DWAL

DWAL-FM (ALFM 95.9 Radyo Totoo)
City of license Batangas City
Broadcast area Batangas
Branding AL-FM 95.9 Radyo Totoo
Slogan Ang Inyong Evangelization Radio (Your Evangelization Radio)
Lakas ng Katotohanan (The Power of Truth)
Frequency 95.9 MHz
First air date mid-2009
Format news, public affairs/Talk, religious broadcasting
Power 5,000 watts
ERP 10,000 watts
Class C/D/E
Callsign meaning DW
Archdiocese of
Lipa
Owner Catholic Media Network/Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lipa
Sister stations 99.1 Spirit FM

DWAL, operating as AL-FM 95.9 Radyo Totoo, is a news/talk FM station owned by Catholic Media Network and the Archdiocese of Lipa. The station's studio is located at Basilica of Immaculate Conception Parish, Batangas City, Philippines. Its transmitter site is at Barangay Santo Domingo, Batangas City. It operates Mondays-Saturdays from 5:00 am–10:00 pm (Philippine Standard Time), Sundays and special coverage days from 5:00 am–6:30 pm. Exception to the regular broadcast time is every Maundy Thursday to Good Friday when the station operates on simulcast with 99.1 Spirit FM from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm, Black Saturday when it airs on simulcast from 6:00 am to 8:00 am and 5:30 pm to 12:00 midnight, and annually during Misa de Gallo days (December 16-24) from 4:00 am to 6:30 pm.

The station is the first news and talk FM station in the Philippines owned and operated by the Catholic church and it is similar to the country's first news and talk station on FM band Radyo5 92.3 News FM Manila owned and operated by TV5 which debuted November 2010.

History

Overview

DWAL is a station that brings news, information and evangelization. Pioneer personalities of the FM station were Fr. Nonie Dolor, Lita Aguila-Bicol and Renzo Luna (Renz Belda, also a reporter for DZRH). More personalities added up through the years up to the present. DWAL-FM carries the slogan Evangelization Radio. Father Ildefonso Dimaano served as its pioneer station manager, starting from its launch in 2009. Fr. Nonie Dolor is the current station manager.

Marcos to Estrada presidencies

DWAL-FM traces its roots from the old, but now-defunct DWAM-AM 1080 kHz in 1969, with Calero Road, Batangas City as its first studios. However, with the declaration of Martial Law on September 21, 1972 under Ferdinand Marcos, the station was closed under strict censorship imposed by him. After complying with the papers needed for resumption of broadcasts, DWAM-AM returned on air by October that same year.

DWAM 1080, through the years, provided listeners with religious broadcasting, news, music and oftentimes, drama.

In the '90s, influx of population and development of the city was on the move, but the potent of AM stations started to dwindle as FM stations like GV 99.9 and Bay Radio (now Brigada News FM) started to air in the city. However, DWAM never stopped bringing what it had brought from the start. In 1999, 99.1 Spirit FM was born to cater the younger generation with music.

2002; DWAM-AM 1080 ceases operations, revival in the works

Due to the antiquity of the facilities of the AM station, DWAM-AM ceased operations in mid-2002. Efforts of establishing another one took years. The first permit of operations expired in 2004 before full supply of materials was commenced. It was in this time also that two choices were decided, whether to revive the station in the same frequency band or to migrate to an FM frequency as an "AM on FM format".

2009 to present; DWAL-FM

In mid-2009, a new station on the frequency of 95.9 MHz started to air, later to be unveiled as ALFM 95.9 Radyo Totoo with its first slogan Makipanalig, Makiugnay at Makidasal. It was only in 2010 that DWAL-FM carried the Evangelization Radio tagline.

Training journalists of tomorrow

Since 2010, ALFM has been a training ground for students taking up Mass Communications, AB Communications and Journalism in their pursuit for work in the media industry after graduation. These OJTs work as news gatherers and field reporters during their tenure

On-air personalities

News and Public Affairs

The words enclosed in parenthesis indicate their respective beats

Anchors

Field reporters

Lay Ministers, Other Laity and Clergy

Past and recurring personalities

(One asterisk denotes the past employee, two asterisks denote that the person is a recurring worker)

Programming

Daily Programs

Weekly Programs

Former Programs

Easter Triduum Specials (2010-present)

Background

Prior to establishment of 99.1 Spirit FM in 1999 until 2002,the now-defunct DWAM-AM 1080 kHz was the broadcast arm of prayer services done during the weekend leading to Easter Sunday. With the AM station permanently ceasing broadcast operations in 2002, the broadcast arm was moved to Spirit FM, making it the sole station serving the province with religious programming, at a time where almost all stations cease broadcasts in commemoration of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This system went on until 2009.

Present era

Seeing the need for Easter triduum services to serve the province at a stronger and farther reach, since Holy Week of 2010, both ALFM and 99.1 Spirit FM operate on simulcast every Maundy Thursday to Black Saturday and programming is done on remote broadcast from the San Sebastian Cathedral, Lipa City, except the Pabasa and Lenten Recollection.

Programming