DZMM

DZMM (630 AM) - operating as ABS-CBN DZMM Radyo Patrol 630 - is a 24-hour Filipino language news/talk radio station broadcasting out of Quezon City, Philippines, serving the Mega Manila market. It is the flagship station of the Radyo Patrol Network it is apart of ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs the news division owned by ABS-CBN.

At present, DZMM is considered, and remains to be one of the top stations in the AM band in Metro Manila (#1 in Vehicle Coincidental Survey for AM stations and Kantar Radio Ratings) and is recognized as one of the most awarded radio stations in the Philippines by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), Rotary Club of Manila, Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption and other award giving bodies.

1953–1972
It began on October 19, 1953, 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). DZAQ 620 kHz featured news, variety and music programs on an AM format which then the basis of DZAQ-TV 3.

1956–1972
Years later, when ABS and CBN were formally merged into a single network in 1967, DZAQ 620 kHz switched frequencies with CBN-owned DZXL 960 kHz to become DZAQ Radyo Patrol 960 kHz, one of the pre-martial law flagship AM stations of ABS-CBN until 1972. Orly Mercado was one of the station managers from 1969 to 1971.

The first and original Radyo Patrol team was unceremoniously organized following the aftermath of the magnitude 7.6 earthquake in Casiguran (in which Metro Manila was severely affected by the quake), leading to the collapse of the Ruby Tower in 1968 at the old ABS-CBN Radio Broadcast Center in Aduana Street, Intramuros, Manila. It was the brainchild of former station manager Orly Mercado, Ben Aniceto, the then ABS-CBN program director and Chief Engr. Emil Solidum. The first reporters assigned as Radyo Patrol were Al Mendez, Zolio Paragas and Bar Samson. This was the first major news event as a progenitor to the current Radyo Patrol.

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

1973–1986
Two years after the forced shut down of all radio and television stations, DWWW, a crony-owned AM station of Kanlaon Broadcasting System or KBS (now known as Radio Philippines Network or RPN) began to air in 1973 which contained news, public service programs 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 and Noli de Castro, was also part of the announcers of the station.

Under the Marcos crony control, the station was dubbed Pinakamatatag sa Buong Pilipinas (The strongest in the Philippines). With the switch of AM spacing from 10 to 9 kHz that took place between 1979 and 1980, DWWW moved 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 knocked off from the air following the capture of channel 4 on the morning of February 24, 1986. At the end, both DWWW of RPN and DWOK of BBC were sequestered by the government with ABS-CBN getting both stations as a result.

1986–1996
The fall of the Marcos regime owing to the return of ABS-CBN. In April 1986, then newly formed Presidential Commission on Good Government handed over two radio stations, DWWW of RPN and DWOK of BBC, back to the network's control. DWWW then changed its callsign to DZMM and started preparations for the resumption of broadcasts. Lito Balquierda Jr., Vice-President for Radio, together with Attorney Jake Lopez and Mr. Ben Aniceto spearheaded the return of the giant network to the local broadcasting scene. The network started recruiting both experienced and new employees including a new generation of Radyo Patrol Reporters. Their studios were initially located at the Chronicle Building in Pasig (where Benpres Corporation is currently located). After days of careful planning and a period of test broadcast which took place from July 16th-21st, 1986 (alongside DWKO-FM 101.9 and the network's mother TV station ABS-CBN Channel 2), DZMM officially signed on the air with the new tagline "Ang Himpilan ng Malayang Mamamayan" (Station of the Independent People) on the afternoon of July 22nd,1986 at 3 pm.

It was only in 1987 that the station was transferred to its current studios inside the ABS-CBN Broadcast Center in Quezon City from the former Chronicle Building in Ortigas, Pasig.

In 1995, DZMM won the KBP Golden Dove Awards for the Best AM Radio Station. It was also on the same year when DZMM produced the award-winning Radio Documentary, Ang Kasaysayan ng Radyo sa Pilipinas – the first ever radio special that won three major awards from three celebrated award-giving bodies. The documentary was conferred with the Lorenzo Ruiz award by the CMMA, Best Radio Program Promoting the Culture and the Arts by KBP, and Best Radio Program by the Golden Pearl Award. The documentary tackled the history of Philippine radio as described by veteran radio personalities, including the pioneer members of DZMM.

