DWFM

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FM Radio 92.3 (DWFM)

Logo of DWFM as FMR from November 4, 2024
Quezon City
Broadcast area	Mega Manila and surrounding areas
Frequency	92.3 MHz (HD Radio) (FM Stereo)
Branding	FM Radio 92.3
Programming
Language(s)	English and Filipino
Format	Classic hits, Contemporary MOR, OPM
Network	Favorite Music Radio
Ownership
Owner	Nation Broadcasting Corporation
Operator	Philippine Collective Media Corporation (outright acquisition of the frequency pending)
Sister stations	Through PCMC: DWPM (Radyo 630) Through NBC: DWNB-TV
History
First air date	1973
Former call signs	DZRU (1998–2007)
Former names	MRS (1973–98) Joey (1998–2007) XFM (2007–09) U92 (2009–10) Radyo5 (2010–24)
Call sign meaning	Frequency Modulation Favorite Music Radio
Technical information
Licensing authority	NTC
Power	25,000 watts
ERP	75,000 watts
Transmitter coordinates	14°36′25.564″N 121°09′48.557″E / 14.60710111°N 121.16348806°E / 14.60710111; 121.16348806
Repeater(s)	Baguio: DZYB 102.3 MHz Bacolod: DYBC 102.3 MHz Davao City: DXFM 101.9 MHz General Santos: DXOO 97.5 MHz
Links
Webcast	Listen Live

DWFM (92.3 FM), broadcasting as Favorite Music Radio 92.3 Manila, is a radio station owned by Nation Broadcasting Corporation and operated by Philippine Collective Media Corporation. It serves as the flagship station of the FM Radio Philippines network. The station's studio is located at 5th Floor, The Ignacia Place, 155 Mother Ignacia corner, Sgt. Esguerra Ave, Barangay South Triangle, Diliman, Quezon City; its transmitter is located at NBC compound, Block 3, Emerald Hills, Sumulong Highway, Antipolo.

DWFM signed on in 1973 as MRS 92.3 (MRS meaning Most Requested Song), Manila's third FM station at that time. Having an adult contemporary format during its existence, the station is known for playing the most requested song every hour. DWFM quickly became the top-rated FM station in Manila, and held this title for most of its existence. The success of DWFM led NBC to establish other FM stations using a similar format, including Cebu's DYNC in 1975, and Davao's DXFM.

Its first home was in Jacinta Building 1 along Pasay Road (near the Ayala Center complex). It later on moved to the NBC Tower/Jacinta Building 2 (now as ACQ Tower) along EDSA, Guadalupe, Makati.

In September 1998, NBC was acquired by MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., a broadcasting company owned by the PLDT's Beneficial Trust Fund from the consortium of the Yabut family and then House Speaker Manny Villar. In November 1998, DWFM switched to a smooth jazz station as Joey @ Rhythms 92.3 (also known as Joey @ 92.3). Radio executive Francis Lumen assumed the position of president and CEO bringing with him his previous 10 years of managing Citylite 88.3 (now Jam 88.3). The call letters were also changed to DZRU.

The jazz format would also be implemented on all of NBC's other FM stations, who used other female names for their branding. It was also during this period that NBC entered into a joint venture with MTV Asia for an MTV Philippines feed via NBC's UHF Network (Channel 41). It also featured new-age instrumental music during the Paschal Triduum of the annual Holy Week during that era, which is dubbed as "Take 20".

In 2004, the Rhythms tag was dropped, thus becoming 923 Joey (pronounced as "nine-two-three"), with the station slogan "It's a Groove Thing". In January 2007, the station was taken over by new management, led by radio executives Raymund Miranda and Al Torres (currently as a voiceover for GMA Network, GTV, Heart of Asia Channel, I Heart Movies and Pinoy Hits currently based in Canada), along with sales executive Amy Victa. Together with the new team, the butterfly was dropped from the logo and the official call letters were returned to DWFM, the original call letters of the station.

