Nation Broadcasting Corporation

History

Radio

AM Broadcasting

NBC was established by Abelardo Yabut Sr. in 1963, coinciding with the launch of DXYZ, the network's pioneer AM station in Zamboanga City, using a surplus transmitter that he bought from Deeco Electronics in Manila. Throughout the next years, NBC established a string of 10 AM stations in provincial areas.

In 1987, NBC acquired DWXX 1026 AM from Hypersonic Broadcasting Center and it was reformatted as DZAM, which featured news, commentaries, and well-balanced mix of entertainment and music programming. In 1998, DZAM changed its call letters to DZAR, and reformatted into a news and talk based station.

NBC also pioneered in many ways as the first network to broadcast 24 hours a day outside of Metro Manila (via DYCB 765 in Cebu City). It was the first network to bridge the archipelago with the utilization of satellite broadcasting, and continues to cover the live games of the Philippine Amateur Basketball League and the Philippine Basketball Association.

DZAR was the first to launch in 1998 through its nationwide transmission. At the time, DZAR 1026 and other NBC AM stations were rebranded as Angel Radyo. In 2005, The Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) leader pastor Apollo Quiboloy (through Swara Sug Media Corporation) acquired all of NBC's AM stations and were rebranded as Sonshine Radio.

FM Broadcasting

In 1973, DWFM was established as the first FM station during the martial law era. It was the Yabut family's first entry to the nation's capital, and the third FM station in the said area. MRS 92.3 was an adult contemporary station, which played listeners' most requested songs. Two years later, in 1975, NBC put up the first FM station in Cebu City, DYNC 101.9; and DXFM 101.9 in Davao City. Its provincial stations carried the format as well. When PLDT media subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc. bought NBC from the consortium led by the Yabut family and real estate magnate Manny Villar in 1998, its stations rebranded into their respective names under the @ Rhythms banner.

DWFM in Manila became Joey and aired a smooth jazz and R&B format. Tony in Zamboanga aired oldies, ranging from the 1950s and 1960s. Rocky in Iligan aired modern rock. The remaining NBC stations in Baguio (Jesse), Cabanatuan (Donna), San Pablo, Laguna (Lovely), Naga (Nikki), Legazpi (Alex), Bacolod (Jamie), Cebu (Charlie), Davao (Danni), Butuan (Jake), Cagayan de Oro (Sandy), General Santos (Anna) and Cotabato (Marco) aired a contemporary hit radio format. The Rhythms banner was dropped in 2004, leaving their names intact.

On April 8, 2007, XFM began after 923 Joey was signed off on April 4, just before Holy Week. XFM featured ambient, chill, down-tempo, electronica, house, lounge, trip-hop and indie music on radio until its ground-breaking format in February 2008.

In October 2009, the Manila, Cebu and Davao stations discontinued their Smooth AC format. The Manila station was leased to Francis Lumen's All Youth Channels, and rebranded as U92, a CHR radio brand used as complementary to then AYC-operated MTV Philippines, broadcasting from a state-of-the-art studio at Silver City Mall in Pasig City. The U92 branding would eventually shut down on September 30, 2010, following the dissolution of AYC's lease agreement with NBC, as a result of MTV Philippines' shut down in February. The Cebu and Davao stations were leased to AudioWAV (WAV Atmospheric), a Makati City-based multinational instore radio company known for producing customized music and messaging for large chains across Southeast Asia and North America, and rebranded as WAV FM. The other provincial stations retained their formats.

On October 1, 2010, ABC Development Corporation, TV5 Network's legal predecessor and NBC corporate sister, took over the management of 92.3 FM. The result was the launch of Radyo5 92.3 News FM, the first news/talk station on the FM band. On November 8, it had its debut at 12:30 am and its first day of broadcasting began at 4 am. Beginning February 21, 2011, its provincial stations started carrying Radyo5 programming, either as relays of the Manila station, or as regional outlets with dedicated local programming.

Television

Nation Broadcasting Corporation (NBC-41) is a commercial UHF television station owned by First Pacific conglomerate and headed by Manuel Pangilinan, who is also the chairman of the telecommunications giant Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT).

The name was unfamiliar to many Filipinos. NBC TV 41 used to be MTV Philippines. MTV ("Music Television") is a cable TV network which was originally devoted to music videos, especially popular rock music. MTV later became an outlet for a variety of material aimed at adolescents and young adults.

After six years of partnership in the Philippines, MTV Channel 41 has gone off the air after a multi-year deal with All Youth Channel (AYC). This follows the dissolution of the partnership with NBC. MTV Philippines became a defunct channel in February 2010. It was inactive until October 2010 when it began test broadcasting as TV5 and when ABC Development Corporation took over the management of NBC stations. It then took over the blocktime of UHF Channel 41, which alternates programming ABC Development Corporation. It was simulcast with Radyo5 92.3 News FM for a few months when it debuted on November 8. TV5 was scheduled to set up the first free-to-air interactive-radio-on-TV channel with a format similar to DZMM TeleRadyo and RHTV in the first quarter of 2011. It was set to broadcast after its initial simulcasting of 92.3 News FM if Associated Broadcasting Company introduced this UHF channel. It plans to initialize test broadcasts on various cable and satellite operators nationwide.

