Davao’s Catholic Radio Station: Channel of faith through tough times (Part 2)

A research on the “Effects of Radio as Medium of Evangelization in the Archdiocese of Davao” confirms that DXGN listeners tune in to radio because they were led to love God more dearly. The programs like Pulong sa Diyos, Kusog sa Katawhan, gospel-based songs, and Holy Mass coverages made them socially-aware and humane in the 1990s.

To stabilize each media platform, DXGN 89.9 and Davao Catholic Herald newspaper separated their finances. Administration of the Catholic radio shifted before year 2000 to former DC Herald editor in chief Mr. Florante Tarona, the then mass communication head of Holy Cross of Davao College, Inc. The station became an extended laboratory of the school. Students of radio broadcasting used the facilities to hone their skills.

After a couple of years, he was succeeded by a deacon who was later ordained to priesthood, Fr. Dexter Veloso (now the parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Bangkal). Fr. Veloso, for sometime became the director of Bishop Thibault Media Center, Inc. (BTMC) until Fr. Rey Roque, finished his schooling in Rome.

Fr. Roque succeeded Fr. Veloso. Former seminarian Mr. Nono Alminaza was appointed as the station manager.

With the combined management of Herald and DXGN under Fr. Roque, the BTMC was renamed Archbishop Mabutas Media Center (AMMC). Again, it formed strong alliances for marketing with the Catholic Media Network (CMN) and Notre Dame Broadcasting Company (NDBC). The new name of the foundation was thought of in honor of the late archbishop Mabutas. DXGN 89.9 FM was re-launched as a medium of peace-building. The station bought hardware supplies at Broadcast Works (BW) and created its four-men marketing arm.

Noted in this decade is the strong participation of the youth in the programming. “Chikahan ng Barkada” (Chikada) became the longest-running youth show aired for 6 years since 2001. The production staff included HCDC students and other San Pablo Parish volunteers. Soon, the program was adopted by the Davao Archdiocesan Youth Coordinating Apostolate (DAYCA). The team later was the Media Relations and Promotions Committee of the National Youth Day 2006 in Davao City.

This time, the CBCP’s Social Communications Commission is more active. They wanted to push for the networking of the different Catholic-run stations. This is the reason for the refocusing of programming of DXGN 89.9 to XGN-Generation’s Best. It was more of a market-driven move on the part of CMN to capture a bigger part of advertising revenues. Hence, from purely gospel-based songs, the station started playing secular music. (To be continued)