What do you call someone addicted to the news? “A politician,” my friend quipped one time over coffee. Newsphile? Newsmaniac? Well, whatever the label is, I think I’m one of them.

I try to catch the news all the time, whether from international channels or their local counterparts. I just feel empowered when I am informed. What I also like are the current affair shows. Of course, sometimes I don’t get to watch them, as they are typically aired late into the night and I often have to wake up early the next day.

That’s why it was good news indeed when I learned that ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs (NCA) have launched a time block on dzMM TeleRadyo (SkyCable Channel 26) where they air in advance these current affair shows at 9:15 pm.

We spoke to a number of news personalities during the announcement, including Ging Reyes (NCA head), Peter Musngi (ABS-CBN Radio head) and several news personalities.

This is a first time in Philippine TV that a channel in a teleradyo format will air current affairs programs.

Musngi: We at dzMM believe in the brilliance and ability of NCA in producing programs that can open the minds of the people on the real condition of our society. Having these current affairs shows in our lineup will mean a lot to our viewers, not only here in the Philippines but in different parts of the world.

Will there be anything different that you’ll offer from this partnership?

Reyes: The current affairs programs will now have a, let’s say, a live feel as we will be using the dzMM TeleRadyo interface to make the shows more interactive. While a program is airing, viewers can send their thoughts and comments, which will be displayed on screen.

But will you guys be more conscious about the issues you will tackle or the footage you will put out since you know you’ll be airing earlier?

Julius Babao: We’ve always been sensitive to the guidelines set by the KBP [Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas], even if we know our shows air late night. But besides in TeleRadyo, our programs also air on ANC even earlier.

I find one of your shows, Krusada, to be very interesting as it features various advocacies. How can one’s advocacy be featured?

Henry Omaga Diaz: The advocacy should be something that the anchor believes in. In this show, the anchor is not only the one on-cam doing spiels but he is the producer, reporter, scriptwriter, lahat-lahat, so it should be something that the anchor personally believes in.

Another show I like is Storyline. How do you choose the stories you feature there?

Patricia Evangelista: We are always on the look out for interesting stories. It doesn’t have to be grand or something super extraordinary. We just want a story with heart told by a good storyteller. And when we say a good storyteller, he doesn’t have to be articulate in English or have won any oratorical contest. He or she just has to be open.

Gus Abelgas, you are always being parodied. What can you say about this?

Gus Abelgas: Well, I like it! I feel elated actually that I get noticed and hopefully our show gets noticed too. Our show Soco isn’t just about violent crimes. We tell a story, solve a crime and impart lessons along the way.

For Anthony Taberna: You’re seen daily on Umagang Kay Ganda and in the Studio 23 news program and a late night show. Are you afraid of becoming overexposed?

Anthony Taberna: I’m more afraid that my kids do not know me anymore! (Laughs) I leave the house when they’re still asleep and by the time I get home, they’re already asleep. But I make sure to bond with them and set some time for the family. That is important.

What can you say could be your most memorable stories?

Babao: For me, it’s the Hello, Garci scandal. It first came out from us years ago and it has come in full circle with people verifying that, yes, there was election fraud.

Jeff Canoy: Making me choose my most memorable story is like a parent being asked who your favorite child is. It’s hard as all of them have special memories for me.

I guess I can answer your question by saying a most memorable mental image. One time, I was doing a story on volcanic eruptions and I asked a kid if he was afraid that the nearby volcano was going to erupt. As he was answering, the volcano erupted.

Evangelista: For me it was about an orphan. We were doing a story in Mindanao about the victims of the war there and there was an orphaned baby with no extremities which a policeman rescued.

No one wanted the baby because  they’re thinking, “Putol ang kamay, anong mapapala ko diyan?” So the policeman who did the rescue adopted him. It’s really a touching story.