Philippine Broadcasting Service (PBS) ( fil, Paglilingkod Panghimpapawid ng Pilipinas), also known by its government agency Bureau of Broadcast Services (BBS) (Filipino: ''Kawanihan ng mga Serbisyong Pambrodkast''
), is a
state radio network owned by the
Philippine government
The Government of the Philippines ( fil, Pamahalaan ng Pilipinas) has three interdependent branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The Philippines is governed as a unitary state under a presidential representative and d ...
under the
Office of the Press Secretary (OPS). PBS operates national radio brands:
Radyo Pilipinas 1,
Radyo Pilipinas 2,
Radyo Magasin,
Republika FM1 and
Capital FM2, as well as international shortwave station
Radyo Pilipinas Worldwide
DZRP - Radyo Pilipinas Worldwide (also known as Voice of the Philippines and RP3, then known as Radyo Pagasa) is a short-wave radio station broadcasting outside the Philippines. Owned by the Philippine Broadcasting Service under the Presidentia ...
. PBS, along with its television network counterparts
People's Television Network
People's Television Network ( fil, Telebisyon ng Bayan; abbreviated PTV) is the flagship State broadcasting, state broadcaster owned by the Government of the Philippines. Founded in 1974, PTV is the main brand of People's Television Network, In ...
and
Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation
Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) is a Philippines, Philippine State broadcasting, state broadcaster owned by the Government Communications Group under the Presidential Communications Group (Philippines)#Presidential Communicat ...
, which forms the media arm of the OPS.
As one of the attached agencies of the OPS, the PBS-BBS receives funding from the General Appropriations Act (Annual National Budget) and sales from blocktimers and advertisers, among others.
History
Commonwealth and Third Republic
On May 8, 1933, the United States-sponsored
Insular Government
The Insular Government of the Philippine IslandsThis form of the name appeared in the titles of U.S. Supreme Court cases, but was otherwise rarely used. See s:Costas v. Insular Government of the Philippine Islands/Opinion of the Court, Costas v ...
established and operated radio station DZFM (then KZFM) in the Philippines on the frequency of 710 kilohertz with a power of 10,000 watts through the United States Information Service. In 1944, during the
liberation campaign, the callsign was changed to KZFM, named after Frederick Marquadt. In September 1946, two months after the Philippines became a republic, KZFM was turned over to the Philippine government. With the transfer was born the Philippine Broadcasting Service (PBS), the second broadcasting organization after
Manila Broadcasting Company
Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC) is a radio and television network in the Philippines. MBC is currently owned by the FJE Group of Companies of Fred J. Elizalde, which also operates hotels and Pasay-based amusement park Star City. Its AM fl ...
.
KZFM first operated under the
Department of Foreign Affairs until it was transferred to the Radio Broadcasting Board (RBB), created by President
Manuel Quezon
Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina, (; 19 August 1878 – 1 August 1944), also known by his initials MLQ, was a Filipino lawyer, statesman, soldier and politician who served as president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 until his d ...
on September 3, 1937. In 1947, an international telecommunications conference in
Atlantic City, New Jersey, assigned the letter "D" to replace "K" as the first call letter for all radio stations in the Philippines. In January 1952, the RBB was abolished to give way to the establishment of the Philippine Information Council (PIC) which assumed the function of the RBB, including the operation of DZFM. In July 1, 1952, after the PIC was abolished, DZFM and the Philippine Broadcasting Service (PBS) operated under the Office of the President. In 1959, the both were placed under the newly-created Department of Public Information (DPI).
Years hence, the PBS acquired 13 more radio stations, one TV station, DZFM-TV Channel 10 which it time-shared with two other organizations, and changed its name to Bureau of Broadcast Services. September 13 is marked as the anniversary of the PBS.
Martial law and into the Fifth Republic
At the same time that the BBS creating its network, another government organization was building up its broadcast capability to rival, or in some instances, complement, that of the BBS. The
National Media Production Center
The National Media Production Center (NMPC) was a government-owned media agency in the Philippines that existed during the regime of then-President Ferdinand Marcos. Like any government departments, it was then headed by a Secretary, and late ...
(NMPC) had acquired the facilities of
Voice of America
Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is the state-owned news network and international radio broadcaster of the United States of America. It is the largest and oldest U.S.-funded international broadcaster. VOA produces digital, TV, and radio content ...
in
Malolos
Malolos, officially the City of Malolos ( fil, Lungsod ng Malolos), is a 1st class component city and capital of the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 261,189 people.
It is the capital city ...
,
Bulacan
Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan ( tl, Lalawigan ng Bulacan), is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on August 15, 1578, and part of the Me ...
in 1965 and steadily brought the old complex up to standards by a steady overhaul, fine-tuning, and outright replacement of outmoded equipment and machines. The NMPC operated the “
Voice of the Philippines” (VOP), on both medium wave-918 kHz and shortwave 9.810 mHz transmissions. In 1980, the NMPC obtained
DWIM-FM. With this new station and some provincial stations that came under its wings earlier, the NMPC was a network and effectively covered a wide range of the Philippine listenership.
