WELL-known host and courtside reporter Rizza Diaz was among the faces in the crowd when she first attended a workshop organized by Newbie Broadcasting Academy a few years back.
'A girl with a dream,’ was how Diaz described herself back then.
“Nobody knew who I was. I just decided to go for it,” recalled the charming celebrity host.
She just found out about the workshop, spearheaded by veteran broadcaster and announcer Noel Zarate, through social media. No invites or much convincing. None whatsoever.
“Kinapalan ko lang talaga ang mukha ko,” she said with a laugh.
As a student back then, Diaz admitted she found the workshop fee a bit pricey that she told organizers she couldn’t afford the fee.
She ended up being accepted as ‘a scholar.’
“So mas kinapalan ko pa lalo,” she added. “I told them na di ko afford, but I really wanted to join.”
Fast forward and Diaz is now a popular PBA courtside reporter, a newscaster at One News, and a sought-after events host.
Now, she’s willing to give back by serving as one of the speakers during the Broadcasting Workshop 2.0 presented by NBA starting from April 5 to 7 at the Development Academy of the Philippines in Pasig.
Among Diaz’s fellow speaker is batchmate Chuck Araneta, who works as anchor for ESPN5.
“I want to share what I know, too,” said Diaz. “Try to bridge them to opportunities kasi once upon a time, I was in their seat.”
Other than Diaz and Araneta, other speakers in the three-day workshop are Zarate, veteran broadcaster and columnist Sev Sarmenta, ESPN 5’s Charlie Cuna and Magoo Marjon, ESPN 5 executive producer and director Coy Yupangco, ESPN5.com managing editor Sid Ventura, and Migs Bustos, host of ANC Gametime and Early Edition.
Limited slots are made available for this year’s workshop.
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