DWIZ (882 AM) is a radio station owned and operated by Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, a subsidiary of the ALC Group of Companies. It serves as the flagship station of the DWIZ network, which was established in late January 2023. The station's studio is located at the 20th Floor, Citystate Centre, 709 Shaw Boulevard, Brgy. Oranbo, Pasig, and its transmitter is located along Osmeña St., Brgy. Pag-Asa, Obando, Bulacan.
History
1946–1948: As KZPI
Present-day DWIZ began as KZPI—its last two call letters stood for Philippine Islands[1]—a commercial radio station being established in 1946[1][2] by the Philippine Broadcasting Corporation (PBC)[1] through the Soriano family, along with magazine chain owner Ramon Roces,[2] as a post-war extension of the company's predecessor, Far Eastern Broadcasting Company.[3][a][2] FEBC had operated KZRM and KZRF (originally KZEG) until the beginning of the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in late 1941.[1] KZPI was incorporated on June 4,[4] and commenced a test broadcast on July 1[1]—the same day KZRH resumed its broadcast.[1][2]
Its first, small studio was located in the 5th Floor of the Filipinas Building at Plaza Moraga in Manila;[5] its transmitter in Polo, Bulacan. The transmitting equipment was supplied by American company Raytheon Production Corporation. It broadcast at 800 kilocycles (kHz) in long wave, and had a 1-kilowatt power. Its operations were then financed by American-controlled Philippine Operations, Inc.[4] Its first managing director was Norman Paige, an American radio veteran[1] and former Pacific war correspondent for the Columbia Broadcasting System.[1][4]
The equipment were yet to be fully set up by July 4 when it was among the three stations to cover the inaugural ceremonies for the formal declaration of independence from the United States at the Luneta Park, and for Manuel Roxas as the first president of the new Republic.[1]
Its sister stations, mediumwave and shortwave KZOK, were established in 1947; their transmitters were then located in Quezon City.[5] KZOK would be relaunched in 1949 as DZAB–DZH5.[5][6][b] PBC also had another station in Cebu.[6]
1949–1972: As DZPI
Following the 1947 International Radio Conference by the International Telecommunication Union in the United States where it was decided for the Philippine stations to replace the initial call letter with "D", which would be effective in 1949,[1] KZPI was renamed DZPI.[3]
Later that year, the Manila Broadcasting Company (now known as MBC Media Group) and the PBC made what was said the country's strongest merging of broadcast companies; thus DZPI served as a sister station of DZRH and DZMB.[2]
By mid-1972, the station, being rebranded as Radio Philippines, had been transferred to Navotas, Rizal; its power had been increased to 5 kW.[7] DZPI was able to report the arrest of several political leaders following President Ferdinand Marcos' declaration of martial law on September 21, 1972, which would be announced two days later. At that moment, the station was silent the whole day.[8]
1972–1991: The first iteration of DWIZ
On September 24, 1972, DZPI was rebranded as DWIZ Sunshine City. As one of the stations established during the Martial Law, it was then one of the most influential Top 40 music stations in Metro Manila.[9] In November 1978, the station was transferred to 882 kHz due to the adoption of the 9 kHz spacing for medium wave stations as stipulated by the Geneva Frequency Plan of 1975 (aka GE75) supplanting the NARBA-mandated 10 kHz spacing rule. At that time, it had a 50-kW power.[10] In 1986, it shifted to a full service format with emphasis on news and music. DWIZ Sunshine City signed off for the last time on the first quarter of 1991.[11]
1991–present: The current iteration of DWIZ
In 1991, Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, a then-newly established broadcast network owned by Antonio Cabangon Chua, acquired DWIZ.[9][12][13] The station, whose headquarters had been moved to Makati,[13] began its test broadcast on May 12 through a 25-kW transmitter,[12] and was relaunched on June 6 with its tagline "Boses Pilipino, Radyo ng Tao";[c][13] being reformatted as a news, talk,[9] and public service station.[12] It pioneered the Broadcast Tandem System, wherein a pair of broadcasters on board man the station's newscasts. Its first major news coverages were the country's annual Independence Day celebrations and the eruption of Mount Pinatubo.[12]
Leading the station's first years of broadcast are some of the anchors and reporters from DZRH; among them is Rey Langit, who served as its station manager from its first year until 2016, when he left the station. In 1994, the station increased its power from 25,000 watts to 50,000 watts. As one of the few stations in the market authorized to operate with such power, it carries the tagline Todong Lakas.
In 2003, an agreement was made by the Aliw Broadcasting Corporation and the Kabayan Radio and News Club, which had a live radio service Kabayan Radio; the latter aired DWIZ programs to reach Filipino migrant workers in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.[16]
In 2005, DWIZ launched Karambola, a morning political commentary program featuring a panel of journalists and columnists led by Jonathan De la Cruz.[17]Karambola is now one of the station's longest-running programs.
On January 3, 2014, DWIZ signed a 3-year memorandum of agreement with Radio Philippines Network (owner of CNN Philippines-affiliated stations and Radyo Ronda) for the expanded coverage of both the TV and radio networks nationwide. Selected programs of this station are also simulcasted on the Radyo Ronda Network.[18] DWIZ also launched its first ever radio jingle on July 14, 2014, a couple of days before Typhoon Glenda (Rammasun) wreaked havoc over Metro Manila.
In 2016, DWIZ officially upgraded its newly improved 50,000-watt transmitter system standing on a 300-foot tower, providing improved signal reception in the Greater Luzon Area.
On January 30, 2023, DWIZ underwent some programming changes to serve a wider audience. This comes along with the reformat of Home Radio provincial stations to a news and talk station under the DWIZ branding.[19]
On August 10, 2022, the channel started carrying the brand IZTV, with the tagline The News Company. It was officially launched on November 18. On January 30, 2023, the channel rebranded as ALIW Channel 23, coinciding with the reformatting of Home Radio's provincial stations under the DWIZ network.
Recently, the TeleRadyo feed was spun off to a new subchannel under the DWIZ News TV branding. Though several programs are currently aired on Aliw Channel 23.
Recognitions
The year 2014 and 2015 served as milestone for the station as it received several recognitions:
Best Radio Documentary (Siyasat: "Damo") 23rd KBP Golden Dove Awards 2015
The "Most Outstanding Radio Station of the Year" awarded by the Rotary Club of Manila Journalism Awards,
The "Best Magazine Program" awarded to "Siyasat" by the KBP Golden Dove Awards,
Citation in the "Best AM Radio Station" category in the KBP Golden Dove Awards
Best Station Radio Category by the Universal Peace Federation
Gawad Ulat for Most Supportive Radio Station by the Department of Social Welfare and Development
^Far Eastern Broadcasting Corporation in another source.[1] Not to be confused with Far East Broadcasting Company–Philippines, a currently-operating non-commercial Christian broadcast network.
^In 1951, the stations were taken over by the Catholic-run University of Santo Tomas, and their facilities were later transferred; DZAB was rebranded as DZST. The mediumwave station is currently operated as Veritas 846; while the shortwave, as Radio Veritas Asia, ceased its broadcast in 2018.[5]
^Translated by sources as Voice of the Filipino People's Radio.[14]
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