, Gozon remarked that he didn’t see anything the matter with it. He explained two things could happen—a merger or a consolidation— if a sale pushed through:

“In a consolidation, only one company survives. In a merger, unless the plan calls for the dissolution of a merging company, the merging companies continue to exist.”

GMA7 - TV5 deal price tag is P52.5-B

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) - The group of businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan is reportedly close to sealing a deal estimated at P52.5 billion to purchase a controlling 80% stake in GMA Network Inc. 

This was reported by the Inquirer on Monday, July 9, citing "several sources familiar with the discussions" on one of the most-expected deals in the country since it involves GMA-7, the second biggest media firm, and TV-5, the third biggest and chaired by Pangilinan.

Listed GMA Network did not deny nor confirm the report in its disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange. It just said it is not the source of the information.

Mediaquest Holdings Inc, the corporate vehicle typically used by the Pangilinan-led giant Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT), is supposedly the party that will effect the transaction, as was the case when the PLDT group bought other media assets in the past. 

TV5 Executive: Kahit hindi mag-memerge, ABS-CBN dapat nang kabahan!

Kinulit namin ang TV5 head for creative and entertainment na si Perci M. Intalan (PMI), nang makita namin sa Artista Academy auditions, tungkol sa TV5-GMA merger, at kung bakit hindi pa ito inaamin nina GMA-7 CEO Atty. Felipe L. Gozon (FLG) at TV5 Chairman Manny V. Pangilinan.

“Honestly, ang alam ko, hindi pa lahat ayos, hayaan ko na muna kung ano ang proseso nila. However, open naman sina Atty. Gozon to the idea at inaamin naman nilang there are talks going on. So ang tsismis ay mangyayari na, sana,” napangiting pahayag ni Perci.

Usap-usapan sa buong industriya ang pagsasanib-puwersa ng TV5 at GMA-7, na obviously raw ay para mas malakas anfg puwersa laban sa ABS-CBN.

Totoo nga ba ang tsika na si MVP ang mamamahala sa GMA at si Ms Wilma Galvante ang hahawak sa TV5?

“Well, to be clear, she’s (Wilma) not in any station, I don’t know kung interesado siyang bumalik sa GMA, kasi from the sound of it talaga, nag-move on na siya, eh.

ABS-CBN unthreatened by 'GMA7- TV5 Merger'

MANILA, Philippines - Media giant ABS-CBN Corp. is not threatened by the possible merger of its rivals GMA Network Inc. and Associated Broadcasting Company (ABC), operator of TV5.

Eugenio L. Lopez III, chairman and chief executive officer of ABS-CBN, said he does not think a possible GMA7-TV5 merger would change the landscape of the industry.

"It doesn't change what we have to do. We're very focused on our own strategy. The number of channels that we have to compete against remains the same. As far as we're concerned, we just have to execute and we'll be okay," he said, in a press conference after the company's stockholder's meeting.

Business tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan, who owns ABC, earlier said a deal to invest in GMA Network Inc. may be finalized within the year. The move is widely expected to result in the merger of the 2 networks, which will compete directly against ABS-CBN.

"Combining channels, programs is not going to lead to giving you an inordinate structural advantage. We are competing not only against channels but internet, hundreds of channels. It makes no difference to me if there's one owner or a hundred owners, we're still competing against all of them. That will not change regardless of what the equity structure is of those companies," Lopez said.