Manila Broadcasting Company is a radio and television network owned
by the FJE Group of Companies in the Philippines. Its AMflagship station, DZRH is the
oldest radio station in the country while its FM flagship station, Love Radio is the current #1
station in FM radio ratings in Metro Manila and several key cities.
MBC's corporate headquarters and studios are located at MBC Building,
Sotto St., CCP Complex, Pasay City. The current president is Ruperto Nicdao Jr.
MBC has seven different brands, the best known of which
are DZRH Nationwide, Aksyon Radyo, Love Radio, Yes FM, Hot FM, Easy Rock,
and Radyo Natin.
Aside from radio, it has returned into TV broadcasting with its cable TV
channel (DZRH News Television) and five affiliate regional TV channels.
History
The Heacock era
The origins of MBC can be traced to DZRH, first went on air as KZRH on the
morning of July 15, 1939 by the Heacock Company, a department store company based in
Escolta, Binondo, Manila. Years later, it bought KZRC (now DYRC) from Isaac Beck in
Cebu City. The Japanese took over the stations and KZRH became PIAM for their
propaganda.
The birth of MBC and DZRH
After World War II, three prominent businessmen, Maestro Frederico
Elizalde and his brothers then-Ambassador JM Elizalde and Manuel (also known as Don
Manolo) took over KZRH and KYRC. With the help of station manager Bertrand Silen,
KZRH established its operations, this time at the Insular Life Building in Plaza Cervantes. In
June 1946, the Elizalde family established the new network as Metropolitan Broadcasting
Company (the former name used from the incorporation in 1946 until the Martial law time).
KZRH returned to the airwaves under MBC on July 1, 1946, and first
covering the live of inaugural of President Manuel Roxas. In 1947, after the international
telecommunications conference in the U.S. where the Philippines changed its first letter to
"D", KZRH changed its callsign to DZRH, and has been expanded to over 30 stations
nationwide. The same year, MBC launched its sister station in Manila, DZMB and DZPI.
In 1949, DZRH began airing the first radio drama, Gulong ng Palad. Radio
drama is one of the traditional history of Philippine radio before the rise of television
industry.
Ben Aniceto, started his long media career, working with DZRH, DZMB and
DZPI as a radio talent before he was hired by the Radio Philippines Network as operations
director.[3]
1960s to Marcos dictatorship
When then-President Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law, MBC was
temporarily closed.
When MBC was returned few years later, however, forced to put DZMB and
other MBC music AM stations (such as DYBU in Cebu) moved to FM radio. MBC entered
the FM industry and signals the launch of the Love Radio Network.
The expansion of MBC
By after EDSA Revolution which ironned the Marcos dictatorship, MBC
(then renamed as Manila Broadcasting Company) finally expanded its FM stations while
DZRH continues to broadcast nationwide.
In 1985, Manuel Elizalde retires. His son, Fred J. Elizalde, becomes
Chairman and CEO. Ruperto Nicdao, Jr. (who is also the Vice-Chairman of Kapisanan ng
mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas) of entered as board member in 1988 before he became
President of MBC.
In 1994, DZRH relaunched itself as "One Nation, One Station" by launching
the first nationwide satellite broadcast.
In 1995, MBC acquired DWKS-FM and changed its callsign to DWST as
101.1 Showbiz Tsismis. It lasts until 1998 and relaunched as Yes! FM. During the 1990s,
DYRC was spun off into Aksyon Radyo, established in 11 provincial AM stations.
On December 16, 1997, MBC launched Radyo Natin. Composed of 100 FM
stations strategically across the nation by using state of the art satellite technology, Radyo
Natin is able to reach audiences that has never been reached before by another radio
station.
In January 1999, Hot FM was launched in Dagupan City, Cebu City, General
Santos City and Zamboanga City, with more than 50 minor provincial radio stations (under
the consortium with Radyo Natin).
In July 2002, MBC studios were moved from FJE Bldg. in Makati City to CCP
Complex in Pasay City.
MBC co-hosted the Aliwan Fiesta since 2003, in partnership with Cultural
Center of the Philippines, and the cities of Manila and Pasay City. Aliwan Fiesta is an
annual event that gathers different cultural festivals of the Philippines in Star City in Pasay
City wherein contingents compete in dance parade and float competitions, as well as in a
beauty pageant.
In October 2008, MBC acquired DWRK from ACWS-United Broadcasting
Network. 7 months later on May 2009, DWRK was relaunched as Easy Rock.
After 35 years of silence, MBC returned to television with DZRH News
Television since October 1, 2007.
