DZRH (666 AM) is a radio station owned and operated by MBC Media Group. The station’s studios are in the first floor, MMG Building, Star City, V. Sotto Street, CCP Complex, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City, with its transmitter along I. Marcelo Street, Barangay Malanday, Valenzuela City. The station broadcasts nationwide via relay stations across the Philippines.
Established on July 15, 1939, DZRH is the oldest privately owned radio station, and the second-oldest radio station in the Philippines after state-owned DZRB.
History
Early years: The Heacock era (1939–41) DZRH began operations as KZRH (Voice of the Philippines) on July 15, 1939, at 6:00 a.m., from the top of the H.E. Heacock Building in Escolta, Manila, with Hal Bowie as its first announcer. It had been established by American businessman Samuel "Sam" Gaches, president of H. E. Heacock Company, one of the largest department store chains in the Pacific region. Aside from Gaches, an all-American staff was also led by Bertrand "Bert" Silen, station manager; and Johnny Harris, program director; both who formerly worked at KZRM.
It was the city's fourth commercial radio station and the company bought Cebu-based KZRC in 1940. Both were among the six Philippine-based stations operating prior to the Japanese occupation.
Beginning as the company's mouthpiece in its early years, KZRH broadcast musical variety shows, comedy skits, and brief newscasts, as well as jazz and ballad music. Also, a quarter-hour blocktime was given to advertisers. The station was later improved with transition from English to Filipino while its facilities were modernized and enlarged as its transmitting power later increased from one to ten kilowatts. KZRH eventually became the city’s leading radio station.
KZRH was used by the Americans to inform the listeners of steps to prepare for the impending Japanese invasion. It was the first to break news of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941 (December 8 in the Philippines). It also gave updates on the ongoing Second World War in Europe reaching the Far East.
During the Japanese occupation (1942–45) At the outbreak of the Japanese invasion of the country during the Second World War, the radio station was separately operated by the resistance group and by the invading forces who later eventually took over it. The station, being the only one remained and survived the war, became the country's oldest existing.
Voice of Freedom (1942) With the possible Japanese invasion of Manila, at the end of 1941 Gen. Douglas MacArthur, Commander of the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE), ordered the destruction of radio equipment to avoid being used by the invaders. KZRH's remaining equipment were brought to Corregidor and a makeshift station built; it resumed broadcasts on January 5, 1942 as the resistance station Voice of Freedom.
Its announcers included: Carlos P. Romulo, journalist and former general manager of the KZRM–KZRF network; Leon Ma. Guerrero and Army Lt. Norman Reyes, both formerly with KZRM; and Army Lt. Francisco Isidoro, who acted as a translator. Guerrero and then-ambassador Salvador P. Lopez worked as writers. On the other hand, pre-war KZRH Chinese technician (naturalized Filipino, postwar) Simeon Cheng, and American chief engineer, United States Army Capt. Ted Ince, managed the station, with Cheng occasionally smuggling transmitter parts from Manila.
The station, anchored by former KZRM announcer Reyes, continued solo with its pro-Allied programming. It reportedly broadcast MacArthur's "I shall return" message from Australia. Its final broadcast was on April 9 via shortwave transmitter, with the "Bataan has fallen" announcement written by Lopez and its translation in Tagalog by Isidoro, both announced by Reyes.
Its operations ultimately ceased in May with the surrender of Allied Forces. Ince, who was also an announcer, and Reyes were later forced by the Japanese occupiers to work for Radio Tokyo overseas, and Guerrero was sent to Japanese-seized KZRH. The remaining staff were later killed, joined resistance guerrilla forces, or brought to Bataan and internment camps at the University of Santo Tomas and Los Baños.
Under Japanese control and as PIAM (1942–45) The Imperial Japanese Army, upon entering Manila on January 2, 1942, immediately rebuilt those what was left by KZRH. On January 14, they went on the air, keeping the call letters but with different programming. Its power was reverted to 1 kW. Relay stations were later installed in Cebu, Baguio, Davao and Legazpi. The Japanese Military Administration ordered in July the prohibition of listening to broadcasts other than those from Japan and of KZRH which, by year-end and throughout the remaining years of the Japanese invasion, became the only operating Philippine-based station.
It was on May 25, 1942, when USAFFE commander, Lt. Gen. Jonathan Wainwright, announced the fall of Corregidor and surrendered to the Japanese Imperial Forces through the station.
On October 14, 1943, it was rebranded PIAM by the Imperial army, being operated by the Department of Information through the newly-renamed Philippine Broadcasting Management Bureau, and becoming a tool for the Second Republic's propaganda. It had relay stations in Cebu, Iloilo, and Davao; the first two produced their own programming.
Majority of Filipinos there were forcibly recruited by the Japanese; some were later able to continue gathering intelligence for the guerillas. Among those journalists, aside from Guerrero, were former KZND manager Vero Perfecto, Fidela Magpayo, Filipino–American Yay Panlilio, and (future National Artist) Hernando R. Ocampo.
