Love Radio and sister station Yes! FM claims to be the top two radio stations. However, they do not deserve be in such regard due to their unfair competitive advantage.
For the past decade or so, Manila Broadcasting Company‘s 90.7 Love Radio reigned as the No. 1 radio station in Metro Manila. More recently in their station IDs, they promoted 90.7 Love Radio and 101.1 Yes! FM, both of whom were owned by MBC, as the top two radio stations in Metro Manila. This was according to various surveys conducted in the past two years.
But why they have been able to reign atop the surveys the past few, if not many, years? Many point out to its clear and polished sound, toilet humor, high power and reach, and an automated playlist consisting of old classic rock love songs, novelty hits, and OPM favorites. While rival 102.7 Star FM started the ‘masa’ station craze in the late 90s, it was 90.7 Love Radio and 101.1 Yes! FM who took it to the next level, prompting several stations (e.g. 97.1 Barangay LS FM, 107.5 Win Radio) to embrace the ‘masa’ concept as well.
Despite the survey that stake their claim, I believe neither 90.7 Love Radio nor 101.1 Yes! FM deserved to be in the top two. Both stations typify the cheapskate radio station: playlists that have fewer songs and are played repeatedly, and DJs and on-air characters that often pull out various forms of cheap humor. In addition, they were in the top two unfairly because of their high broadcast reach, something that other stations could not afford. In short, for all their claims as the No. 1 and No. 2 stations, they are still classified only for the ‘masa’ audience, and that their unfair advantage should not be taken for granted.
The real and sophisticated radio stations in Metro Manila today play more recent hits on a daily basis, and then reserving classic songs on specific days only. On some points of the day DJs talk about topics that interest people, and oftentimes interact with them through an open forum. Sometimes promos announcing an upcoming film, event or prize are included as well. Such radio stations include Magic 89.9, 99.5 Play FM, Monster Radio RX 93.1 and Mellow 94.7, among other stations.
Unfortunately, some radio stations reformat because of loss of audience share and the need for more advertising money. This was the case when NU 107 became Win Radio when it became apparent that a rock-oriented radio station cannot compete anymore due to loss of operating funds and competition from other sources. There is a reason why several radio stations became ‘masa’: new technologies such as the internet, MP3 downloads and the iPod, threatening the radio business as a whole.
In the end, it is hard to prevent the proliferation of ‘masa’ stations in an attempt to undermine the so-called ‘success’ of Love Radio and Yes! FM. Still, as long as there are a dedicated number of radio stations playing music that caters to a higher class of society, radio’s balance of power will be tipped on an even scale.
From the Tube 
I think Love Radio and Yes FM not to deserved to be number one is their green jokes, the “Hayahay thing” and the radio show of Papa Jack and Chico Loco because they uses words related to Domestic Violence “Awayan” in their conversations.
Pang-masa kasi yung appeal nila, kaya they keep claiming themselves to be No. 1 and No. 2. However, these ‘pang-masa’ stations hurt the Philippine music industry overall dahil sa sobra nilang pag-play ng novelty songs.
Other Hot AC stations claim themselves to be #1, and listeners find this very confusing.
Another thing which makes me feel annoyed of Love Radio is the “Grabe ka naman!” quote which I usually hear at the end of each green joke.
Worse that toot-toot-toot and kukurukuku.
I prefer listening to the more sophisticated station except Easy Rock, which is a classier version of YES FM and Love Radio.
Some of the pang-masa stations need to convert themselves to all-news, panira lang kasi sila. Barangay LS for example, dapat sana naging Super Radyo DWLS 97.1 na lang ‘to. In a way, may kakompetensya rin ang Radyo5 sa FM band.
