 Logo of MOR Entertainment since February 14, 2021 | |
| Type | Broadcastradio network (July 16, 1989–August 28, 2020) New media network (since September 14, 2020) |
|---|---|
| Country | |
Broadcast area | Worldwide (online) |
| Headquarters | ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center, Sgt. Esguerra Avenue corner Mother Ignacia Street, Diliman,Quezon City |
| Motto | e-Click Mo Na 'Yan! (transl. Click that!) |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | VariousFilipino dialects English |
| Format | Contemporary MOR,OPM,P-pop (audio streaming) Relationships, showbiz, travel, lifestyle (Facebook/Kumu/Spotify/YouTube) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | ABS-CBN Corporation |
| MyxRadio(viaABS-CBN Radio Service) | |
| History | |
| Founded | July 16, 1989; 35 years ago (1989-07-16) |
| Launch date |
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| Closed |
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Former names |
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| Coverage | |
| Availability |
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| Links | |
| Webcast |
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| Website | mor.abs-cbn.com |
MOR Entertainment is anew mediaradio service owned and operated byABS-CBN Corporation.
MOR started in 2001 as the FM brand ofABS-CBN Regional and terrestrially operated 15radio stations in thePhilippines. As a broadcast radio network, MOR stations playedcontemporary MOR andOPM, as well asradio drama,talk content andnews (viaTV Patrol Regional; available on selected stations).
Since the forcedshutdown of ABS-CBN brought about by the congressional denial of its franchise, MOR resurfaced as anonline radio station since September 14, 2020. MOR currently broadcasts viaFacebook,Kumu,Spotify,iWantTFC,ABS-CBN Radio Service, Alto, and Malaysian based radio appSyok.
At 6:00 am on July 16, 1989, ABS-CBN's Manila FM station,DWRR 101.9, changed format to an easy-listening station known as101.9 Radio Romance. It played easy-listening love songs except for a Sunday OPM program. At first all of the DJs were female, includingAmy Perez.Radio Romance became the first FM station to implement the technological innovation ofplaylists originating fromcompact discs.
On August 1, 1989, signaled the station's first nationwide reach whenDZRR 103.1 in Baguio became the relay outlet of DWRR 101.9 in Manila, ensuring uninterrupted listening for travelers from Manila to as far north as Ilocos Sur. It was followed byDYLS 97.1 Cebu on January 20, 1992, andDXRR 101.1 Davao on January 25, 1992, which also served as relay outlets of DWRR. In the early 1990s, it began simulcasting via satellite across the country and became known asRadio Romance: Nationwide.
On July 14, 1993,DXEC 91.9 Cagayan de Oro commenced broadcast asThe Great EC 91.9 STAR Radio, with its studios then-located at nearby Limketkai Center. This was the first ABS-CBN regional station to use the "Star Radio" banner, as well as the first to air in a mass-based format.
In 1995, ABS-CBN started launching its new stations across the country and branded them asABS-CBN STAR Radio with its taglineThe Heart of the City. Those newly launched stations were DWEL 95.5 MHz Laoag, DWEC 94.3 Dagupan (known asABS-CBN STAR Radio Northern Luzon with DZRR as its relay outlet),[1]DWRD 93.9 Legazpi, DWAC 93.5 Naga, DYMC 91.1 Iloilo, DYOO 101.5 Bacolod,DYTC 94.3 Tacloban, DXRR 101.1 Davao (from a relay satellite station underRadio Romance branding), DXBC 92.7 General Santos and DXFH 98.7 Zamboanga. It became the first branding of ABS-CBN's regional FM network until 1997.
On March 1, 1997, under the formation ofRegional Network Group (RNG), all ABS-CBN's FM stations were rebranded toABS-CBN Radio which served to help avoid brand confusion with the rivalStar FM, owned byBombo Radyo. The slogan "The Heart of the City" of "ABS-CBN STAR Radio" was still used. ProStar was a branding of selected ABS-CBN regional FM stations outside Manila.
On February 8, 1999, ABS-CBN dropped the wordRadio and added the sloganFor Life!.
On July 14, 2001,ABS-CBN For Life! was changed toMOR that was first launched in Cagayan de Oro. The network's brand name was coined by Malvern Esparcia (Bernie Bitokbitok/Tita B), which, aside from its meaning as My Only Radio, is meant to be a shorter designation to the province ofMisamis Oriental, where Cagayan de Oro is based. It saw another rebrand of ABS-CBN's provincial FM stations to the MOR name. Numerous format changes occurred among its stations with similar program titles applied across provincial areas on July 15, 2001. The MOR brand would not enter the Metro Manila market until 2013, when long-time independent DWRR-FM rebranded as the network's flagship station and effectively made MOR a truly national brand.
On January 17, 2011, ABS-CBN launched a new station inPalawan for MOR, on 99.9, this came after 30 years of broadcasting as DYPR. MOR Palawan also had its shared station atSofronio Española,MOR 99.7 (now Radyo Bandera 99.7), that was launched in 2011 and ceased operations in 2017.
In a press conference held at theABS-CBN Compound on June 1, 2018, coinciding the Manila station's ratings leadership and its announcement of this year's Pinoy Music Awards set on July 21, the Manila Radio and Regional divisions agreed to relaunch MOR asMOR Philippines. Under its relaunched brand, the network would connect Manila and its provincial stations with unified program brands and strong music choices; thus, the new tagline "One Vibe, One Sound."[2] The MOR Philippines relaunch began on August 11.