On Easter Sunday, April 8, 2007, the station was relaunched as 92.3 xFM, airing downtempo, trip hop and house music. It also reverted its call letters back to DWFM. In August 2007, easy listening tracks were added to the station's playlist, which led to the scrapping of the electronica format in January 2008.

In February 2008, the station reverted to its smooth jazz format. Now known as XFM 92.3, it adopted the slogans "Stress Free Radio", "Cool, Hip, Light, Smooth and all that Jazz" and "Light N Up!".^[1]

On October 1, 2009, All Youth Channels, owner of the now-defunct MTV Philippines, took over the station's operations and rebranded it as U92 with the youth-oriented slogan "Cool To Be U". It carried a contemporary hit radio format, which was also tightly cross-promoted and shared talent with MTV Philippines, which had been broadcast by NBC's stations until mid-2007 when AYC took over the MTV franchise in the country and converted it to a cable-only service. Thus, the on-air personalities are a mix of former and current MTV Philippines VJ's, celebrities and career radio people. At that time, its studios moved from NBC Tower to Silver City Mall in Pasig.

On October 1, 2010, U92 transitioned to a fully automated station, eight months after MTV Philippines shut down on February 15, which signified another branding to the station.^[2]

On November 8, 2010, after almost a month of test broadcast, DWFM made another first in the history of FM radio broadcasting in the Philippines, as the station flipped to a news/talk format as Radyo5 92.3 News FM; becoming the flagship station for a new radio network operated in conjunction with the news department of TV5 (which PLDT media subsidiary MediaQuest recently acquired a majority stake of in earlier in the year). At that time the station's studios moved again from Silver City Mall in Pasig to TV5 Studio Complex in Novaliches, Quezon City. The move came as part of a plan to expand TV5's news operation in order to become more competitive with the other major networks, which also included the launch of a news network on NBC's television stations, AksyonTV (which also simulcasts some of its programming until its shutdown in 2019).^[3][4] Most of the personalities are former anchors and reporters from different AM-radio stations in Mega Manila including Neil Ocampo, Laila Chikadora, Cheryl Cosim, Cristy Fermin, Raffy Tulfo, Nina Taduran, Ruel Otieco, JV Arcena, Sharee Roman (from DZXL), Arnell Ignacio, Shalala (from DZBB), Izza Reniva-Cruz (from Veritas 846), Zony Esguerra (from DZME), and Arnold "Popoy" Rei (from MOR 101.9).

In less than six months under the new format, Radyo5 ranked as the fourth most listened to FM stations in Metro Manila.^[5] In March 2012, the Radio Research Council ranked Radyo5 as the number 1 news radio station in the market in a survey of motorists.^[6] Afterwards, in 2013, Radyo5 was declared again by the PSRC Car Coincidental Survey as the most preferred & listened FM station for public utility vehicles including jeepneys, taxis and FX.^[7]

On December 23, 2013, Radyo5 transferred its studios from the TV5 Studio Complex in Novaliches, Quezon City to their new home at TV5 Media Center along Reliance Street, Mandaluyong.^[8]

In 2017, a series of budget cuts were imposed by TV5's management. Among those affected were Radyo5's overnight operations. The network changed broadcast times twice until February 16, 2018, when they made a permanent daily 20-hour run (4:00 am until midnight), adding music content during early morning and late-night (except during radio coverage of doubleheader PBA game days).

On November 8, 2022, coinciding with the 12th anniversary of the station, it launched its new slogan "Ito ang Totoong Tunog ng Serbisyo Publiko" (transl. "This is the True Sound of Public Service").

During TV5's trade launch, Radyo5 announced its plans for its relaunching scheduled January 23, 2023, along with new programs, and its renewed expansion to key cities nationwide.^[9]

On March 8, 2023, Radyo5 changed its sub-brand to True FM and adopted the slogan "Dito Tayo sa Totoo!" (transl. "Here we are for the truth!"), along with its first-ever jingle composed and arranged by Francis de Veyra.^[10] In addition, it debuted its radio dramas, including its first-ever radio drama, Sana Lourd, which also airs live on the station's Facebook page.

