From Inquirer:
MANILA, Philippines – What does it take to be a “favorite radio station?”
Is this decided by the kind of music that a station adopts for its daily programming? Or by the format? Or maybe the deejays, how large a following they command among listeners? Or does it all boil down to the much-valued Kapisanan ng mga Broadkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) survey, the results of which are trumpeted by whichever station takes top spot for a certain period?
These days, at least three FM stations in Metro Manila are goading listeners with intermittent promotional plugs, each one starting with, “What’s your favorite radio station?”, followed by the station’s tagline.
Love Radio 90.7: “Kailangan pa bang i-memorize ‘yan? Bisyo na ‘to!” (
Yes FM 101.1: “Derecho, Yes FM, Yesterday pa!”
WRR 101.9: “Alam mo na ‘yan, 101.9, For life!”
Love Radio claims it’s been the number one FM station for four consecutive years, based on KBP surveys that the deejays read on the air from time to time. The accuracy of said surveys may be questioned by the competition, of course. Apparently, the more binding proof is determined by what is heard in buses, jeepneys and taxicabs, in the malls and also in offices where radio music is played.
The operative word is “heard” – because a cab may be brandishing a Love Radio sticker, but the driver is listening to Yes FM.
Challenge
In any case, Love Radio does seem to be top dog at the moment, at least among stations that count on the teeming masses to be their faithful audiences. Consider: Yes FM, WRR and, lately, LS 97.1, emulate Love Radio’s street-wise Tagalog and running gag-fest broadcasting style.
To challenge the winning tandem of Love deejays Chris Tsuper and Nicolehyala (“Tambalan ng Isang Balasubas at Isang Balahura”), Yes FM has posted Tito Potato and Mama Sugar in the intensely competitive 6 to 9 a.m. drive slot, while WRR has Martin D and Billie (“Tambalang Mabangis, Inyong Mga Kabagis”) on board from 8 to 10 a.m.
A little sluggish
Tito Potato and Mama Sugar have yet to match the snap and spontaneity of Chris and Nicole. And while WRR’s Martin D is engaging, with his solid, textured voice and comic timing, the jokes he throws around with Billie are at times a little sluggish.
For example, this one scripted like a radio drama:
“Naku siguradong uutangan na naman ako nito, di naman nagbabayad!”
“Hi, kumusta, lalo ka yatang gumaganda ngayon. Pautang naman ng P100…”
“Ayoko nang magpautang sa ‘yo; nakakasira ng pagkakaibigan ‘yan…”
“Ganu’n ba, e di galit na tayo simula ngayon, hindi na tayo magkaibigan. O, pwede nang umutang?”
Similarly, Yes FM should try to crank up the hilarity. This joke was heard a few nights ago:
“Sumakay ng elevator sina Brownie at Bruno. Tanong ni Brownie: “Magkano ang ibabayad natin?”
“Sagot ni Bruno: ‘Ano ka ba, Brownie, para kang inosente a, bakit magbabayad ka na, hindi pa nga tayo binibigyan ng tiket?”
Fast talk on LS
The former Campus Radio WLS 97.1 now goes by the call sign ’97. 1 Barangay LS, Forever! – with fast-talking deejays like Johnny Baby working at sounding cool with street lingo, but ending up just a tad cutesy:
“Ang oras po natin, alas nine o’clock ng morning!”
In a press release announcing its new name and strategy, the Barangay LS station manager said the move was meant to deliver what advertisers wanted. That supposedly meant sponsors nowadays would rather put money where deejays clown around and crack jokes throughout the day.
But the jokes, not a few of them sent by listeners, tend to fall flat:
“Anong kulay ng prutas?”
“Kayumangga!”
“Anong shampoo ang nakakahilo?”
“Shampoo-tok!”
“Anong net ang hindi ginagamit sa sports?”
“Spray net!”
A fourth station, right beside Love Radio on the dial, likewise subscribes to the Pinoy talk-and-humor approach. The bandwagon effect is beginning to insult listeners’ intelligence, as if everyone tuned in is presumed to be a dimwit:
“Hi Pangga, may energy ka ba? 91.5, Energy FM! It’s … joke time”: 
“Ano ang pagkakaiba ng elepante at langaw?”