#ProudIskwater ang isang listener kung nakikinig siya ng 90.7 at 101.1 . How I wish, sana may mag-lakas loob na i-acquire ang lahat ng Love Radio or Yes FM stations including its powerful transmitters para i-reformat into a wholesome and more-sense na station. Kaya mostly, I always listen sa Magic 89.9, Play FM 99.5 or 103.5 KLite for more decent and high-end playlist, 105.1 Crossover is a bonus for my listening habit. I suggest sa kung ano mang company na gustong i-acquire ang Love Radio na i-reformat sila into an all-sports oriented FM station: a format on FM na kailangan talaga ng pang-masa, esp. sports followers. DZSR 918 Sports Radio is not enough para sa mas wider na sports coverage on radio, nationwide.
A news channel on FM may be the next best thing, since wala pang kakumpetensya ang Radyo5 92.3 News FM.
Saka hindi bibitawan ng MBC ang 90.7 at 101.1, dahil kumikita naman sila with this crappy format na ginaya na ng ibang istasyon, including 97.1 and 101.9 of GMA and ABS, respectively. Best thing for the more knowledgeable listener is to change channels instead.
I don’t listen to the masa stations. I prefer either RX or Magic.
Well said. Puro pera at No. 1 lang ang iniisip ng MBC.
Good suggestion also! Pero Hindi ba competitor ng 92.3FM ang 104.3 Business Radio ng gobyerno, since puro talks/music din sila? I pray na sana may mag-acquire ng 2 MBC stations na ito for a smarter reformat. 🙂
Hindi naman news ang 104.3.
Also, as long as kumikita ang MBC sa 90.7, 96.3 at 101.1, there is no reason na ibebenta nila yung dalawa sa tatlong frequency.
Pahabol ko lang pala, Radyo5 has already a competitor: 104.7 Brigada News FM Mega Manila, but they’re lack of exposure here in Metropolis, as its transmitters are still located at Mt. Banoy, Batangas City. It can be heard here in Metro Manila, pero low-powered. Mas malakas ang signal nila sa southern Luzon, particularly in Batangas. Kahit may well-known announcers sila like Weng de la Pena and Dennis Padilla, waley pa din. And besides, tila umiikot lang sa herbal medicines ang kanilang commercial break. Try to listen sa kanila via brigada.ph
Yung Brigada naman kasi minor player lang, saka in between 104.3 and 105.1. Major radio stations in Metro Manila are divided by .8 in the frequency; yung Brigada nga .4 lang ang divide, so they expect to be a minor player here.
Brigada is a minor player, for now. It will be a major player kung may biglang announcement na ibebenta ang isa sa mga weak stations sa Metro Manila and one of the players involved is the GenSan-based Brigada Mass Media Corporation. If that happens, IDK kung ano ang mangyayari sa 104.7 na naka-license sa Batangas.
104.7 should only be a low-power regional station. Once Brigada acquires one of the major networks, it will benefit them more.
TBH, I actually listen to masa stations, but just for radio spying. Doesn’t mean I support such stations. In other words, I listen to the ‘masa’ stations just for the commercials, station ID, and the timechecks, and speaking of the masa stations’ idents (including stringers), IMHO, they seem to sound so weird and cheap.
If you don’t like it, better yet avoid it. That’s all.
All sports radio is really rare in Southeast Asia as well. I only know some sports radio with addition of politics and music news. In Singapore, only 98.0 Power claims to broadcast sports, while in Jakarta there are 105.8 Most Radio (50% sports news content) and 88.8 RRI-3 (news radio, but popular with that football game live simulcast). In Bandung, 96.4 FM, claimed to be the only soccer fans radio (Persib). In Malaysia, maybe just Bernama and Astro have this.
Blessed you DZSR.
Well, sports may have a big following especially basketball and volleyball, but it’s still a niched format that only a few listeners can follow. That’s why only two formats are common in the Philippines: music on FM and news on AM.
At ngayon ay nasa period ng voting ng Yahoo! Celebrity Awards, parang nagkakalabuan na ang friendship ni Nicole at Chacha dahil sa botohan.
Well, competition eh.
104.3 is more of an oldies station with some business news on the side. George Boone is a DJ there.
Unfair broadcast reach, what? Almost all manila stations are 25k watts except Master’s Touch w/c is just 20k, other station are even more powerful; Wish/NU is 30k, iFM is 35k just like JAM.
