In 100 Words: Delamar Returns to Radio

Delamar Arias has come out of retirement.

Nearly a year after her departure from Monster RX 93.1 and ‘The Morning Rush’, Delamar shocked the world when she decided to return to the radio booth. But instead of rejoining her mates at RX, Delamar announced that she will instead move to Magic 89.9 on a part-time basis.

Delamar will join fellow DJ/mothers Riki Flores and Andi Manzano for a new program called ‘The Mother Show’. As its title suggests, the show will focus on issues concerning motherhood.

The premiere date of ‘The Mother Show’ is yet to be determined, but Magic 89.9 said it will air on Fridays during Friday Madness. As mentioned earlier, this is only a part-time role for Delamar, but at least listeners are more than happy to have her voice back on the radio.

The New Friday Madness on Magic 89.9

It’s 80s out, 90s in for Magic 89.9’s Friday Madness starting today. (Logo courtesy of Quest Broadcasting Inc.)

A new sound awaits Magic 89.9’s Friday Madness.

Gone is the long-standing tradition of playing songs from the 1970s, 1980s and some of the early 1990s every Fridays. Instead, the music of the 1990s and early 2000s will dominate the playlist of Friday Madness.

This means that Friday Madness will adopt the old format of Saturday Slam, which Magic dropped earlier this year in favor of its regular playlist. More importantly, the station will only have one day dedicated to throwback music instead of two.

The newly-reformatted Friday Madness was one of only several changes instituted by Magic 89.9 as preparation for its upcoming 30th anniversary. Two weeks earlier, their weekday programming was also reformatted; save for ‘Good Times with Mo’ and ‘Boys’ Night Out’, the rest of Magic’s programs were either rebranded or changed DJ schedules.

The change of format for Friday Madness was a result of Magic’s ever-changing demographic. While some older listeners may still be loyal to Magic, the station is also attracting a large amount of younger followers, most of whom grew up in the social media age.

In addition, the continued emergence of Retro 105.9 DCG-FM as the go-to station for 70s and 80s music buffs made it clear that Friday Madness needed a makeover. It also hurts that competitor stations are also dedicating one day for 90s music (e.g. Monster RX 93.1’s Riot Wednesday, Mellow 947’s Decade, 99.5 Play FM’s Playback).

That said, with the station’s listeners getting younger, there’s no point in feeding them songs that are unfamiliar to their ears. For Magic, change was inevitable, and today was it.

It remains to be seen whether or not the new Friday Madness will adopt the regular Monday to Thursday schedules of its DJs (save for ‘Good Times with Mo’ and ‘Boys’ Night Out’). But in any event, people should enjoy the music of not too long ago, now playing on Friday Madness.

FTT Year 2014 in Review: FM Radio

Another year is about to end. But before the calendar flips to 2015, here is a look back at the year that was in television and radio. This article will focus on the FM radio stations of Metro Manila, with a recap of the news that occurred within the industry.

105.9 Goes Retro

March saw the launch of Retro 105.9 DCG-FM. The station played nothing but classic hits from as far as the 60s to as close as the early 2000s, and featured radio industry veterans as the station’s voices.

Retro 105.9 became an immediate hit with listeners, so much so that other stations took notice of its emergence. As a result of Retro 105.9’s success, these stations either shortened their throwback programs (e.g. Magic 89.9’s ‘Friday Madness’ and Saturday Slam’), or restricted their playlists to cater towards younger listeners, (e.g. RX 93.1’s ‘Riot Wednesday’).

From Big to Win to Wish

June 26 saw the final broadcast of 107.5 Win Radio, as Daniel Razon purchased the station from Manny Luzon. As a result, Luzon was forced to move Win Radio to 91.5, replacing erstwhile sister station Big Radio.

Then on August 10, Razon’s new station was christened as Wish 1075, an adult contemporary station. Wish immediately filled the void vacated by another recently reformatted station.

Home Radio Becomes ‘Natural’ and Back

The original 97.9 Home Radio signed off for the last time on February 28. Then on March 17, Home Radio Natural!, now with a more ‘masa’ playlist and DJs named after fruits, was launched.

What happened next was a saga of rebrands and format changes within 97.9 that baffled the entire FM radio community. First, ‘Home Radio’ was dropped from its name in July, only to bring it back in November, and then in August, the format changed from Hot AC (‘masa’) to Top 40 Contemporary Hit Radio.

K-Lite’s Endless Rebrands, Plus Wave and Play FM’s Continued Problems

Speaking of a saga of rebrands and format changes, 103.5 K-Lite also endured the same routine as Home Radio Natural!, albeit at a more extreme pace. The station went from CHR to classic hits and back to AC, all within a span of eight months, while constantly shuffling its on-air staff.

The issues surrounding K-Lite were not the only problems that Tiger22 faced this year though. 99.5 Play FM again endured some more changes in its on-air staff, while Wave 891 returned to an R&B/rhythmic format after experimenting with a more hip-hop playlist the previous year.