DZMM once again was declared Best AM Radio Station by the KBP Golden Dove Awards in 1996. On November 5, Jeep ni Erap was formally launched on DZMM. The then vice-president Joseph Estrada himself with ABS-CBN News anchor and reporter Korina Sanchez anchored the program that tackled issues concerning the masses.

Also, in 1996, DZMM became the first AM station in the Philippines to be made available in the World Wide Web with its inclusion in ABS-CBN website. All programs of the stations are broadcast live and can be enjoyed by all Filipinos around the world via The Filipino Channel (TFC).

1996-2000
In 1996, from Himpilan ng Malayang Mamamayan, DZMM, under the leadership of de Castro, then Vice-President for Radio Network Division, was re-launched as DZMM Radyo Patrol 630.

DZMM ranked first among all AM radio stations in 1998. For the fourth year in a row, it won the KBP Golden Dove Award for Best AM Radio Station. In its continuing effort to help our less-fortunate Kapamilyas, DZMM staged the first ever OPLAN MM or Malusog at Malakas na Mamamayan. This event was first held at Sta. Cruz, Manila where 1500 residents were given medical and dental care. On June 11, DZMM aired its centennial special titled, Ang Media at ang Kasarinlan.

On September 14, 1998, ABS-CBN Sky Patrol, the first ever news chopper in the country, was launched. Anchored by Ricky Velasco, Sky Patrol changed the way of delivering and gathering news. ABS-CBN Sky Patrol is the news chopper of DZMM, ABS-CBN and the ABS-CBN News Channel. As of 2016, the Sky Patrol is not used anymore by the network and its sister stations for unknown reasons.

The station's Iwas Dagdag-Bawas and Oplan MM ‘98 campaigns were cited as Outstanding Public Service Messages by the prestigious AdBoard Araw Values Awards 1998, besting more than 100 entries from different advertising companies and broadcast networks.

2000–2009
In 2001, DZMM celebrated its 15th anniversary of broadcasting on-air with its richly deserved tagline, "Una sa Balita, Una sa Public Service" (First in News, First in Public Service). It was also on the same year when the station tapped the power of text messaging with DZMM TxtPatrol (via 2366).

DZMM’s trademark drama theatre aired weekday afternoons, changing the way people perceived radio drama. The drama theatre featured the real life-stories of DZMM anchors like Bro. Jun Banaag, Joey Galvez, Sen. Alfredo Lim, and other personalities. It was also on the same year when Sports Talk was launched. This jam-packed sports-oriented program won CMMA’s Best Sports Program on its first year of airing. Sports Talk was later renamed as Fastbreak since 2014.

In 2005, listeners’ first heard the DZMM theme. It was composed by Jessie Lasaten, with words of Bing Palao, Robert Labayen, and Peter Musngi (now the host of "Teka Muna", consultant of ABS-CBN Sports and the current voiceover of the network), and sung by Reuben Laurente, a former member of the music group The Company.

On February 7, 2006, SikaPinoy was conferred with the Anvil Award of Merit by the celebrated Anvil Awards of the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP).

2011–2012 (25th anniversary logo)
On February 25, 2011, DZMM introduced their tagline Silveradyo, celebrating their 25th anniversary. Takbo Para sa Karunungan (Literacy Run), a fun run succeeding Takbo Para sa Kalikasan, was held at the Quirino Grandstand on March 13, 2011.

A trade event of DZMM was held at One Esplanade at SM Mall of Asia on May 31, 2011.

The new station ID for the station's 25th anniversary was launched on June 12, 2011. Philippine Philarmonic Orchestra, UP Concert Chorus, Erik Santos and Angeline Quinto performed the anthem.

2016 (30th anniversary logo)
In 2016, DZMM 630 celebrated its 30th anniversary on the airwaves since its inception in 1986. The new music video (coinciding with the anniversary) performed by Kapamilya actor and singer Piolo Pascual was launched during the Isang Pamilya Tayo: The ABS-CBN Flag Raising Ceremony held on Philippine Independence Day, June 12, 2016. The music video for the newest station ID was premiered on July 1 following TV Patrol, which the full video of the station ID was aired on ABS-CBN and DZMM TeleRadyo. An audio-only edition of this station ID was also broadcast, but only aired on this station and through its live streaming. The slogan for its 30th anniversary is "Balita, Public Service, Tatlong Dekada".