Yes FM & Love Radio at #1-#2 respectively? Not their fault!, Tell your favorite stations to do better……
Pero Love Radio and YES is still reachable as far as Northern Tarlac and Southern Batangas, dahil quadrophonic ang stereo system nila. Mas malayo ang inaabot ng Love and YES unlike other stations, which is definitely unfair.
Being the No. 1 and No. 2 station like Love and YES doesn’t mean they’re better than the others. Each station has their own approach and format, but the reason why some decided to emulate the masa format is because of Love and YES. And it’s not good for the radio industry.
The real number 1 station is that which wins the KBP Golden Dove Best Station award no doubt. Popularity is erroneously taken to mean the best. And speaking of Brigada FM, aren’t they doing an illegal thing broadcasting on an authorized frequency but having an unauthorized transmitter power enabling them to reach Metro Manila and make it seem like a Manila station? Attention NTC!
And RX 93.1 seems na sila lagi ang nakakakuha ng ganung award on FM category. So, sila talaga ang #1 legally.
Brigada FM should stop acquiring stations sa ilang probinsya. They should focus first on fixing 104.7FM. Kasi masyadong inconsistent sila dun sa frequency na ‘yun. Mega Manila nga pero nasa Batangas ang transmitter. Tapos yung programming nila, umiikot lang sa mga homegrown herbal product nila.
As popular as Love Radio and YES are, hindi ibig sabihin na better sila sa ibang istasyon. RX is getting these awards dahil maganda ang content and playlist nila, not to mention attractive and family-friendly means of interaction. The only station that can rival RX is Magic, and thanks to Mo Twister and BNO, Magic is always a step closer to RX content-wise.
As for Brigada, now we know why hindi umuusad itong istasyon.
Not to mention the frequent program changes sa Brigada National at ang pagkawala ni Dennis Padilla since December.
I really agree that Brigada should fix their Manila operations. Not only for their programming, but for their frequency.
It would be better if they acquire one of the Veras-owned stations. Either 99.5 or 103.5 would be of great help for Brigada if the Veras finally come to grips on the decline of the two stations.
Just In: After Chico Loco’s resignation on Yes FM (due to health reasons), Papa Jack also doing the same thing on his sister station, Love Radio.
According to source given in a comment by Brian Pena Cruz:
Sinigawan at minura sila ni(name withheld) yung station (position withheld) nila may ganoon daw talaga na ugali nun. Ang bait ni Para JACK walang ka ere ere (clue: the person is from the MBC’s management)
The resignation of two top-caliber DJs will lose P8M in advertisment revenues of Love and Yes. But will wait for the real statement on the matter.
Just sad. Pero will it affect both stations? We’ll see.
Fortunately for Papa Jack, he still has Call Me Papa Jack on TV5 (now airing on Sundays). Is simulcasting Call Me Papa Jack on Radyo Singko a possibility now?
Chico Loco actually left Yes! FM last March 2.
Who are the (temporary) replacements for Chico Loco and Papa Jack on their respective radio shows?
Last November 2014 Yes! added a weekly top 10 program.
There’s still no announcement as to who replaced Jack and Chico, so keep your eyes on that. As far as a Call Me simulcast on Radyo5 is concerned, I don’t know if that’s possible. There used to be a similar show hosted by Joe D’Mango on that station, and now in select episodes of Punto Asintado, Erwin Tulfo, Martin Andanar and Benjie ‘Tsongkibenj’ Felipe host a love advice show called ‘Love Hurts’. Since that Punto segment is still running, perhaps there’s no need for a Call Me simulcast for now.
I think the best suggestion is for Papa Jack’s show to air on Radyo Singko during the late night hours after Aksyon Tonite, if he does complete his move to TV5.
Should be ok. Slowdown on Radyo5 is just too much to bear.
At present, Slow Down is aired at 9 pm and then again at 11:30 pm after Aksyon Tonite. On PBA days, Slow Down is aired at 10 pm and then again at 11:30 pm. This was caused by the cancellation of the programs of Benjie Felipe and Cheri Mercado. Felipe, however, still has a Sunday show at 10 pm on Radyo Singko.
