Radio Mindanao Network

On July 4, 1952, it finally went on air for a test broadcast, coinciding with the birthday of his mother. It officially started broadcasting on August 28, 1952, also coinciding with the

In 1954, Henry R. Canoy visited the United States under an observation grant. Instead of going to the giant networks and other big cities, he opted to be taken to a small town of Greeley, Colorado, and he came upon a station that was doing exactly what DXCC was already trying to do in Mindanao. Its broadcast fare was peppered with farm prices, market and road conditions, weather warnings and personal messages. He came back with the blueprint for DXCC, which is entertainment, information and most of all education to the public.^[5]

The success of its broadcasting concept enabled DXCC to expand broadcast areas in 1953 stations to Iligan (DXIC), then to Butuan (DXBC) and Davao (DXDC) where born. By 1957, the station with a coconut tree for an antenna had given birth to four others. And so the string of community stations became Radio Mindanao Network (RMN).

In 1961, RMN's approach to broadcasting drew the interest of another visionary business leader, the late Andres Soriano Sr. of

In 1968, RMN made a "first" in Philippine radio history by initiating the national

In 1975, the call letters of the Manila flagship station, DZHP was changed to DWXL. Together with this, English programming gave way to Tagalog. RMN's AM stations were broadcasting in three major languages: Tagalog, Cebuano and Ilonggo. Noted columnist Teodoro Valencia joined RMN as its chairman of the board. Under his guidance RMN was able to secure a loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines to finance its massive expansion and development program. A Cebuano drama production center based in DYHP-Cebu was established and subsequently followed by an Ilonggo drama production center based in DYHB-Bacolod.

In 1978, RMN's major expansion program was launched which include the upgrading of the technical facilities of its existing stations and the establishment of additional AM and FM stations. Among the stations that were added to the roster of RMN stations were:

On April 18, 1991, President Corazon Aquino signed into law Republic Act 6980 entitled "An Act Renewing the Franchise Granted to Radio Mindanao Network, Inc. under Republic Act Numbered Thirty-One Hundred Twenty-Two to another Twenty-Five (25) years from the date of approval of this Act". This was the first broadcast franchise approved under President Aquino's term of office.

On August 28, 1991, TV-8, RMN's first television station went on the air in Cagayan de Oro. RMN-TV 8 was then an affiliate of the then newly established

In 1998, it went global by establishing the first Philippine radio station to conquer the United States airwaves through WRMN in New York City.

In June 2007, RMN fm station DWKC 93.9 in Manila was the first commercial station in the country to broadcast with HD Radio technology. It broadcast in three HD Radio digital audio channels along with its pre-existing analog signal. The operation of its facility was in high-level combined hybrid mode with an existing 35 kW analog transmitter, a new Nautel 1 kW HD Radio transmitter, with the digital exciter, importer and exporter providing the digital signal component.^[6]

Television

With the acquisition of Radio Mindanao Network by Andrés Soriano, Sr. in 1962, RMN and Inter-Island Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) formed the first tri-media organization in the Philippines along with newspaper, The Philippines Herald. As the television arm of the RMN, IBC partnered with the RMN radio stations for coverages of the general elections of 1969 and 1971.

On February 1, 1975, during the

On October 31, 1993, Radio Mindanao Network became the second radio-based network to launch a TV network called Cinema Television (CTV) through its flagship station,

In October 2000, E! and RMN announced its partnership to relaunch CTV into E! Philippines, with its broadcasting extended into 24 hours.[8] But in 2003, it reduced its broadcasts into 6 primetime and late-night hours, from 6:00 PM to 2:30 AM. Some of E!'s programs were brought to the Philippines and remade in a local version, one of which was Wild On! Philippines. On June 1, 2003, RMN decided to cease their operations on TV due to financial constraints and poor television ratings, and somehow to focus only on their 2 radio networks (RMN and iFM). There were several religious groups who had wished to acquire block programming of E! Philippines, but RMN refused to accept their offers.

DWKC-TV and other regional stations were soon acquired by Broadcast Enterprises and Affiliated Media (then under the Canoys until it was sold to the Globe Group in 2009) and resumed its operations in 2011.

In March 2016, president and chairman of RMN, Eric S. Canoy announced its intention to bid for the acquisition of the government-sequestered TV network Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation, as part of the government's efforts to privatize the network.^[9][10]

On May 18, 2016, Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III signed Republic Act No. 10818 An act renewing the franchise granted to the Radio Mindanao Network, Inc. for another twenty-five (25) years on a term that shall take effect on April 18, 2016.^[11]

Programming

RMN broadcasts a number of national programs either through a localized version or via satellite from the network's main studios in San Juan. Its flagship rolling newscast, RMN Network News, has morning and noontime editions every Monday through Saturday and a late-afternoon edition on weekdays, and is simulcast on RMN-owned and/or affiliated stations in the Philippines.

Only a handful of nationally branded programs like Unang Radyo, Unang Balita, Straight to the Point and Sentro Serbisyo/Centro Serbisyo are broadcast in their respective local versions with different hosts and in different dialects.

Stations

The following is a list of

WRMN New York is RMN's own internet radio station. Based in Nutley, New Jersey, it also serves the Filipino-American community in the New York City area.

Chronology of radio stations in Mindanao

The pioneer radio broadcasting station in Mindanao was DXMC-AM founded in 1949 and owned by Guillermo Torres of the University of Mindanao in Davao City. It later became UM Broadcasting Network. DXMC-AM is now the present-day DXWT-FM, which was converted into the FM band since 1988. The second, DXAW, was established by Alfred James Wills, a retired US Army Signal Corps officer (The DXAW calls were used by the TV station in Davao (which is now known as

See also

• TV5 Network
• Catholic Media Network
• Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation - former sister media company of RMN
• Radio Corporation of the Philippines
• RadioWorld Broadcasting Corporation

References

External links

• Official website
• Farewell, Dear mentor
• Sir Henry
• President Arroyo lauds late RMN founder