In Other News…

95.5 Pinas FM officially became an all-OPM station in October, becoming the first and only FM radio station in the country to do so.

As mentioned earlier, Magic 89.9 cut short its broadcasts of ‘Friday Madness’ and ‘Saturday Slam’ in June. This paved the way for the three-hour remix programs that followed both blocks: ‘Slamma Jamma’ (Fridays) and ‘Saturday Night Take Over’ (Saturdays).

RX 93.1 also made a change to its throwback block ‘Riot Wednesday’. Gone is the remix program ‘Riot Remix’, while ‘Back to the 80s’ was replaced by ‘Throwback: The Year That Was’.

And finally, Barangay LS 97.1 was reformatted anew, both in programming and in overall presentation. At the same time, GMA decided to rename its regional radio stations to the Barangay brand, in a reverse response to ABS-CBN’s rebranding of 101.9 to the regional stations’ MOR name.

Outlook

An eventful 2014 should be followed by an even more intense 2015, as the Metro’s FM radio stations try to improve from their previous year’s performances. That said, expect more of these shakeups, rebrands and changes once the new year rolls on.

 

Retro 105.9 DCG-FM Reloaded

Retro 105.9 DCG-FM has a new look, in the on-air department that is.

On the morning of October 20, a new but familiar voice took over Retro 105.9’s morning slot. King DJ Logan, last heard on Wave 891, was brought in to host ‘The Morning Show of Mass Destruction’, alongside a retainee from the now-defunct ‘The Breakfast Club’, Karen.

This is a risky hire for Retro 105.9 because of King DJ Logan’s past reputation as a loudmouth and a magnet of controversy. But then again, he remains an iconic and legendary name on radio that his addition to the Retro 105.9 staff was just too good to pass up.

Plus, he is a definite improvement over JJ Sparx, who never clicked with listeners during his stint in the mornings.

Another new hire on Retro 105.9 was Sgt. Pepper, formerly of Magic 89.9 and 103 1/2 Max FM. Pepper took over the evening slot on October 20, replacing Joey Pizza.

The brains behind the now-famous ‘Friday Madness’ on Magic 89.9, Pepper is no stranger to Retro 105.9 listeners, having previously guested on Triggerman’s ‘Saturday Retro Onstage’.

Like King DJ Logan, a name as memorable as Sgt. Pepper is just too irresistable for the bosses at Retro 105.9.

A new station manager also surfaced on the station. Cris Cruise (real name Cris Hermosisima) replaced JJ Sparx (real name Jonathan Jabson) in the task of creating Retro 105.9’s signature playlist, among other roles.

The new hires were teased during the weekend in various online forums. Meanwhile Retro 105.9 went on music automation as part of its latest realignment.

Effective October 20, this is now the current schedule of DJs on Retro 105.9 during weekdays:

6:00 a.m. – King DJ Logan & Karen (‘The Morning Show of Mass Destruction’)

10:00 a.m. – Joshua

2:00 p.m. – Jimmy Jam

6:00 p.m. – Sgt. Pepper

10:00 p.m. – Andy Tuna

2:00 a.m. – Music automation

As for Triggerman, Rudolph Rivera and Joey Pizza, they are slated to come on board during weekends. Their on-air times will be determined this Saturday.

It’s been over seven months since Retro 105.9 DCG-FM was launched, and so far, their flexible and deep playlist has been well-received by listeners. What they needed now are on-air talent to back up these positive vibes, and with the hirings of King DJ Logan, Sgt. Pepper and Cris Cruise, it looks like they made a wise and honest decision to improve their staff.

It remains to be seen if these new hires will help the station attract more listeners, but for now, it’s best to give them some time before they are finally get used to being ‘retro-fied’.

Retro 105.9’s Impact on Other Stations’ Programming

The success of Retro 105.9 DCG-FM forced radio stations like Magic 89.9 and Monster Radio RX 93.1 to tweak their throwback programs. (Logo courtesy of Retro 105.9 DCG-FM)

The rise of Retro 105.9 DCG-FM has other stations take notice.

Within six months of operation, older listeners were constantly hooked to Retro 105.9’s daily serving of classic songs and hidden gems, something that was never done before on Philippine FM radio. The addiction was so great that it forced other stations to tweak their classic programming.

Spearheading the change were the two top stations in the CHR/Top 40 format: Magic 89.9 and Monster Radio RX 93.1.

For years, Magic 89.9’s ‘Friday Madness’ and ‘Saturday Slam’ had essentially the same format, with the 80s mostly reserved for the former, and the 90s for the latter. They even had a non-stop dance remix show for the final three hours.

But last June, everything changed for the station. ‘Friday Madness’ was reduced to only 21 hours, with ‘Jon Tupaz’s 12-inch Mix’ moving from its familiar 9 p.m. slot to noontime. Then Tupaz’s vacated slot was taken over by ‘Slamma Jamma’, which is now the kickoff show for ‘Saturday Slam’.

