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DWWW

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DWWW
Broadcast areaMega Manilaand surrounding areas
Frequency774 kHz
BrandingDWWW 774
Programming
Language(s)Filipino,English
FormatOldies,Talk
AffiliationsRMN Networks
Ownership
OwnerInteractive Broadcast Media, Inc.[1]
History
First air date
1963
Former call signs
DZBM (1963-1972, 1973-1987)
DZLM (1963-1972)
DWOO (1973-1979)
DWAT (1987-1996)
Former frequencies
DZBM/DWAT:
740 kHz (1963-1972, 1973-1978)
DZLM/DWOO:
1430 kHz (1963-1972, 1973-1978)
Call signmeaning
None; sequentially assigned
Technical information
Licensing authority
NTC
Power25,000 watts
Repeater(s)Dagupan:DWHT107.9 MHz
Links
WebcastDWWWonTuneIn DWWWonUstream
Website774DWWW.ph

DWWW(774AM) is aC-QUAMradio station owned and operated byInteractive Broadcast Media.The studio is located at the RMN Broadcast Center, Unit 808, 8th Floor,Atlanta Centre,Annapolis St., Greenhills,San Juan, Metro Manila,while its transmitter is located along Tagalag Road, Brgy. Tagalag,Valenzuela, Metro Manila.

As of Q4 2022, DWWW is the 3rd most-listened to AM radio station inMetro Manila,based on a survey commissioned byKantar Media PhilippinesandKapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas.

History

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1963–1996: DZBM/DWOO/DWAT

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The station's predecessor,DZBM 740,was established in 1963 byMareco Broadcasting Network[2]of Manuel P. Villar Sr.,[3]being one of the network's first AM radio stations[4]along withDZLM 1430.[5]Both stations were used to promote Mareco's record labels.[5]They mostly played foreign records yet a local recording once daily,[6]all requested by the listeners in later years.[4]

With a decree issued uponthe declaration of nationwide martial law in 1972,the company decided to keep DZBM in AM[2]and transfer another to FM as DWBM 105.1,[7]which remained to the Villars until being known as Crossover since 1994.[5]The station is currently operated byBrigada Mass Media Corporationas 105.1 Brigada News FM Manila.

DZBM had the magazine-type format until the management later adopted the one with different announcing style, the first AM station to reformat into such; thus becoming the top-ratedpopstation[3]for at least five to six years. Among thoseDJsat that time were the lateAngelo Castroand Howard Medina, nowDZBB-AMprogram host.[8]Villar Records,then country's leading biggest record company[3]and the licensee of foreign labels, once promoted its star balladeer to play alongside foreign pop stars on the station.[6]

In 1978, its frequency was changed to 774 kHz[9]in response to the adoption of the9-kHz spacing on AM radio stationsin the Philippines. At the same time, it switched to a news & talk format.[10]

The station, asDWOO-AM,[7]along with its sister station, became aCNNradio affiliate in early 1990s; the first for the country's AM radio stations.[11]

In May 1993, MBNI, owned by Palma and Villar group of companies at that time, relaunched DWOO-AM asnews radiostation.[7][12]

The AM station, asDWAT,was bought from the Villars by the Palmas and later by businessmanLucio Tan.The transfer to the latter was the subject of a dispute when the Villar family later filed a court case against Tan.[13]While MBNI was still being the station's licensee during these transfers,[13]the station was later operated byInteractive Broadcast Media,Inc. prior to having the franchise granted bythe Congressin 1996.[14]Since its relaunch in 1994, it served as the first station of veteran broadcasters, Fernan Gulapa, Willie Delgado, and Cito Beltran, son of the lateLouie Beltran.

1996–2011: DWWW

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While the dispute was ongoing, the scheduled official broadcast on October 25, 1996 was delayed[13]until the station eventually aired asDWWW 774on October 31 under the management of broadcast veteran Rene Palma and businessman Roberto Bacsal, owners of IBMI.[15]The station took the slot left by DWAT; the current callsign was formerly used by the flagship station ofRadio Philippines Networkuntil 1986 whenthe governmentreturned its frequency toABS-CBN,[16]which in turn revived their station asDZMM.[17]

Its studios were moved to #23 E. Rodriguez Sr. Ave. inQuezon City.The station airsoldies,covering music from the 50s to 80s in the afternoon and evening slots, while morning and late afternoon slots were allotted for news and public affairs programs. In a few months, it rose to the #4 spot in the Mega Manila AM ratings and carved a strong niche against rival stations. Back then, the station operated for 21 hours from Monday to Saturdays, and 20 hours on Sundays.[18]

DWWW also introduced the Broadkast Patrol reportorial team for news. Aside from Gulapa and Beltran, other personalities were part of the station's early years are Lito Villarosa, Jun Taña,Bobby Guanzon,Vic Morales and Joey Collantes. Jun Ricafrente ofDZMMserved as head of the news service in the 90s.[19][20]

2011–present: Expansion and Dominance

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Under new ownership and management, DWWW was relaunched on November 2, 2011, in its new home in Atlanta Center, Greenhills, San Juan and expanded its broadcast hours to 24/7. The station's music library was overhauled and reorganized. The nomenclature of the station's identification changed from "Siete siete cuatro/siyete siyete kwatro" to "Seven seven four." The new tagline "The Music of Your Life" was also launched to highlight the dominant ratings of DWWW's music format. Since then, it became an affiliate station ofRMN Networks.

