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DWRT-FM
Radio station in Metro Manila, Philippines From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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DWRT (99.5 FM), broadcasting as 99.5 XFM, is a commercial radio station owned by Real Radio Network Inc. and operated by Y2H Broadcasting Network, Inc. under an airtime lease agreement. Its studio is located at Unit 906-B, Paragon Plaza Building, EDSA corner Reliance St., Mandaluyong, and its transmitter is located at Palos Verdes, Antipolo.
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History
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1976–2006: The first 99.5 RT
Trans-Radio Broadcasting Corporation was founded in 1971 by Emilio Remedios Tuason after acquiring the 980 kHz AM franchise from Transit Broadcasting Corporation. The station became DZTR-AM "Radyo Pilipino", unrelated to the current Radyo Pilipino network.
In September, 1976, Trans-Radio launched its FM station on 99.5 MHz as DWRT-FM[1] or "99.5 RT," the Philippines' first CHR/Top 40 station, broadcasting from Quezon Avenue in Quezon City. After a fire in 1978, the station transferred studios to Ayala Avenue, Makati.
Tuason, also known on-air[2] as "J.W. Christian" and "E.T.", served as a DJ until his retirement in 1987. Mike Pedero, another DJ, was programming manager until 1980, when he left for RK96 Real Radio.[3] 99.5 RT rose in popularity by introducing British and American acts, notably popularizing "More to Lose" by Seona Dancing in the early 1980s, disguised as "Medium" by "Fade."[4]
Between 1983 and 1986, RT covered major political events, including the Aquino assassination, the 1986 snap elections, and the People Power Revolution.
In 1985, rival Kiss FM 101.1 launched, poaching RT's on-air staff and overtaking it in the ratings. In response, RT rebranded as Red Hot Radio, focusing on new wave music, but the format failed. It reverted to the original format a year later, then shifted briefly to modern rock in 1989, and returned to its original style by the early 1990s, regaining financial stability.[5]
Programming
Over the years, 99.5 RT used various slogans, including "The Sound of the City" (1976–77), "The Rhythm of the City" (1980–1996, 2008–2012), and "The Most Hit Music" (2001–2006), among others.
RT aired syndicated shows like American Top 40 and Rick Dees Weekly Top 40, and in 1983–84, launched a music video program, Rhythm of the City, on MBS-4, featuring international artists before MTV reached Asia.
The station gained further popularity with 24K Friday, its oldies program featuring hits from the '70s, '80s, and '90s.
In 1995, RT became the first Philippine radio station to launch a presence on the Internet, starting with a bulletin board system.
New ownership
On June 14, 1996, Trans-Radio Broadcasting Corporation sold DWRT-FM to a group led by Bobet Vera of Quest Broadcasting (owners of Magic 89.9), moving operations to the adjacent Royal Match Building. Under Real Radio Network,[6] RT maintained its upmarket format.
In April 1999, the station relocated to the Paragon Plaza Building in Mandaluyong.
By the early 2000s, RT's format shifted closer to mainstream Top 40, with many veteran DJs replaced by younger talent. New shows included Up and Coming, RT40, On the Decks, David's House, RT Sunday Sessions, The Get Up and Go Show, Dinner and Drive Show and The Playground. In 2004, RT launched the annual "Ripe Tomatoes" concert featuring local OPM bands.
In December 2006, management decided to rebrand the station. At midnight on December 18, RT signed off after 30 years. On January 1, 2007, it relaunched as HiT 99.5.
2007–2008: Hit FM
On January 1, 2007, Hit 99.5 launched with non-stop music, debuting its programs on January 8. While similar to RT's format, it was more content-driven and targeted high school and college youth, resembling its Davao counterpart, 105.9 Mix FM. By August, 99.5 was rebranded as 99.5 Hit FM.
The station signed off on March 19, 2008 (Holy Wednesday), with "Nice to Know You" by Incubus as its final song. Some of its on-air staff later moved to Jam 88.3 and Magic 89.9.
2008: Campus
On March 23, 2008 (Easter Sunday), the 99.5 frequency returned as 99.5 Campus FM, led by DJs displaced from Barangay LS 97.1 after its shift to a contemporary middle-of-the-road or "masa" format under Mike Enriquez. The new station revived the ethos of the former Campus Radio 97.1 WLS-FM, with familiar programs and jocks, alongside some former Hit FM staff. In May 2008, it was renamed Campus 99.5, and its DJs were known as the Campus Air Force.
However, due to management issues and weak sales, Campus 99.5 abruptly ended on August 14, 2008, switching to an automated music format. The show BrewRats! continued briefly until August 21, followed by a one-week hiatus.
Campus Radio was later revived as an internet station on March 21, 2009, but ceased operations in 2012.
2008–2012: The second 99.5 RT
On September 1, 2008, at 6 AM, the station reverted to 99.5 RT after two weeks of automation. Joshua Z was the first DJ on air, joined by others from the station's previous iteration of RT, HiT, and Campus. 99.5 revived its classic slogan, "The Rhythm of the City," and adopted a more eclectic playlist with DJs speaking in Taglish, aiming to recapture the spirit of RT's original era.
From 2009 to 2010, 99.5 RT adopted a second slogan, "The Best Music on the Planet," shared with its sister station 105.9 Mix FM in Davao. Every summer (April to June), it temporarily revived the classic "Red Hot Radio" slogan from the 1980s. In 2010, RT also launched "The Farm," an on-air training program for aspiring student DJs.