‘Slamma Jamma”s slot on Saturday night was then used to create yet another remix show, this time centering on the 2000s and beyond and featuring the country’s top club DJs rather than Magic’s own talent. That show, dubbed ‘Saturday Night Take Over’, made its debut that same month.

Over at Monster Radio RX 93.1, their ‘Monster’s Riot’ format remained the same, save for two programs. ‘Back to the 80s’, the flagship program of the said block, finally said goodbye in June after over a decade.

‘Throwback: The Year That Was’ took over ‘Back to the 80s” slot. Hosted by Chico Garcia, ‘Throwback’ now encompasses every era, from the 80s all the way to the 2000s, with a particular year’s hits to focus on.

And just months earlier, ‘Riot Remix’ bade goodbye on air, leaving ‘Remix Fridays’ as the sole remix program on the station. These two changes were the direct result of ‘Monster’s Riot”s changing playlist, emphasizing more towards the 90s and 2000s hits for an increasingly younger audience.

Elsewhere, stations such as Mellow 947 and 99.5 Play FM are now taking a similar path as RX’ s in their throwback programs.

The Philippine radio industry is a constantly changing world. Audiences are getting younger, technologies are advancing, and the music is evolving. The efforts of the Top 40 radio stations are a part of the turnover.

This turnover was definitely the reason why Retro 105.9 DCG-FM was established. As the other stations aim for the youth, Retro 105.9 focused on the older folks who still believe in ‘oldies but goodies’. And indeed it is; no matter how old the playlist is, they are still wonderful to listen to.

Indeed, times are changing in the Philippine radio industry. And for these radio stations, constant transformation is essential to maintaining success.

Radio Programs Deserving of a Comeback

Today’s FM radio landscape is being littered by ‘masa’ stations that play basically old love songs and novelty singles. The proliferation of ‘masa’ stations practically hurt the FM radio industry, which led to audiences tuning out and turn to other means of listening, such as internet radio and digital downloading. But back when the radio industry in the Philippines was full of diversity, several radio programs stand out, and here are the top radio programs that deserved to return on air.

Top 20 @ 12 – Campus Radio 97.1 DWLS FM 

No one does it better than the Triggerman to count down the top 20 songs at the stroke of noon. The program is the top chart show on radio for many years, and even its counterparts can attest to that. While the Top 5 at 5 on Magic 89.9, The Playlist on 99.5 Play FM, and the Countdown Top 7 on Monster Radio RX 93.1 carried on its tradition, no one can still beat the legacy of the Top 20 @ 12, and it deserves a comeback, wherever station it may be.

In the Raw – NU 107

This program introduced us to several upcoming bands that went on to achieve success both in the box office and in the record store. NU 107’s flagship program proved successful that more bands signed up to perform on the program. Unfortunately changes in the radio landscape led to the reformat to ‘masa’-flavored 107.5 Win Radio, but ‘In the Raw”s legacy is secured. So much so that it deserves a radio comeback, preferably on Jam 88.3.

24K Friday – 99.5 RT

It is the oldies show that is more diverse, versatile and enduring than other oldies shows. Not even Friday Madness and Saturday Slam of Magic 89.9, Wave Back Wednesday on Wave 89.1, Monster’s Riot on RX 93.1, and Decade and Turn of the Century on Mellow 947 can attest to the longevity and popularity of 24K on 99.5 RT. The long-running radio program is just as identifiable as ‘The Rhythm of the City’, as it was the staple of the network during its two incarnations, and even during its run as 99.5 Hit FM. Sadly, management wanted to go younger, thus the program had to end its run once 99.5 became Play FM. Nevertheless, the veterans of the network are trying to revive the program as a full-time online radio site, but its heart will always be on terrestrial radio.

Pinoy Rock N’ Rhythm – 105.9 RJ Underground Radio and DZRJ 810 AM

This was the program that made Dante ‘Howlin’ Dave‘ David famous. It introduced listeners to Pinoy Rock and bands such as the Juan dela Cruz Band, Asin, Sampaguita and Freddie Aguilar during the Martial Law years. The program was cancelled once DZRJ-AM became Radyo Bandido after the EDSA Revolution, but was later revived on 105.9 RJ Underground Radio. After Howlin’ Dave’s death in 2008, the program endured through various jocks, but was cancelled again after UR ended operations in 2011. The program was such a classic that it needs a second chance, preferably on RJ 100.3 FM.

Talk Back – 103.5 K-Lite

Before ‘Boys Night Out’ even existed, there was Talk Back on the original incarnation of 103.5 K-Lite. It was basically under the format of ‘talk radio’, featuring listener and DJ interaction. The program may be only running for an hour, but listeners are keen and willing enough to gather information regarding the topic being discussed. Talk Back lasted for much of the original K-Lite’s tenure, but when the current K-Lite debuted in July, Talk Back was not included among the returning programs. It was a radio classic that deserves a revival.