In 2014, the tagline was changed to "Your Ultimate AM Radio" to showcase DWWW's competitive news, commentary, and public service programs, aside from music and entertainment. Such ongoing dominance prompted the station to change the tag to"Your Ultimate Newsic Radio"in mid-2018, a year after the relaunch of its Broadkast Patrol division.

DWWW was relaunched on September 8, 2019, during the Grandparents' Day event at the Farmers Plaza, Araneta Center. The station identification's nomenclature reverted to Tagalog naming "siyete siyete kwatro", though the English naming is still heard only on some plugs prior to this.[21]

On July 1, 2024, DWWW launched its relay affiliate in Dagupan viaDWHT107.9 FM. It is owned byBroadcast Enterprises and Affiliated Media,which RMN sold its stake toGlobe Telecom's media arm Bethlehem Holdings in 2009.

References

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  1. ^"Interactive Broadcast Media, Inc".Media Ownership Monitor by VERA Files.Reporters Without Borders.RetrievedAugust 25,2019.
  2. ^abThe Philippines, a Country Profile.Washington, D.C.:U.S. Department of State.August 1979. p. 110.RetrievedJuly 3,2023– viaGoogle Books.
  3. ^abcSamonte, Danee (September 13, 2018)."Rene Garcia: The final Hotdog".The Philippine Star.RetrievedJuly 2,2023.
  4. ^ab"From the Music Capitals of the World: Manila".Billboard.August 10, 1968. p. 50.RetrievedJuly 3,2023– viaGoogle Books.
  5. ^abcSicam, Edmund (September 30, 2000)."Meet Louie Villar, the man behind radio's Crossover stations".Philippine Daily Inquirer.p. E2.RetrievedJuly 1,2023– viaGoogle Books.
  6. ^ab"How Villar Records changed Philippines pop music forever".The Philippine Star.February 2, 2022.RetrievedJuly 2,2023.
  7. ^abc"Mareco launches station DWOO".Manila Standard.May 24, 1993. p. 6.RetrievedJuly 2,2023– viaGoogle Books.
  8. ^Samonte, Danee (January 17, 2015)."Them were the days".The Philippine Star.RetrievedJuly 2,2023.
  9. ^National Economic and Development Authority;National Census and Statistics Authority(1979).Philippine Yearbook 1979.Manila:Government of the Philippines.p. 811.RetrievedJuly 4,2023– viaGoogle Books.
  10. ^Del Mundo, Clodualdo (1986).Philippine Mass Media: A Book of Readings.Communication Foundation for Asia. p. 130.ISBN9789711550974.RetrievedJuly 31,2020– via Google Books.
  11. ^"CNN on Citylite and Mareco".Manila Standard.January 9, 1993. p. 18.RetrievedJuly 2,2023– viaGoogle Books.
  12. ^"Mareco launches DWOO 774 AM".Manila Standard.May 20, 1993. p. 29.RetrievedJuly 2,2023– viaGoogle Books.
  13. ^abcSingh, Tara (October 30, 1996)."Vantage Point: Lucio Tan and the so-called 'Judas-ciary'".Manila Standard.p. 11.RetrievedJuly 3,2023– viaGoogle Books.
  14. ^Journal of the Senate.Philippines:Senate of the Philippines.1995. p. 1554.RetrievedJuly 5,2023– viaGoogle Books.
  15. ^"DWWW 774".Media Ownership Monitor.Reporters Without Borders.2016.RetrievedJuly 4,2023.
  16. ^"G.R. No. 133347".The LawPhil Project.Arellano Law Foundation. October 15, 2008.RetrievedJuly 5,2023.
  17. ^Jimenez, Alex (December 30, 1996)."That was radio in '96".Manila Standard.p. 30.RetrievedJuly 4,2023– viaGoogle Books.
  18. ^"DWWW 774".Online Journey.April 1, 2019.RetrievedJuly 31,2020.
  19. ^Aniceto, Ben (2007).Stay Tuned: The Golden Years of Philippine Radio.Rufino J. Policarpio, Jr. p. 341.ISBN9789719401407.RetrievedJuly 31,2020– via Google Books.
  20. ^"Broadcaster na si Vic Morales, pumanaw na".DZMM.May 16, 2010.RetrievedJuly 31,2020.
  21. ^"Your Weekend Guide".BusinessWorld.September 6, 2019.RetrievedJuly 31,2020.
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