SBMA launches the revitalized DWSB 89.5 FM Subic Bay Radio

Operated by the SBMA under the franchise of the state-run Philippine Broadcasting Service, DWSB 89.5 Subic Bay Radio was established in 2004 to serve as a medium for promoting the Subic Bay Freeport Zone as an investment and tourism haven, and at the same time provide radio services for the community of Subic Bay Freeport and its contiguous areas.

Full story here

The Resurrection of 89.5 Subic Bay FM

We're BACK! Finally, after several excruciating months of trying to rescusitate Subic Bay Freeport's official FM radio station, DWSB 89.5 Subic BayFM is now back on air! How we were able to do it was like some miracle of sorts.

Surprised? I know you are, or haven't you noticed why this blog only has new music lists and featured artists in its past few posts...well, we sort of died, temporarily. Long story really, but here goes:

It took a lot of prodding, and surprisingly, the wrath of mother nature that made this happen. Months have passed since our last broadcast. Us radio geeks were really having a hard time trying to convince a lot of people to just purchase our equipment real fast after our old, virtually low-powered set up was taken away leaving this station in the backburner. A new consultant was hired, a new agreement was forged with the mother network for the procurement of our equipment, and we really thought that everything will turn out the way we expected it to be even as we know how utterly snail-paced government processes can be.

Then typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng happened, two powerful storms that left majority of Luzon in total destruction. During that time, a huge advertising congress was about to happen in Baguio City. But then its organizers decided to change the venue and decided to go for Subic Bay.

With only a few weeks left, our agency worked overtime to prepare for the event - roads were paved and painted on, the convention center prepped and, the clincher for us geeks: 89.5 Bay FM was ordered to go back on air at all cost (being that the radio station is also going to be exhibited at the AdCon).

With absolutely no room for me to get all stressed, us geeks set out to immediately get ourselves even the basic equipment for us to operate the station again. Emergency procurement was the ticket. A lot of people came in to help us out (thank you all so much!) and in just barely a week and in time for the 21st Philippine Advertising Congress, we were back on air!

After finally upping our test broadcast, we rushed to the AdCon's exhibition area, installed a small set up at the Subic Bay booth and did our thing.

Whew! I bet reading this could have also stressed you out.

But then, this is only the beginning (a new beginning, that is). Still got loads to do and we do hope that starting today, 89.5 Subic Bay FM will NEVER leave the airwaves.

And the Bay FM saga continues...

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89.5 FM Subic Bay Radio

Part 2s

Being somewhere in that age when certain brain cells seem to go haywire, it's kind of difficult to keep track about things that I should've made followthroughs. Thus, this entry.

Some days back, I did Subic Bay Hour part 1 and I was meaning to do part two of it, but I didn't actually have any idea when part 2 will commence. Being that the show is a weekly thing, I figured I shouldn't really write about it in parts unless I wanted it to have this long line of sequels just like the Rocky movie. So I guess from now on, I should refrain from writing blogs in parts.

Anyway, the show is starting to kick butt. After Administrator Arreza, we brought in SBMA Deputy Administrator Raul Marcelo for our second edition. We talked about how Subic Bay is faring as a tourist destination. The cool-talking, jock potential tourism honcho talked about details such as the return of the casinos in the Freeport (which is good actually since SBMA is targetting the foreign tourist and retiree markets), and plans of turning Subic into some sort of a movie location hub (have you seen the Marianne Rivera clip in youtube? Shot right here in Subic...bad-ass gurl, right?). Though it was a bit premature, "Sir Raul" also mentioned the return of the Ad Congress in Subic (with hopes of winning the bid again). Since Happy Louie was happily finishing up some chores before he leaves, BerniMac debuted as one of the show's anchors for Bay FM.

The following Saturday, we had as our resource person Ferdinand Hernandez, SBMA's "crush ng bayan" Senior Deputy Administrator for Operations. Sadly, I was operating over at Radyo ng Bayan so I wasn't able to join the fray at Bay FM. I could just imagine Atty. Hernandez' face grimace when the first salvo was a question about the recent drug bust here in Subic. Jeez. But being the cool and brilliant dude that he is, he answered it right on the dot. (Just so you know, it was the SBMA Law Enforcement Department that first cracked the op, not PASG...so there).

Last Saturday, we had our Labor Department Manager Severo Pastor talk about employment in Subic Bay. Again, with the station manager traipsing somewhere (hey, I needed the rest), BerniMac again anchored the show for Bay FM (Congrats! You are beginning to sound like an AM commentator already!), of course, with DJ Tommy in a supporting role.

I will soon upload excerpts from these editions soon.

And since I'm still into followthroughs, I might as well do now the long overdue part two of "A Dummy's Guide to Radio Lingo" which I wrote ages ago.

You know, I admit it but hey, I'm at that age right? So to save on time and energy, I will be referring you, interested radio geek, to an already published Radio Glossary by Corey Deitz in About.com.

For "A Dummy's Guide to Radio Lingo Part II," check it out here

I'm done!