Branding 98.7 DZFE | ||
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Slogan Presenting the music of the masters and the Master's Word First air date June 1, 1954 (AM band)1970s (FM band) Format classical music, scriptural precepts | ||
DZFE (98.7 FM), branded as 98.7 DZFE The Master's Touch, is a music FM radio station, airing a classical music format. It is owned and operated by Far East Broadcasting Company. The station's studio and transmitter are located at 46th floor of One Corporate Centre, Meralco Ave. cor. Doña Julia Vargas Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City. This station operates daily from 6:00 AM to 3:00 AM.
Contents
Beginnings
DZFE was the second radio station established by American missionaries, who founded the first station (DZAS) of Far East Broadcasting Company in 1948. FEBC’s mission of bringing “Christ to the World by Radio” was first directed toward China. However, in 1954, FEBC stepped forward to answer a government bid for the establishment of a classical music station.
On June 1, 1954, DZFE began its broadcast. At that time, it aired from 6pm to 8pm, playing motets and chorales from Strauss II, Rimsky-Korsakov, Filipino musical (My Nipa Hut), and Bach, at a frequency of 1030 kHz. In 1972, following the government restriction to one AM station per network, DZFE went off air. However, in response to appeals from the public, it returned to the airwaves, this time on FM.
Recent Challenges
In 1997, DZFE transferred its studios from FEBC Compound in Karuhatan, Valenzuela, to Cityland 10 Tower 1 in Makati, in order to move closer to its listeners.
The new millennium brought a new set of challenges. In 2003, as a result of the withdrawal of foreign subsidies following 9/11, and other fiscal difficulties, DZFE reduced its broadcast by 40%, being off the air from 1pm to 6pm. It wasn't the 1st time for the station to do so; in 1976, it reduced its broadcast to a mere six hours, from 4pm to 12mn; in 1986, it was off the air from 12nn to 6pm.
In 2005, owing to the proliferation of tall buildings around its Makati antenna, DZFE transferred its transmitting facilities to a leased site in Crestview Subd., Antipolo, province of Rizal (which is a sharing the same site of UNTV-37 and NU 107 (now 107.5 Wish FM) all owned by Progressive Broadcasting Corporation), and also downgraded its transmitting power from 20 kW to 5 kW to control power costs.
Renaissance
From this point, a new dawn of sorts began. In 2006, DZFE reclaimed 10 hours of the broadcast week. In June 2008, it extended its broadcast back to 18 hours a day, 6 days a week. In January 2010, DZFE reclaimed its entire regular Sunday broadcasting hours.
In April 2009, DZFE finally began broadcast from a newly purchased Nautel NV20 transmitter, which is entirely funded by donations from local and foreign FEBC supporters, and is the first of its kind in the Philippines. In June 2012, DZFE, together with DZAS, moved to its new studios & offices at the One Corporate Centre in Ortigas, Pasig to adjust to modern broadcast settings. At this time, it increased its transmitting power from 10 kW to 20 kW.
In October 2013, DZFE extended its broadcast time by two hours, until 3:00 AM the next day.