“Ang elepante, pag namatay, nilalangaw. Pero nakakita ka na ba ng langaw na namatay na ine-elepante?!”
And the music?
What happened to the music?
In the 1970s and ’80s, the jocks of DZRJ wooed and won listeners by playing some of the most engaging and enlightening music that was not necessarily on the charts. At one point, RJ even became a top-rating, album-oriented radio station because it was playing music not heard elsewhere.
The only station that succeeded with a joke-oriented format then was WKC 93.9, whose former station manager at the time was Mike Enriquez.
But, of course, times have changed, even if there’s more variety today with several stations playing jazz and acoustic rock, and the rest retaining Top 40 formats.
Jacinto says his current modified retro hits (“The Greatest and the Latest”) format on RJ 100 is very successful. And incidentally, NU 107, the only modern-rock station in the city, has maintained a large fan base without changing formats since it started operating in 1987. Proof is the rabid audience response to its annual rock awards.
In other words, listeners will always have their own different preferences and hardly anyone can claim there’s a dominant “favorite radio station” at present.
One good thing that’s come out of the competition is that all the stations are now playing more Original Pilipino Music (OPM). Just recently, Barangay LS featured seven local artists within the same hour, far exceeding the old KBP requirement of four OPM songs per hour. Cheers!
This story is lifted from Inquirer.net and RadioJingles does not take full ownership of this article.
Radio Online Now 
Surveys, I
The programming and style is so similar that if not for the station name in the jingle, I often thought 90.7, 101.1, and 101.9 are the same station until they begin announcing the station name. It’s all I hear in the daily commute, and at times, at fastfood joints. Our family car though, is permanently tuned in to DZRJ, as my parents, and slightly older co-workers don’t seem to tire of the oldies, or actually find such tunes more relaxing. When I tire of what’s out there, I get to enjoy more variety by tuning in to overseas community radio stations, such as http://www.simulradio.jp/ , thanks to the internet. I also make no bones about ripping my dad’s CD collection and making custom playlists for family and friends. To the local niche stations out there, thank you and keep on going!!
LikeLike
Feel free to check our site and get listed at Pinoy Music Talents, let’s all Support Local Talents and be recognized.
LikeLike
The True essence of Fm Radio these days have been slowly fading..the constant battle for the ratings has compromised Quality programming. We’ve Overlooked the things we are supposed to give our Listeners…ENTERTAINMENT..to the fullest. WE thrive our way up to the coveted slot of being the NUMBER 1..and that’s understandable considering the Industry’s tiny share of Advertiser’s Budget as opposed to TV Giants.
Some of today’s new breed of FM Dj’s has forgotten yesterdays fundamentals ( listener’s First attitude..their satisfaction )Let’s play their Songs..Give them all the Entertaining they need..Let’s not Focus too much attention on Ratings..It’s about time for us to realize that our Audience Deserved only the Best from Us..No more On Air Wars..Just pure Entertainment ..Information..Music and a lot of fun…
Time’s changed..so does our listeners..they have a handful of medium to choose from MP3’s,Internet,Tv’s,Psp’s,Cable,Satelitte, Movies and their ever changing taste’s when it comes to Listening to Radio ( FM ).
Gone are the days when Fm Radio used to Dominate from Sunrise to Sunset..we may not admit it but its unfolding right before our ears and eyes.Let’s look back what could’ve been done and move forward for the years to come..FM Radio Glory Days can be Achieved again..and it’s not an impossible Task if only we Unite.
LikeLike
hey, toni tony. im an avid listener of DM 95.5. I love to listen to Raymond Stone and the Mole. Its the only radio wherein every DJ has their themesong. Mole has his own “When She Cries” by Restless Heart which is now becoming famous. But it was playing already before during DM 95.5 time. But I love this station. Its really pinoy. Im just hopin that it will soon be back on air with the same personality. Sayang.