Also, as what Mr. Sunday said in your blog post about why WRocK is better than Easy Rock, MBC seemed to be very evil because they showed no respect for “Lite Rock” by making Easy Rock from a WRocK-like station into an all-masa station. That’s why WRocK, for me and you, is better than Easy Rock.
Egotistical kasi ang dating sa MBC. They only care about the money, not the music. If they still play crappy music on a daily basis for the purposes of money, so be it.
grabe ka naman.e di sana wala ng makikinig sa love at yes..d kb nagtataka kung bkt madami comrcial ang yes at love?d gaya ng station mo walang kita..kc madami nakiking sa yes at love na masa..kaung mga mga pasosyal kuno.weird ang mga music..KUHA MO?????
Madami nga ang nakikinig sa Love at Yes, pero hindi ibig sabihin maganda na ang pinapatugtog. Sorry pero hindi talaga deserving sa kanila ang pagiging No. 1. And not only that, dapat sisihin sila sa pagbagsak ng industriya ng radyo. Kung dati-rati’y may variation, ngayon halos dominante na ng ‘masa’ stations, parang TV stations na puro teleserye na ang pinapalabas. Mas weird ang music at istilo ng masa kaysa sa sosyal, dahil araw-araw ay paulit-ulit ang mga pinapatugtog at may mga nalalalaman pang corny jokes. KUUUUHHHHAAAA MOOOOOO?????
HONESTLY, masa stations are after money and ratings, not on music.
Kaya nga. Puro novelty songs at baduy na OPM ang nandyan.
Hey, I think Fernando Lapid feels butthurt with your article. Probably he’s an MBC fantard. Just ignore him para wala nang awayan dito. 🙂
He has a reason to hate me, because he can’t admit that the station he listens is aiming for the money, and not for quality. Crappy jokes, novelty music and repetitive old love songs, that’s what they’re all about.
If that’s the case, then it’s not good.
It must be remembered that before 1998 (Yes! FM’s launching year), 101.1 FM Manila, already under MBC by then, was first christened as 101.1 Showbiz Tsismis FM, when it was first aired in 1995, pioneering the format of showbiz news/talk on FM (and probably the news/talk format on FM itself). (Info relayed from a friend who formerly worked in MBC.)
At the time, there was no MP3 or internet, and people only switch to FM just for the music then. That was probably the reason why Showbiz Tsismis didn’t work out.
But nowadays, dahil may music player na ang mga mobile phones at internet for our music needs, there is a growing trend of news/talk stations on FM. Examples include Radyo5 and Brigada News FM.
These kind of stations have the advantage since maririnig yan ng tao through mobile phones na may built-in FM tuner. Regarding Love Radio and Yes FM, they will stay in business since malaki naman ang kita nila. They only care about money and ratings, not on quality music and quality programming.
Exactly.
Yes, especially when the owner of these 3 FM networks is one of the Philippines’ wealthiest families, the Elizaldes, with FJE at the helm (as of this writing).
I find the days of DZMB 90.7 (pre-Love Radio era) much better, because it was a decent and sophisticated station compared to Love and Yes, but sad to say, I wasn’t born on those days.
During the 90s, the novelty songs suddenly became popular, and it provided a blueprint for the birth of the ‘masa’ station. Songs like Macarena, Asereje, Crazy Frog and others sparked that movement that continues today.
Sadly, radio is no longer the same as it was back then; puro ‘masa’ na lang ang prevalent.
And speaking of novelty songs, it has been heard that some, if not most, of the lyrics of some of these kinds of songs are reported to be anti-Christ.*
*I’m just sharing my parents’ opinion.
Perhaps music critics should look at these lyrical issues regarding novelty songs just to inform the listeners. They might not see the message that the song brings.