The station was used for promotion of both the Filipino and Japanese languages and cultures; however, did not gain much listeners. After almost three years of existence, its facilities were later destroyed by the Americans prior to the liberation of the Philippines.
The birth of MBC; expansion of DZRH After the liberation, Silen, upon his release, sought help from the National Broadcasting Company in New York, United States, for transmitters, making the station the first to have a link with the company to the Far East. Meanwhile, it took forty days to erect a new studio on the top floor of the Insular Life Building in Plaza Cervantes. The Elizalde family, through brothers who were managing the Manila Broadcasting Company—its founder Manolo and Joaquin Miguel, acquired KZRH and then financed its operations.
KZRH, along with what would be DZPI, its sister station since 1949, had its operations revived on July 1, 1946; and covered the July 4 inaugural ceremonies for the new Republic and for Manuel Roxas as its first president.
In 1949, coinciding with its 10th anniversary, the station, bearing the pre-war tagline, was relaunched at 650 kHz and with 10-kW power. It was the country's first to broadcast simultaneously at AM and shortwave frequencies, almost nationwide.
Prior to the end of the decade, the International Telecommunication Union passed an act that changing the call signs for the Philippine stations, replacing the first letter with "D" to avoid confusion with those from United States; "DZ" stands for Luzon-based stations. With such order adopted by the government, KZRH became DZRH.
In the first post-war years, DZRH initiated first local shows sponsored by Philippine Manufacturing Company, which later boosted advertising, one was Kuwentong Kapitbahay () — the first Tagalog soap opera. The station first used live programming.
The station further developed in the following decades which was the golden years of radio. Radio dramas debuted in 1949 with Lina Flor's Gulong ng Palad (). The station held distinctions being the first to air a live quiz contest (Spell to Win) and to produce a Balagtasan program. It also produced variety programs.
DZRH produced some known personalities including sportscaster Willie Hernandez and commentator Rafael Yabut. Meanwhile, Magpayo became known as Tiya Dely, and was with the station at the time of her death in 2008.
Radio drama is one of the traditions of Philippine radio before the rise of television industry and continues until today this time on the FM band (only Ito ang Palad Ko!; "This is my fate", one of the longest-running drama anthology series from 1973-2020).
Martial Law era In 1972, when then-President Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law, DZRH was temporarily closed for a few months; it was reopened but only under strict government censorship. It was the only other time in DZRH's history since the Second World War that the station's broadcast operations were interrupted. Upon resumption of broadcasts, DZRH (along with sister stations DZMB and DWIZ) gained a new studio complex at North Bay Boulevard, Navotas and San Francisco del Monte, Quezon City.
In November 1978, DZRH migrated from 650 kHz to the current frequency of 666 kHz due to the switch of the Philippine AM bandplans from the NARBA-mandated 10 kHz spacing to the 9 kHz rule implemented by the Geneva Frequency Plan of 1975. In the same year, DZRH launched Operation Tulong ("Help"), a socio-civic organization that helps the people in time of need.
By late 1970s, DZRH, competing with other stations, aired eighteen radio drama programs over nine hours daily.
In February 1986, the station covered the controversial snap elections and the ensuing People Power Revolution that peacefully deposed President Marcos and President Corazon Aquino's eventual accession.
Post-People Power Revolution Following the 1986 revolution, commentators in the station rose into prominence, among them Orly Mercado, Jarius Bondoc, Alvin Capino, and Ka Louie Beltran.
During the series of coup attempts against the administration of Corazon Aquino; then news director Rey Langit played a key role in the on-air mediation with rebel soldiers.
In 1988, DZRH moved from the former studio in Navotas and Quezon City to its new studio location at FJE Building, Esteban Street, Legazpi Village, Makati.
In 1989, DZRH celebrated its 50th (golden) anniversary by launching "50 Taon ng Radyo" () on July 23; ceremonies and events were held at Rizal Memorial Stadium and Araneta Coliseum included parades, games, concerts, as well as outdoor and indoor fireworks displays.
In 1991, radio veteran Joe Taruc joined the station, where he hosted Damdaming Bayan which is now the longest-running public affairs program, as well as a morning newscast. Aside from being a newscaster, he was also station manager, and later, Senior Vice-President until his death in September 2017.
In October 1991, DZRH once launched a contest with fifty pairs of shoes as a prize to listeners who could correctly predict the date of return of former First Lady Imelda Marcos, whose ban had been lifted by president Corazon Aquino. Within three days, more than a hundred entries were personally delivered through letters; as the station also received calls, even from as far as Alaska and England, asking about the contest.
In the 1990s, upon the initiative of MBC chairman Fred Elizalde, DZRH, through a "One Nation, One Station" initiative, expanded its coverage to 97% of the entire country through satellite Palapa B4 which sending signals to twenty relay stations nationwide. It has now the widest reach; and held the distinction being the country's only station airing 24/7 on stereo-quality.
In July 2002, DZRH, along with other MBC stations, transferred from FJE Building in Makati, to its current studios at MBC Building, Vicente Sotto Street, CCP Complex on Roxas Boulevard, Pasay.