On May 1, 2024, Radyo5 launched another TeleRadyo channel True FM TV, which is exclusive on Cignal Channel 19.

After the shutdown of AksyonTV on January 13, 2019, Radyo5 programs began broadcasting in a Cignal-exclusive "teleradyo" channel, One PH, which was initially launched on February 18 and officially launched on July 31. Coinciding with the said launch, Radyo5 was added with new studios and programs, and re-extended its weekday broadcast hours.

Starting August and September 2019, selected Radyo5 and One PH programs (Morning Calls, One Balita, One Balita Pilipinas, Wag Po! and Turbo Time with Mike and Lindy) begin its airing on either simulcast or delayed basis on TV5 as part of programming revamp spearheaded by TV5 Network's new CEO Jane Basas.

On March 17, 2020, Radyo5, along with One PH, temporarily suspended its regular programming as an effect of the Luzon-wide "enhanced community quarantine" against COVID-19. The radio station aired the special edition of One News Now and automated music throughout the day. However, regular programs resumed after a few months.

In December 2020, Cignal TV and Philstar Media Group took over the operations and programming of Radyo5, respectively. With this development, some of the station's programs aired their respective final episodes during the final weeks of December 2020. On January 1, 2021, One PH's programming (except for overnight slots) have been integrated to the programming schedule of Radyo5 and all the music blocks have been removed. The new management retained the radio coverage rights of PBA games, in which its existing exclusive contract between PBA and One Sports (formerly Sports5 and ESPN5) expired by the end of 2022.

The integrated programming of Radyo5 and One PH ended upon the launch of the former's new inhouse programs in January 2023. Starting January 29, 2023, its integrated Sunday programming, except for Healing Mass sa Veritas (simulcast from DZRV-AM) and Word of God Network, was axed and replaced it with new additional music programming. Starting May 2023, Radyo5 added new music blocks to its Saturday programming.

On November 4, 2024, True FM signed-off for the last time at 12:00 AM on this frequency. However, before formally concluding operations, a pre-recorded message from NBC, TV5, and True Network narrated by Cherry Bayle, thanking this frequency for allowing Radyo 5 to broadcast for over 13 years with its final statement "True FM is now signing off on 92.3" followed by Lupang Hinirang; the last song played on this station as True FM is "Out of My League" by Stephen Speaks. Despite this, its Facebook page was still named as 92.3 True FM until further notice.

On October 26, 2024, NBC announced through its Radyo5 True FM official Facebook account that the station will be undergoing a revamp on its programming and later disclosed that it will transfer its operations and programming to DWLA 105.9, owned by Bright Star Broadcasting Network Corporation, and DXET 106.7, owned by Interactive Broadcast Media, effective November 4. Bilyonaryo reported on the next day that Prime Media-owned Philippine Collective Media Corporation will lease the 92.3 FM frequency from NBC/MediaQuest, as part of its agreement in which PCMC will acquire most of NBC radio assets and frequencies, except for its Cebu and Cagayan de Oro stations. This shift will bring PCMC’s national FM brand, Favorite Music Radio (FM Radio Philippines), to the Mega Manila market.^[11][12][13]

Since the announcement, Favorite Music Radio has conducted test broadcast on the frequency during True FM's off-air hours. On November 4, minutes after True FM transfer its operations, Favorite Music Radio Manila began its test broadcast with programming emanating from Diliman, Quezon City and on the same day, DXFM 101.9 FM in Davao City began simulcasting this station. Its official broadcast began at 5:00 AM of November 4.

• Migs (also from Radyo 630)
• Jhai Ho (also from Radyo 630, formerly from MOR 101.9)

• Nation Broadcasting Corporation
• ABS-CBN Corporation
• TeleRadyo Serbisyo
• Prime TV
• ABS-CBN News
• Radyo 630

• FM Radio Manila Website