No offense to the fans of Yes! FM, but it deserves to be called “Sex FM,” because at one time, I heard the station ID of their Cebu station (91.5) recently, and it features a Cebuana saying, in a sexual format: “Sa Yes! FM… ‘di ‘jud ka mabitin!” I got shocked upon hearing that stinger, realizing the way she says the station ID was too explicit.
That said, all the corny jokes and mannerisms of ‘masa’ stations are getting too far.
While Yes! FM seems to sound corny in all aspects, it’s interesting to know, though, that in their Cebu station, they seem to be generous to their Cebuano “Hayahay” listeners by starting a promo called “Cash o Bugas.” I guess the promo started 4 or 5 months ago, and it was supposed to end last month. However, I heard a plug on Yes! FM Cebu recently that they decided to extend their “Cash o Bugas” promo due to “insistent public demand.”
Well it’s only for Cebu. The article only refers to the Metro Manila flagship station. Keep an eye on that.
I know, yet their Metro Manila flagship stations of Yes! FM and Love Radio hold a bigger promo than Cebu’s “Cash o Bugas.” It is called “MBC Milyones” every year, whose scope also includes nationwide. Good thing these two MBC stations are holding such promo despite the kind of content they air, as a way of saying “Thank You” to their loyal listeners and improving the masses’ status of life by becoming millionaires (hence the promo’s title).
Generous despite being arrogant and nonsensical.
Nuong college ako, ang gaganda ng mga FM stations, pagdating sa love songs palipat lipat ako sa DZMB (noong andun pa si Boyet Tamayo at Jim Rivers (na puro english speaking at walang mga joke na kakornihan at puro halakhakan ng mga DJs), DWLL Mellow Touch, DWRK Light Rock, DWRR Radio Romance na puro female DJs na me class ang dating unlike Nicole at Chacha, ganundin ang DWCS 103.5 na puro love songs at classic hits every Sunday. Ang ganda rin dati ng DWLS na campus radio pa dati pagdating sa latest hits anumang genre including OPM like eheads and rivermaya, english speaking din mga DJs ng Campus. Nowadays, SUS, di naman ako against sa tagalog kaya lang nagiging cheap kapag hinahaluan na ng mga cheap jokes at katatawa ng mga DJs sa sarili nilang kuwento na corny at di naman nakakatawa.
Nagbago na talaga ang ihip ng hangin. The radio industry, like TV, is more akin to the masses. Though, may mga disente pa rin na iba para sa mga niche audiences.
Money is usually the common reason why nagiging pang-masa ang mga radio stations. They sacrifice quality for quantity. That is why nawawalan na ng saysay ang radio industry sa ngayon.
Ang pinaka-guilty party diyan ay ang mga MBC stations like Love, Yes and Easy Rock. Sila talaga ang nagpauso nito.
Aside sa pagsulputan ng masa station, it seems that technology played the part on why few people listened to radio stations. Mas accessible na sa mga tao ang mga smartphones. Since may built-in mp3 player ang mga smartphones, people now tend to download music online rather than listening to a radio station.
There’s also internet radio, wherever available
If I’m not mistaken, Yes! FM sometimes serves as a PR vehicle for upcoming local movies, albeit promoting through the traditional commercial method. At one time, last April, I heard on Yes! FM Cebu a commercial for a then upcoming Star Cinema movie. I don’t know, though, if this is also done in their stations in Metro Manila and the other regional stations.
You can listen to YES FM Metro Manila online to find out.
Yes! The Best was wasted when Chico Loco decided to leave for Dubai, in my honest opinion.
Love was wasted when Papa Jack was resigned for not being happy to the station’s decision to eliminate Chico.
Now look at Energy FM 106.7, they are back, although at different time slots. Although their ratings are in middle, they enjoy the moment. That’s the secret, let the DJs enjoy the moment.
Love and Yes never really recovered from here, yet they insist that they’re the No. 1 and No.2 radio stations in Metro Manila. That’s false advertising to many listeners. If I remember, MOR and Barangay LS which are the FM counterparts of ABS and GMA respectively are now the ones battling for No. 1, not the two MBC stations. As for Energy, even with Chico and Papa Jackson around they still need to improve their standing.