Radyo Natin is a community radio network brand. It has more than 100 stations across the country spread from Claveria and Aparri, Cagayan in the northernmost part to Bongao, Tawi-tawi in the south. The network's flagship station is the main feed, also known as Radyo Natin Nationwide, is wholly owned by Radyo Natin Network and operated by its affiliate Manila Broadcasting Company. The network's current studio is located at Production Design Center, Vicente Sotto St., CCP Complex, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City. Unlike stations operated by MBC in terms of local ownership, Radyo Natin enacts as a 'network-community' station owned by the network itself or by different local entities under an entrepreneurship/franchise agreement with the network.
History
On December 16, 1997, Radyo Natin was launched by MBC, replacing the short-lived Community Radio Network. Back then, its original programming consists of DZRH programming on mornings, music on afternoons to early evenings, and the controversial religious program Ang Dating Daan on mid-evenings till sign-off. In mid-2017, most of the Hot FM stations affiliated to the network were switched to the Radyo Natin brand, thus Hot FM was officially dissolved. In turn, Radyo Natin now has over 120 stations. On October 2, 2019, the main studios and satellite uplink facilities of Radyo Natin Nationwide at the MBC Building, CCP Complex in Pasay City, along with its sister MBC radio stations, were affected by a major fire that originated in the nearby Star City theme park. In interim, Radyo Natin currently broadcasts from its backup studios at BSA Twin Towers in Ortigas, while most of their local stations are temporarily suspended its network hookup from its satellite uplink facility and temporarily replaced with local music/fillers programs until further notice.
Composition and network synopsis
Programming
All Radyo Natin stations operate in the FM band. Each of them airs a hometown radio format, with the weekday morning schedule consisting of local programming cleared to each affiliate station from 4:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. and from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., simulcast of Magandang Umaga Pilipinas from DZRH, the flagship AM station of MBC, from 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m., and news/talk programming produced exclusively by Radyo Natin until 8:30 a.m. Weekend mornings and Sunday afternoons until 7:00 p.m. are also cleared in the same format. Network-level afternoon programming is fed to all stations every Monday to Saturday at 1:00 p.m. before going to a two-hour local programming window for stations from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Primetime network shows conclude with Evenings with Dennis and Jay from Mondays to Saturdays and Sunday Buffet: All the Way! on Sundays, until the network feed signs off at 10:00 p.m. By local discretion, stations may air local late-night fare after the network feed by omitting the closing prayer intended for stations closing down at midnight or sign-off altogether by seamlessly playing the local station's sign-off sequence after the feed.
Technology
From its central studios at the MBC Building within the Star City Complex in Pasay, Radyo Natin signals its stations via satellite technology. The stations then broadcast the signals to their respective areas of responsibility. Radyo Natin used to operate two kinds of low-power FM stations. The first one operates with a transmitter power of 500 watts but with an effective radiated power of 1 kilowatt. The other one had much lower power ; these stations were allowed to operate by the NTC with permits issued during the time of Commissioner Rio. However, the same permits were recalled during the time of NTC Commissioner Borje. Currently, most Radyo Natin stations broadcast at 500 watts and 1 kilowatt designated for smaller provinces but few stations broadcast on a full-power 5 kilowatts designated for major market cities.
Proposed TV companion
TV Natin was in the pipeline, originally as part of the Radyo Natin project, but it was never launched. RHTV instead was launched as a separate MBC venture and not even under the division of DZRH. In December 2008, TV Natin changed to DZRH RadyoVision, now DZRH News Television.
These programs are exclusively fed to select stations by the network, fed by a Radyo Natin affiliate to fellow Radyo Natin stations in their area, or fed by a blocktimer to select stations.
Radyo Natin has been awarded as the Best Provincial FM Station in the Philippines for 4 consecutive years on the 21st, 22nd, 23rd and 26th KBP Golden Dove Awards.
