Type Private (PSE: BRP) Revenue unknown Founded 6 July 1966 | Industry Radio Network Net income unknown Founder Don Marcelino Florete Sr | |
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Key people Margaret Ruth C. Florete (President and CEO)Rogelio M. Florete, Jr. (EVP) Owner Consolidated Broadcasting System, Inc. (CBS)Newsounds Broadcasting Network, Inc. (NBN)People's Broadcasting Service, Inc. (PBS) Profiles | ||
Bombo Radyo Philippines is one of the largest radio networks in the Philippines spanning across 21 major provinces. It is a conglomeration of three smaller radio networks: Newsounds Broadcasting Network, Inc. (NBN), Mindanao licensee; Consolidated Broadcasting System, Inc. (CBS), Visayas licensee; and People's Broadcasting Service, Inc. (PBS), Luzon licensee. It is composed of 21 Bombo Radyo stations and 16 Star FM stations across the Philippines. Bombo Radyo is owned and managed by the Florete Group of Companies which also manages banking and pawnshop operations.
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Bombo Radyo Philippines AM division, although not yet having a station in the capital city of Manila (but maintaining a Newscenter In Makati), is by far consistently strong in ratings particularly in the Visayas and Mindanao regions.
The Bombo Radyo brand has been closely associated with fearless commentaries and controversial exposes against prominent and powerful Filipino politicians, thus making it popular among the masses.
As Bombo, the Spanish language name for a drum, serves as the name of the station, it is no surprise that a bass drum serves as the network logo.
History
Its flagship station, Bombo Radyo Iloilo, based in Iloilo City was founded in July 6, 1966, from the start, the station's studios are located inside the Florete Building in Mapa Street, until it was relocated in the Bombo Radyo Broadcast Center alongside Luna Street in Lapaz District, the station has been enjoying the prestige honor of consistently being the number one radio station since its inception during the 1970s.
DYFM is then part of the Northern Broadcasting Corporation. Don Marcelino, the grand old man of Bombo Radyo was accepted a joint venture agreement between him and former Ilocos Sur governor Arthur Villanueva, enabling the station to begin its broadcasts.
From humble beginnings and starting with small amount of employees, until the Florete Group acquired the operations of NBC with 10 stations and 2 affiliates in the whole archipelago. It also entered an management alliance together with CBS, NBN and PBS.
In 1976, Dr. Rogelio Florete, through the advice of his mother Doña Salome Florete, has started to helmed the day-by-day operations of Bombo Radyo. In the same year, the network launched DYRF 99.5 FM (now known as Star FM Iloilo). From then on, the network continue to grow until they acquired DWXB 102.7 FM from Universal Broadcasting Network in 1987 and became 102.7 WSM The Gentle Wind (now known as Star FM Manila).
Bombo Radyo stations
Star FM
Bombo Radyo's FM network group, popularly known as Star FM, is equally as strong as its sister AM network group. Its flagship station based in Manila, even with the existence of a substantial number of FM stations operating and stiff competition from both ABS-CBN's, TV5's and GMA Network's own networks as well as from large radio networks (MBC's Love Radio and Yes FM, and RMN's iFM), is the number one radio station in Metro Manila. The network's strongest market segment is with the provincial or rural people currently residing in Manila helped by its strong brand name in the provinces. Prior to 1994, Bombo Radyo managed its FM stations locally with each individual unique brand name. However this has all been changed in April 1994 when the network officially re-branded all 15 FM stations to carry the brand name Star FM and now share the same vision and objective. The re-branding proved to be successful as Star FM now enjoys strong ratings all across the country. On occasion, Star FM stations are tapped to do news gathering, especially when covering local and national elections or when severe weather (such as typhoons) or disasters strike an affected area.