In October 2010, 99.5 RT shifted to a rock-leaning CHR format, adopting its 3rd slogan "The Drive", inspired by its Sunday night show, in support of NU 107, which closed on November 7, 2010. RT also began playing select '90s and early 2000s tracks (up to 3 per hour) to promote 24K Weekend.
By June 2011, RT shifted again to an Adult CHR format with an indie touch, dropping "The Drive" and reverting to its earlier slogan, "The Best Music on the Planet."
In mid-October 2012, 99.5 RT began a reformatting process, letting go of half its on-air staff and ending several shows. Although it retained the RT brand, new teasers— including a "station under construction" stinger— signaled changes. On December 9, 2012, 99.5 RT signed off for the last time, with Koji Moralez as the final DJ and "Kings and Queens" by Thirty Seconds to Mars as its last song.
2012–2025: Play FM
On December 10, 2012, at 6 AM, DWRT rebranded as 99.5 Play FM. The first on-air team included socialite Tim Yap, Sam Oh (RT mainstay), and former Magic 89.9 DJ Nikko, followed by remaining RT staff and junior jocks from Magic. The first song played was "Play" by Jennifer Lopez. The station's programming and imaging mirrored that of Magic 89.9 and the defunct 99.5 Hit FM, but with a focus on a younger audience.
The official jingles and audio imaging for 99.5 Play FM were launched on September 15, 2014, months after Rizal "Sonny B" Aportadera joined the station. These jingles were produced by Sound Quadrat, a German audio imaging company, in collaboration with its US-based subsidiary Benztown Branding. Their clients include top European CHR stations like BBC Radio 1 (UK), Europa Plus (Russia), NRJ (France), and Play FM's former sister station, 103.5 K-Lite.[7]
Before 2014, Play FM DJs had the freedom to ad-lib as they wished. However, after the revamp, on-air spiels were limited to 60 seconds (except during advertising commitments) to allow more songs to air. This restriction did not apply to specific shows like Club Play and Play It Live, where DJs had more time for artist interviews, guest interactions, and live performances.
After the Rodrigo Duterte administration took office in 2016, Aportadera and Carlo Jose left 99.5 Play FM to join the Philippine Broadcasting Service under then-PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar for its revitalization. In January 2017, Lil' Joey became the station manager.
Play FM updated its jingles and relaunched with the tagline "Just Press Play"' and the slogan "Number 1 for New Music and All the Hits."
In 2018, CJ Rivera (CJ the DJ), the music and program director of Magic 89.9, became Play FM's station manager, a role he held until his retirement in 2023. Under his leadership, the station revamped its jingles once again, featuring the voice of DJ Renzo from The Home Run. The Playback music block, showcasing hits from the 2000s and early 2010s, was moved to Thursdays. Rivera died on August 20, 2024 after battling cancer.[8][9]
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, DWRT reduced its transmitting power, limited its broadcast hours, and shifted to an all-music format with off-air spinners. Despite financial struggles and a significant layoff of on-air staff, the station continued updating its music catalog. By 2024, with Wave 89.1 leased to Adventist World Radio and 103.5 KLite rebranding to AllRadio, rumors circulated that DWRT might soon undergo a rebranding under a third-party airtime lease agreement.
99.5 FM signed off quietly for the last time under the "Play FM" brand at 12:00 AM on May 1, 2025, coinciding with Labor Day. This marked the end of the station's CHR/Top 40 format after 49 years since the RT brand's inception.
2025-present: XFM
Preparations
On March 19, 2025, photos emerged of Remelito Uy, CEO of XFM and Y2H Broadcasting Network, signing an airtime lease agreement with Real Radio Network Inc. executives at a Starbucks branch in Quezon City.[10]
No immediate confirmation was made by Uy or his representatives after the signing, but insiders speculated that the deal would make DWRT a co-flagship station of XFM, alongside DXSS-FM in Metro Davao. It would also position DWRT as the 3rd news/music-formatted FM station in the Mega Manila area, following 105.1 Brigada News FM and 105.9 True FM. Before this, Y2H had formed a sales and marketing affiliation with Y101 as well as the airtime lease operations of 92.3 FM in Metro Cebu.
Hours after DWRT signed off as Play FM on May 1, 2025, 99.5 FM began a test broadcast with middle-of-the-road hits and stingers voiced by Jupiter Torres. The target launch for the new brand was set for June 2025. During the operational transition, the station also continued airing centralized ads through Tiger 22 Media until June 27.
Launch
99.5 FM officially unveiled the XFM brand on June 8, 2025, continuing its musical stunting until the launch of its weekend Gospel Hour on June 28.
On July 1, 2025, XFM launched its news operations, starting with a 6:30 am newscast anchored by Torres and the commentary program Bullseye, hosted by former DZXL anchors Buddy Oberas (who recently departed from Abante Radyo weeks prior) and Deo de Guzman. Two days later, XFM News Nationwide was transferred to Manila from 104.7 XFM Palawan, with Oberas and Kim Mangunay replacing Gilbert Basio, Aizy Pacaldo, and Pedy Bautista-Sabando. Additionally, Bryan de Paz from UNTV 37 and Earl Saludar were recruited as the station's first field reporting team.
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Compilation CDs of DWRT-FM
- 24K Friday (MCA Music Philippines, 2006)
- 24K Friday 2 (MCA Music Philippines, 2007)
- Freestyle: "Playlist" (Viva Records, 2009)
See also
References
External links
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