‘Hot TV’ goes off the air

Regine Velasquez. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Nine months after it premiered on GMA 7, the weekly showbiz news magazine program “Hot TV” has gone off the air this Sunday, following its host Regine Velasquez’s announcement last week of a monthlong leave.

On April 28, Velasquez said her doctor ordered her to take a break from work to recover from a health condition called acid reflux. The singer-actress said she would also undergo endoscopy.

“This has left the program with only one regular host, Jennylyn Mercado,” said a source in the Sunday gabfest’s production team.

Cohost Roderick Paulate was the first to go on leave in March. He is running for councilor in Quezon City. Another host, Raymond Gutierrez, is currently busy campaigning for his mom, talent manager Annabelle Rama, who is aspiring for a congressional seat in Cebu City.

Hollywood films dubbed in Filipino would be aired indefinitely on the timeslot vacated by “Hot TV,” added the source. “This will take a while since brainstorming sessions have only begun this week,” the source told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

“The network opted not to announce the program’s cancellation even though the members of its production team have already been informed as early as March.”