In the 1970s, public broadcasting in the Philippines was thus represented by the BBS and the NMPC and catered to the educational and cultural needs of its audiences while endeavoring to keep it entertained with fare from indigenous material. Public service features were the keystone of its programs.
During the final months of Martial Law, both the BB and the NMPC were brought under one administrative roof in 1980 when the Office of Media Affairs was created to provide a loose union for both networks within the
Broadcast Plaza along Bohol (now Sgt. Esguerra) Avenue in Diliman,
Quezon City
Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 2,960,048 people. It was fou ...
. It was not an ideal situation, since, as there had been no clear guidelines on the proper implementation of their respective operational strategies, the BB and the NMPC often squabbled, to the detriment of public broadcasting goals. Unification had created more problems for the OMA to overcome.
After the
EDSA Revolution
The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, was a series of popular demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a sustained campaign of c ...
, the Office of Media Affairs was abolished, followed by both the NMPC and the BB. Under Executive Order No. 297, on the basis of the OMA, President
Corazon Aquino reestablished the Bureau of Broadcast Services (BBS) and reinstated PBS as the network under the Office of the Press Secretary's control, which led to the formation of a national radio service based on the stations in which both the NMPC and BBS had, with the PBS hosting two national AM stations and a national FM station in Manila and a number of provincial owned-and-operated and affiliate stations in the country's administrative regions.
![PBSBBSlogo1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/PBSBBSlogo1.png)
During the last months of the Aquino administration, PBS along with its TV counterpart,
People's Television Network
People's Television Network ( fil, Telebisyon ng Bayan; abbreviated PTV) is the flagship State broadcasting, state broadcaster owned by the Government of the Philippines. Founded in 1974, PTV is the main brand of People's Television Network, In ...
transferred its offices from ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center complex to
PIA/Media Center Building in Visayas Avenue, Quezon City on January 22, 1992.
On January 2, 1995, PBS relaunched its flagship station (DZFM) as Radyo ng Bayan.
During the first years in the administration of President
Benigno Aquino III
Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III (; February 8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as the 15th president of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016. The son of ...
, the PBS-BBS was transferred to the newly created Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), after the OPS was abolished.
In the beginning of 2017, PBS relaunched its FM radio service with the relaunch of FM2 and the debut of FM1 as well, forming the basis of the national FM radio division under the agency, which was later reinforced by the launch of FM1 Davao, the first state-owned regional FM radio station serving Metro Davao.
On June 5, 2017, as part of the network's 70th anniversary, PBS relaunched its flagship brand Radyo ng Bayan as Radyo Pilipinas. Three months later, on September 18, sports station DZSR merged its programming with infotainment/cultural station
DZRM
DZRM (1278 AM) is a radio station owned and operated by the Philippine Broadcasting Service. The station's studios and offices are Located at the 4th Floor, PIA/Media Center Building, Visayas Ave., Brgy. Vasra, Diliman, Quezon City, and its tr ...
and became Radyo Pilipinas Dos.
On July 16, 2018, PBS-BBS and the
Global Satellite Technology Services Inc. (G Sat) signed a Memorandum of agreement allowing PBS-BBS to add its channels to its G Sat radio channel line up.
In October 2019,
China donated over PHP130 million worth of radio broadcast equipment to the PCOO's Philippine Broadcasting Service (PBS). The donation includes live broadcast room equipment, FM broadcast transmitter equipment, and medium wave transmitter equipment. The Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) will soon begin the rehabilitation of at least 14 (10 AM and four FM station) PBS Radyo Pilipinas stations nationwide. In 2021, the PBS welcomed a new network into the ranks - Radio Kidlat, a community radio network owned and operated by provincial electric cooperatives.
During his first
State of the Nation Address, President
Rodrigo Duterte announced that Congress would pass a proposed law merging the PBS with its TV counterpart,
People's Television Network
People's Television Network ( fil, Telebisyon ng Bayan; abbreviated PTV) is the flagship State broadcasting, state broadcaster owned by the Government of the Philippines. Founded in 1974, PTV is the main brand of People's Television Network, In ...
to form the "People's Broadcasting Corporation (PBC)", which serves a unified broadcasting entity of the republic encompassing radio, television, print and online media.
Platforms
Radyo Pilipinas
Radyo Pilipinas (formerly known as Radyo ng Bayan), the flagship AM radio station of PBS-BBS, is situated at 738 kHz on the AM band in Metro Manila with a power of 50 kW, and a network of over 32 local/regional stations in the provinces. The station is on-the-air each Monday to Friday from 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM and Saturday and Sunday from 5:00 AM to 9:00 PM. As the government's flagship radio station, it serves as a medium of development communication, a conduit between the government and the people, aiming to mobilize all sectors of society towards development and nationalism. Live government news and coverages are featured here on this station.
Radyo Pilipinas Dos (formerly known as Sports Radio and Radyo Magasin) is situated at 918 kHz on the AM band with a power of 50 kW. The station operates daily from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM. RP2 mainly airs sports talk programming and a few non-sports content such as morning simulcasts of RP1 and music-oriented shows every weekend.
