Word Broadcasting Corporation
SVD MEDIA APOSTOLATE: WORD BROADCASTING CORPORATION
Cebu: 89.1 FM and 1215 AM Tacloban: 53.1 Ormoc: 90.3 FM
Formerly known as Filipinas Broadcasting Association, Incorporated (FBAI), the medium-sized broadcasting company started with a single AM radio station known as DYRF. This station was founded by the Redemptorist Fathers (CSSR) in 1968 in Cebu City upon the inspiration of the late Julio Cardinal Rosales. However, after eleven years of operation, the station was sold to the SVD Fathers through the University of San Carlos (USC) in 1979. It was not tenable for the station management then to continue its operation because of the closure threat by the military regime of the late President Marcos due to its critical programming in particular and the perceived anti-establishment of the Redemptorist Fathers in general. In 1981, the Masa Radio, Inc. (MRI) started to manage the station’s programming, drama production and marketing. In 1983, station DYRF-AM steeped-up its political advocacy against the Marcos regime by promoting the cause of exiled Ninoy Aquino, and reached its listenership heights when Aquino was assassinated. The station dominated the primetime slots anchored by the late Inday Nita Daluz. In 1985, station DYRF-AM reported a surplus of its income but insufficient to pay its loans or even to fund its depreciation for equipment replacement. Due to continued decline in sales, the management terminated the contract of MRI in 1997. Thereafter, various business partners took turn in operating DYRF such as Radio Veritas (including DYDW-FM), UMBN, Bantay Radio/Lacto PAFI and lease contract with Energy FM of DYDW-FM. All of these transactions were short-lived and failed. By 2002, the WBC took directly over the management of DYRF and DYDW-FM. The venture didn’t succeed initially. However, in 2005, both stations started to improve its programming as well as sales. After two more years, the stations became financially self-reliant until now.
In 1989, station DYDW-AM Tacloban was blessed and inaugurated, with the special attendance of the German Ambassador, Dr. Peter Scholz. Eventually, the station was taken over by the management of the FBAI with the participation of the MRI as the station’s in-charge of the programming, news and drama production, and marketing. In 1994, the local management terminated the contract of MRI due to poor sales performance and pursued its autonomous operation separated from its mother station DYRF. On December 15, 1992, a tri-partite Memorandum of Agreement was signed by Basic Advertising, Raven Broadcasting and the Word Broadcasting to manage the marketing, programming, and production of station DYDW-FM. It became known as the 89.1 Citylite, the light of the city. But in 1994, Basic Advertising withdrew from the venture and Raven Broadcasting was later on bought by another company.
On March 5, 2005, the last added station DYAJ- FM, with a five thousand watts power, was officially opened which provided the needed broadcast services to the budding and economically prosperous city of Ormoc, through a grant given by the Church in Need. It is now financially self-reliant.
The primary concern of the current management is to improve the business situation of the company and build a competitive advantage in relation to the various radio broadcasting companies located in Cebu, Ormoc and Tacloban. It is pursuing a competitive programming and sales strategy that would enable the corporation to earn a respectable a return on investments, perhaps higher than its cost of investments and, thus continue the SVD Mission.