On February 21, 2011, AksyonTV launched as TV5 introduced the new UHF channel. AksyonTV was launched at exactly 4 am, airing its first program, Andar ng Mga Balita, hosted by Martin Andanar (is now with CGTN anchor), which was a simulcast of the morning news program on Radyo5 News FM of the same title.

After 8 years as news channel (sports content was later added), AksyonTV is announced to be rebranded as 5 Plus on January 13, 2019, with its programs consisting of mostly sports from ESPN5 and serving as a complementary channel for The 5 Network.

On March 8, 2020 (after 14 months as 5 Plus), the channel was relaunched when One Sports took over its channel space, making it available on free TV and other pay television operators. Meanwhile, its original satellite channel counterpart of One Sports was rebranded as One Sports+.

Recent developments

On February 1, 2024, in line with the launch of new channel RPTV, NBC TV stations in Cebu (DYAN-TV), Cagayan De Oro (DXCO-TV), and Davao (DXAN-TV) were converted into mirror feeds of the channel, replacing sister channel One Sports.

In October 2024, it was reported by news website Bilyonaryo that Prime Media Holdings (through Philippine Collective Media Corporation) has signed a blocktime and content licensing agreement with MediaQuest Holdings for NBC-owned 92.3 FM in Metro Manila and other provincial stations, effective November 4, converting into outlets of PCMC's Favorite Music Radio as its relay national feed. NBC confirmed the deal in a press statement on October 28, which also stated True FM's programs transferring to Bright Star-owned DWLA 105.9 MHz in Metro Manila and DXET 106.7 MHz in Davao (which TV5's previous owners divested to Interactive Broadcast Media in 2010, and was later operated by the city government of Digos in 2022 until 2024), while retaining its stations in Cebu and Cagayan de Oro and losing its stations in Baguio, Bacolod and General Santos to PCMC. The deal would eventually transfer NBC's FM assets and licenses to PCMC, subject to regulatory appeals and other commercial terms. NBC's owned TV assets are not included in the deal.

In line with the transition, NBC rebranded Radyo5 as the True Network, a multimedia brand that expands the presence of True FM into other media platforms including television (True TV, a pay TV channel on Cignal), podcast (True Pods), and digital/social media platforms (True Digi).

Legislative franchise renewals

On April 8, 1998, Republic Act No. 8623 renewed NBC its congressional franchise for another 25 years, The law granted NBC a franchise to construct, install, establish, operate and maintain for commercial purposes and in the public interest, radio and/or television broadcasting stations in the Philippines. On March 29, 2022, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11667, which renewed NBC another 25 years to perform the same obligations, but now includes clauses involving digital television transmission in the Philippines.

Assets

One Sports

True Network

(official launch) One PH (MediaQuest Holdings) (downscaled to 16:9 480i for the SDTV feed) (Nationwide) (Nationwide)

True Network is a multimedia platform brand of NBC. Formerly known as an all-news/talk radio network Radyo5 ("Radyo Singko") which broadcasts on FM stations owned by NBC and operated by sister company TV5 Network, True Network broadcasts its flagship FM radio brand known as True FM and its pay television channel counterpart True TV (not to be confused with TruTV, an American pay TV channel). In addition, selected True Network programs are also aired on channels of TV5 (via RPTV) and Cignal TV (via One PH) as well as on podcasts.

True Network is available on FM radio thru 105.9 FM in Metro Manila and selected provincial stations nationwide.

Television Stations

One Sports

RPTV

Radio Stations

True FM

Main article: TV5 Network#True FM

The following stations are operated by TV5 Network Inc.

FM Radio

Main article: Philippine Collective Media Corporation#FM stations

The following stations are operated by Philippine Collective Media Corporation.

Defunct AM stations

Defunct FM stations

References

References

1. (October 4, 2023). "Jane Jimenez-Basas: The message is the medium". People Asia.
2. "General Information Sheet of Nation Broadcasting Corporation of the Philippines as of Nov. 25, 2022". VERA Files.
3. (August 4, 2012). "Company Overview of Mediaquest Holdings Inc.". Bloomberg Businessweek.
4. "audioWAV to add more FM stations in 2010!". AudioWAV Media.
5. link. (July 14, 2011 . [[Manila Standard Today]]. Retrieved 10-4-10.)
6. (December 14, 2018). "SPORTS AND MORE: AksyonTV redefines action as "5 Plus"". [[News5]].
7. (October 27, 2024). "From DZMM to Radyo5-DWFM: Prime Media scoops up radio assets of MVP Group". Bilyonaryo.
8. (October 29, 2024). "NBC, PCMC in radio asset transfer talks". BusinessWorld.
9. (October 28, 2024). "Lipat bahay: MVP moves Radyo5-True FM to another station as PCMC takes over 92.3 frequency". Bilyonaryo.
10. (April 8, 1998). "R.A. No. 8623: An Act Granting the Nation Broadcasting Corp. A Franchise to Construct, Install, Establish, Operate and Maintain Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations in the Philippines".
11. "Republic Act No. 11667 | GOVPH". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines.
12. (March 31, 2022). "Cignal TV, 4 other broadcast firms secure 25-year franchise". pna.gov.ph.
13. (April 1, 2022). "Cignal TV gets 25-year franchise renewal". philstar.com.