Radyo Pilipinas
orldwide(DZRP) is the network's official external radio station broadcasting on both
shortwave and internet streaming, which caters to the
Overseas Filipino Worker
Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) is a term often used to refer to Filipino migrant workers, people with Filipino citizenship who reside in another country for a limited period of employment. The number of these workers was roughly 1.77 million be ...
s and Filipino communities around the world. The station operates daily from 11:30 PM to 12:00 NN
PST (15:30–04:00
UTC). RP Worldwide's main programming consists of 2–3 hours of broadcast in Filipino and English languages, and is transmitted via shortwave through the facilities of
Voice of America
Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is the state-owned news network and international radio broadcaster of the United States of America. It is the largest and oldest U.S.-funded international broadcaster. VOA produces digital, TV, and radio content ...
in
Tinang, Tarlac.
The current station manager of Radyo Pilipinas is Alan Allanigue, while the current station manager of Radyo Pilipinas Dos is Cecille Quimlat, and the current station manager of Radyo Pilipinas Worldwide is Rey Sampang.
FM division
In 2016, radio veteran Rizal "Sonny B" Aportadera, Jr. was appointed by then-PCOO Secretary
Martin Andanar
Jose Ruperto Martin Marfori Andanar (born August 21, 1974) is a Filipino television news personality, news anchor, radio commentator, podcaster, and voice-over artist. He served as the secretary of the Presidential Communications Office of the ...
as the Director General of the Philippine Broadcasting Service (PBS). Aportadera spearheaded the establishment of its FM networks:
FM1 and
FM2.
Republika FM1 is PBS' music station, focused on
contemporary hit radio (Top 40) and the
local music. The station is situated at 87.5 MHz in Metro Manila and 87.9 MHz in Davao City, and is planning to expand in major cities in the country including: Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Bacolod, Iloilo, Baguio, Bohol, Boracay, General Santos, Laoag, Butuan and Zamboanga. Republika FM1 Manila and Davao are both led by Hariett "Joe Fisher" Saniel as station manager.
Capital FM2 is PBS' music station focused on
classic hits
Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes songs from the top 40 music charts from the late 1960s to the early 2000s, with music from the 1980s serving as the core of the format. Music that was popularized by MTV in the early 1980 ...
from the
80s
Ribosomes are a large and complex molecular machine that catalyzes the synthesis of proteins, referred to as translation. The ribosome selects aminoacylated transfer RNAs (tRNAs) based on the sequence of a protein-encoding messenger RNA (mRN ...
and
90s, as well as
2000s
File:2000s decade montage3.png, From top left, clockwise: The World Trade Center on fire and the Statue of Liberty during the 9/11 attacks in 2001; the euro enters into European currency in 2002; a statue of Saddam Hussein being toppled during th ...
. It is situated at 104.3 MHz in Metro Manila, and is recognized as the number one niche radio station in the A/B/C market based on Nielsen Ratings. Capital FM2 is led by Nigel "Nigel Grey" Gamalong as station manager.
New Media Unit
, the FM division's stations are becoming more and more active in the social media spaces. In line with this, the New Media Unit was formed headed by Deputy Director General Joan Marie Sy-Domingo. The New Media Unit is the in-house graphic design and social media marketing group for
Republ1ka FM1 and
Capital FM2. They are the dynamic group responsible for consistently and constantly releasing relevant and engaging social media content.
The New Media Unit is also the group that produces the Republikast shows aired on Republ1ka FM1's social media channels on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. The shows are ''Fresh 1'', ''Juan On 1'' and ''FM1 Spotlight'' published weekly. There is also ''FM1 Spotlight: Livecast Edition'' broadcast live on Facebook and YouTube. Its schedule varies according to artists' availability.
At the beginning of imposed community quarantines due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the New Media Unit were engaged in delivering and posting relevant content to inform its audience of minimum health standards and other government announcements in relation to the quarantines and other health protocols.
PBS Stations
The following is a list of
radio stations
Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio sta ...
owned and affiliated by PBS.
Radyo Pilipinas
FM Stations
Affiliate stations
The following stations are owned by their perspective local government units or organizations. Though PBS is listed by the NTC as their owners, it acts as their affiliates.
Radyo Kidlat stations
The following stations are owned by their perspective local electrical cooperatives. It was launched in 2021.
Overseas Broadcast (Shortwave)
See also
*
People's Television Network
People's Television Network ( fil, Telebisyon ng Bayan; abbreviated PTV) is the flagship State broadcasting, state broadcaster owned by the Government of the Philippines. Founded in 1974, PTV is the main brand of People's Television Network, In ...
*
Filipinas, Ahora Mismo
*
List of radio stations in the Philippines
References
External links
PBS WebsiteLive Streaming for PBS Stations
{{Radio in the Philippines
Philippine Broadcasting Service
1947 establishments in the Philippines
Philippine radio networks
Radio stations in the Philippines
People's Television Network
Presidential Communications Group (Philippines)
State media