LUCHI CRUZ VALDES had an online presscon for her show, “Usapang Real Life” or URL and she admitted that Ted Failon is definitely moving to TV5.
Ted will start on September 21 both on TV and radio. He will anchor the evening newscast and also do his own show on Radyo Singko.
Luchi at 54 is now hosting a lifestyle and entertainment show, “URL”, shown Saturdays on TV5 at 9 PM, with primetime replay on Sundays at 7:00PM on Colours, and also available on Cignal TV CH. 202 HD & 60 SD.
‘URL’ is line-produced by ContentCows Company of Ms. Wilma Galvante. It shows Luchi in a new light as a nurturing and compassionate talk show host to her celebrity guests from the world of entertainment.
Since the show started a month ago, her guests included KC Concepcion, Karen Davila, Jane de Leon, Alessandra de Rossi, as well as athletes, digital influencers and Luchi’s own colleagues.
‘URL” is definitely a far cry from the investigative shows she did before. Is she moving away from news and public affairs?
“No, it’s not a career shift,” she explains. “It’s just a parallel. Sabihin na lang natin na it’s just another side branch, but the main trunk is still news…hard news. I remain the head of TV5 News, so I’m still making hard decisions that are editorial and managerial as well.
"So, I’m not leaving that trunk. I have just been given this new opportunity to branch into something. And for sure, it’s a welcome opportunity for me.”
How would this affect her image as a hardhitting news journalist?
“I don’t really know. Hindi ko talaga iniiisip ang career ko in terms of what people would of think me, or what my parents would say. It’s just my credibility that I take care of.
"And as far as that is concerned, I feel that whether I’m talking to the President of the Philippines, or I’m talking to a controversial celebrity, as long as I ask the right questions that must be asked, as best as I can, then I’ve done my job, so I don’t see any conflict there.”
Did she have to adjust hosting a lighter show?
“It’s not like naman I’m doing something that is absolutely new. I’m sure you’ve seen Christiane Amanpour on CNN interviewing celebrities on her show.
"It doesn’t detract from the fact that she’s a hardline ournalist, and she’s not the only one. As far as we journalists naman are concerned, everything naman to us is news.”
For her, showbusiness is most certainly also news.
“And yes, celebrities, whether they like it or not, are potential great news subjects. E, mahilig din naman ako sa showbiz. Bata pa ako, Vilmanian na ako, e.
"I do a lot of surfing and I check out what stars are doing. Pero yun na nga, napunta ako sa hard news, e. Kasi, ang gusto ko nga, maging news anchor.
"Talagang dream ko yun. Pero mas na-sideline ako sa trabahong investigative journalist. So dun talaga ako for the most of my career.”
Watch out for Luchi’s new shows where she will interview Judy Ann Santos, Zsa Zsa Padilla, and power couples Richard Gomez and Lucy Torres, Vic Sotto and Pauleen Luna.