LikeLike
Sad but true before radio has been goin to the imbeciles lately. You tune in to those radio stations mentioned they have no content at all. Filipinos are what we say easy when it comes to taste in music. We like love songs a lot, greetings on air, jokes that are poor in taste and offensive. But hey that makes our day.
Back in the day we started everything when they really hated to talk in Taglish. We came up with Magandang Morning… with Friendly Nikki usually coming up with his usual wise cracks in the morning. Playing mostly OPM songs before other radio stations start to play them. With a roster of Raymond Stone, Richard Steele, Rick Stryker , John Lemon, Hitman, the Mole, Moodie Jam and Peachy. DM 955 Pinoy Radio used to do all those things before all of them. Although we were not that low when it comes to jokes and all and the language. Taglish in a sense that a colegiala wont be ashamed of using.
Now the others are reaping the success of our efforts. And we end up getting nothing not even the recognition we deserve before it folded in 2002.
I just wish that they wont treat the listeners like dimwits and all. Radio has to evolve in a much better environment for our kids.
LikeLike
HI rick spade. Thanks for dropping a line. We here at RadioJingles respect your opinion.
We are so saddened however of some reports pointing to the irrelevance and incredibility of radio surveys. We do have separate posts on our blog regarding the role of surveys, please refer to this link
https://radiojingles.wordpress.com/tag/radio-news/
We have to agree with you also about the listener’s role in surveys.
As with formats that have gone crazy, we cannot really blame the networks for this.
It’s really been all about money.
In the United States, parents are switching to light music oriented stations with formats like soft ac and christian contemporary music.
Some of these stations are LiteFM in Miami. lite1015.com and Spirit 105.3 in Seattle (www.spirit1053.com).
It’s good to know that these stations adapt a “kids safe” music programming.
In as much as we dont want to corrupt young kids with violent contents on TV, we should take responsibility also of our actions.
Radio is a growing medium. Just when we thought it’s dying but it’s not. In fact, Radio is second to TV.
Let’s be cautious and be responsible with radio programming.
LikeLike
Everything IS about money in this world.
As one of my mentors in radio once said: “We are here to make money! Not friends!”. She’s a dear old lady, really. Her Point being without money you can’t get to strut your stuff on the air or pay your people. Although, in the quest for glory and money, a few radio stations seem to have lost their moral obligation to society. Creating controversies to attract more listeners without considering that children could be listening.
Not their fault I bet. We all use surveys to adjust our strategies. And it just so happens… Surveys don’t show how many listeners are below twelve years old.
They don’t need to be include. They don’t have “Buying Power”.
I’m thankful my son still has The Master’s Touch to listen to.
LikeLike
CORRUPTOR. That is radio all about now.
LikeLike
There are so many radio surveys and many different results. KBP commissions RRC (radio reseacrh council) to do its survey. Of course since KBP commissions RRC, the officers of KBP (mostly from stations you mentioned) would know when survey comes. Then accordingly, they would do field promos, give cash prizes, etc. until survey has ended. Ad agencies and clients would usually base their media planning on this because of KBP and 4As (Assoc. of Ad Agencies) standing agreement. AC Nielsen and Geovisual have also surveys but are hardly used. They also have different survey results, different methodologies, different coverage.
The bottom line of the squabbling is advertising, translated: Money.
LikeLike
i dont really care with those surveys. what matters to me is where listeners are comfortable tuning to…
LikeLike
Hi! KBP is the most reliable for radio surveys. Before there were two different surveys, RRC and KBP. bUT it was now merged to eliminate confusion of which to believe.
Usually, the 2 organizations have different results.. now it is only one the KBP-RRC, for which i do believe is the official result.
Here in Tacloban, during the last 2004 survey, love radio dominated, we are xpecting actually a survey, we believe it is just around the corner.
By the way, you could listen to us here in Tacloban realtime over the internet. If you have YM our YM ID is mor_943tac, we are online almost 24 hrs. If you IM us we will invite u to our conference where we are heard.
Tnx.
Dsddy yo JOe
MOR Tacloban
LikeLike