By Erika Tapalla
INQUIRER.net

Although video has certainly been under the limelight in recent times with the advent of new media with the Internet, radio remains alive.

In this video interview, young DJs for Underground Radio 105.9 discussed how radio remains relevant for rock bands in the Philippines.

Brought to the Philippines by the Americans, the first radio station established in Manila was called KZKZ, and was set up in 1922 by Henry Mann. A few years later, more stations were put up in different provinces and used primarily for entertainment. It was not until after World War II that other radio formats emerged.

In 1986, radio played an important role during the People Power I revolution. I was still months old (from conception, that is) and safely curled in my mother’s womb so it would be difficult and impossible to recount the details that led to end of a dictatorship. I would like to bring forth a detail that my dad told me.

He said Archbishop of Manila Cardinal Sin called on the Filipinos over a Catholic radio station Radio Veritas to support then General Fidel Ramos and former Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile. This call triggered millions of Filipinos to leave their homes and make their way to EDSA where they called for Marcos’ ouster.

At that time, radio was used as a crucial medium to unite Filipinos.

To this day, radio continues to be a source — in some areas in the Philippines, the only source — of information and entertainment. On the other hand, the local music industry thrives on this medium as their ticket to the ears of the Filipinos.

Radio is not dead, that’s for sure. Perhaps it’s the content, the real star that was killed.

Watch my video interview with DJs Niki Flojo and DJ Kris Isaac (known as DJ Memphis on air) about station Underground Radio 105.9 talking about the current state of FM radio in the Philippines.