DZMM

DZMM (630 AM) Radyo Patrol was a commercial news/talk radio station broadcasting from Quezon City, Philippines, serving the Mega Manila market. It was the flagship station of the Radyo Patrol Network owned by ABS-CBN. The station's studio was located at the ABS-CBN Broadcast Center, Sgt. Esguerra Avenue, corner of Mother Ignacia St., Brgy. South Triangle, Diliman, Quezon City; its 50,000-watt transmitter was located at F. Navarette St., Brgy. Panghulo, Obando, Bulacan.

DZMM was simulcast via The Filipino Channel and also has a television channel aired on Sky Cable, Destiny Cable and Sky Direct, and as an exclusive cable news channel named '' TeleRadyo'' where the studio and hosts of its programs can be seen by its listeners and viewers. It can also be received in the United States on DirecTV Channel 2066. Some of the station's selected programming were also simulcast via satellite over (Visayas Regions) DYAP Radyo Patrol 765 in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, DYAB Radyo Patrol 1512 in Mandaue City, Cebu, and (Mindanao Region) DXAB Radyo Patrol 1296 in Davao City. (these stations mentioned also broadcasts local programming in-between).

As of May 5, 2020, the station suspended its broadcasting activities, together with that of its free television and sister radio stations, following the cease-and-desist order issued by the National Telecommunications Commission due to the expiration of ABS-CBN's legislative license to operate. At 05:00 (Philippine Standard Time) on May 8, 2020, however, most DZMM programming resumed as an online feed (including audio feed) and through the TeleRadyo channel.

History

Radyo Patrol's first literation: the early years

It began on October 19, 1953, when DZAQ, the forerunner of DZMM was the first radio station of the former ABS (Alto Broadcasting System) of the Quirinos under President Elpidio Quirino's brother, Antonio (originally came from the pre-1953 experimental station DZBC), opened its doors as a radio station using the Filipino language in its broadcasts, following what DZBC had done before as the first-ever radio station in Manila using Filipino instead of the English language used by other stations at that time. DZAQ 620 kHz featured news, variety and music programs on an AM format which then the progenitor of DZAQ-TV 3. Eddie Ilarde, Ike Lozada, German Moreno and Joey de Leon were the personalities of the station at that time. Its first radio studios were in Manila, sharing the same building with the television studios. In 1957, with the opening of the then new ABS radio and television studios in Pasay, the DZAQ radio studios moved there.

Years later, when ABS and the Lopez-owned Chronicle Broadcasting Network (CBN) were formally merged into a single network in 1967, DZAQ 620 kHz switched frequencies with CBN-owned DZXL 960 kHz and was later rebranded as DZAQ Radyo Patrol 960 kHz, one of the pre-martial law flagship AM stations of ABS-CBN until 1972. Orly Mercado, who was one of the station managers from 1969 to 1971, together with Ben Aniceto, came up with a vision to establish a 24-hour all-news and all-talk radio station and ABS-CBN conceptualized it under the ''Radyo Patrol'' brand – the de facto successor of the ephemeral 24 hour news station DZQL Radyo Reloj, which CBN launched in 1956 (the very year it launched), and the first-ever 24-hour news radio station in the country and in Southeast Asia.

The first and original Radyo Patrol team was unceremoniously organized following the aftermath of Super Typhoon Welming (International name: Emma) in 1967, at the old ABS-CBN Radio Broadcast Center in Aduana Street, Intramuros, Manila, which housed the station since it was moved in 1958. The then program manager Ben Aniceto and Chief Engineer Emilio Solidum created a solution to broadcast typhoon damage news from Manila and the surrounding areas. Using two VW Combis attached with a UHF transmitter, two teams of reporters were dispatched. Combi One had Al Mendez and Zoilo Paragas Jr as reporters; and Combi 2 with Bar Samson. DZQL and DZXL became the carrying stations with then current DJs Naldy Castro, Buddy Medina, Boots Baker, Mary Jane Madamba and even the late Ike Lozada alternating as anchors. Cesar Mortega was assigned to coordinate the broadcasts. The broadcasts proved to be a huge success for the corporation, and for its news service.

Then came the magnitude 7.6 earthquake in Casiguran (in which Manila was severely affected by that quake). This strong earthquake lead to the collapse of the Ruby Tower in the capital's downtown districts. This was the second major news event as a progenitor to the current Radyo Patrol; this time, DZAQ took on the gargantuan task of informing the nation live as it happened. The Radyo Patrol Ruby Tower project was then handled by former DZAQ station manager Orly Mercado, and veteran broadcaster Joe Taruc; the first reporters assigned as Radyo Patrol reporters were Mercado himself, Jun Ricafrente, Mario Garcia, Chris Daluz and Ismael Reyes. The marathon radio-TV simulcast of a major coverage — the first of its kind by a Philippine media firm, was a success, and the Radyo Patrol format later became an integral part of DZAQ's broadcasts, with the station's field reporters being assigned to cover breaking news stories and then calling the station to convey these stories as they happened. Encouraged by the success of the field reports of breaking news stories in the Greater Manila Area and beyond, DZAQ was later that year converted into a 24-hour uninterrupted news and commentary station by orders of the corporation management, covering many national events of great importance to listeners, as DZXL took over its entertainment and music programming. Based on a survey conducted by Seamark, Inc., DZXL was the most popular radio station in the country by mid-1970. At the same time, the original team of 5 field reporters was later expanded to include both young announcers, most notably Rey Langit (now with DZRJ-AM), Ernie Baron, and Manolo Favis (now with Radyo La Verdad 1350), and industry news veterans. By 1971, the success of the Radyo Patrol format in the Greater Manila Area had led to select ABS-CBN provincial radio stations establishing Radyo Patrol news services within their areas.

Martial law period and until 1986

However, on the night of September 23, 1972, operations of DZAQ, DZXL, DZMM-FM, DZAQ-TV and DZXL-TV along with 4 other ABS-CBN AM radio stations were halted as Metrocom forces seized ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center two days after President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law, even DZAQ/DZXL personalities were arrested because of strict censorship as the stations went off the air.

Two years after the forced shut down of all radio and television stations, DWWW (Radyo Broadcast City), an AM station of Kanlaon Broadcasting System (now known as Radio Philippines Network) began to air in 1973 with news, public service programs, drama and music. Veteran anchors and new recruits like Johnny de Leon, Rod Navarro, Joe Taruc and Vic Morales came into DWWW at that time. Dely Magpayo, Henry Jones Ragas, Gel Santos-Relos and Noli de Castro were among those who worked as station announcers.

Under the KBS/RPN control, the station was dubbed ''Pinakamatatag sa Buong Pilipinas'' (''The strongest in the Philippines''). Following the switch of the Philippine AM radio stations from NARBA-implemented 10 kHz spacing (which was used from 1922 up to November 22, 1978) to GE75-implemented 9 kHz spacing on November 23, 1978, DWWW's frequency was reassigned from 620 to 630 AM, and gained a new home in Broadcast City in Diliman, Quezon City.

On the third day of the 1986 EDSA Revolution, reformist rebels stormed into the RPN broadcast complex and DWWW went off the air following the capture of MBS 4 on the morning of February 24, 1986, and RPN 9 the day after. At the end, both DWWW of RPN and DWWK-FM of BBC
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