On June 1, 2019, MOR stations in Manila, Cebu, and Baguio expanded its video streaming platform as exclusive channels to cable TV subscription serviceSky Cable in their respective cities.
On around 1st quarter of 2020, due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, MOR regional stations temporarily cease its round-the-clock operations with its limited broadcast hours, 5:00 am to 12:00 midnight.
Despite its unified branding, programming among stations were handled separately between Manila and Regional stations. The network's Manila station was jointly managed by ABS-CBN'sManila Radio division, which operated then AM flagship stationDZMM Radyo Patrol 630, and theStar Creatives group; MOR Regional's programming, meanwhile, were supplied under management of the company'sRegional Network Group division.
MOR Philippines began its presence on August 11, 2018, with the launching of MOR Regional's weekend programs Dyis is It and MOR Presents, which began its Manila debut on the next day. Other adjustments were done to unify MOR's branding across all its stations with plans to create more national programs for the network; such plans were folded after the 2020 shutdown of ABS-CBN's terrestrial media assets.
MOR Philippines also airedPantawid ng Pag-ibig: At Home Together Concert on March 22, 2020. The concert was aimed to help the people who were in need because of the Enhanced Community Quarantine.
On May 5, 2020, due to thecease and desist order issued byNational Telecommunications Commission, all MOR stations suspended their broadcasting activities, together withABS-CBN,S+A, andRadyo Patrol after itslegislative franchise expired on May 4 with the simulcast ofTV Patrol (regarding to its parent network shutdown) as its final programming.[3]
On July 15, 2020, ABS-CBN announced the painful pronouncement to its employees that the company would go into retrenchment on August 31, laying-off many of its employees after its new franchise was denied by theHouse of Representatives on July 10, 2020.[4] The following day in an episode ofFailon Ngayon saTeleRadyo, MOR Manila DJ Czarina Marie Guevara (known by her monicker, DJ Chacha), host of Dear MOR and formerly Heartbeats, confirmed that MOR Philippines would fold on the said retrenchment date.[5][6]
Instead of August 31, 2020, MOR Philippines ended its operations on the evening of August 28, 2020, together withABS-CBN Regional's 12 localTV Patrol and 10 localmorning shows.[7][8][9][10][11][excessive citations]
On September 14, 2020, selected DJs from the defunct MOR Philippines, including those from Manila, were rehired by ABS-CBN to main the new phase of MOR as a digital broadcast entity, mirroring its network's flagship ABS-CBN (Kapamilya Channel) andTeleRadyo's digital pivot, and focusing on consolidated programming content over playing music like before as a terrestrial network (partly owing to Facebook's copyright restrictions on playing music, the new MOR focuses more on playing songs produced in-house by ABS-CBN's Star Music). Select programs resurfaced under the new setup, but with multiple hosts depending on the region where the rehired jocks are from. Consequently, hosts from Visayas and Mindanao are required to use Tagalog as theirlingua franca for their respectiveMORe sa Umaga and severalDear MOR daily broadcasts.
Also, as part of the consolidation, programs formerly exclusive to MOR Manila (except for the flagshipDear MOR, which was renamedDear MOR Presents: Dear Popoy and is now broadcast across all MOR Facebook pages and MOR TV on Kumu) were adopted by the regional MOR pages as well, such asOnsehan Na! (formerlyReady Get MORe: Level Up!) andSLR: Sex, Love and Relationships.
On February 14, 2021, ABS-CBN relaunched the service asMOR Entertainment with its programming being available onFacebook,Kumu,Spotify,YouTube andiWantTFC. It also streams live on iWantTFC, ABS-CBN Radio Service, Alto and Malaysian based appSyok.[12][13]
Before its forced shutdown on free-to-air FM radio, MOR broadcast through the following stations:
| Branding | Callsign | Frequency | Power (kW) | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOR 101.9 My Number One and Only Radio For Life! Manila[1] | DWRR-FM | 101.9 MHz | 22.5 kW | Mega Manila |
| MOR 95.5 My Only Radio Ditoy Latta! Laoag | DWEL-FM | 95.5 MHz | 5 kW | Laoag |
| MOR 94.3 My Only Radio Araratan! Dagupan[2] | DWEC-FM | 94.3 MHz | 10 kW | Dagupan |
| MOR 103.1 My Only Radio Dayta Ah! Baguio[3][4] | DZRR-FM | 103.1 MHz | 5 kW | Baguio |
| MOR 91.3 My Only Radio For Life! Isabela[5] | DWBA-FM | 91.3 MHz | 5 kW | Santiago,Isabela |
| MOR 99.7 My Only Radio For Life! Española[6][7] | DYEA-FM | 99.7 MHz | 5 kW | Sofronio Española,Palawan |
| MOR 99.9 My Only Radio Sikat! Puerto Princesa | DYCU-FM | 99.9 MHz | 5 kW | Puerto Princesa,Palawan |
| MOR 93.5 My Only Radio Yan ang MORe! Naga | DWAC-FM | 93.5 MHz | 10 kW | Naga, Camarines Sur |
| MOR 93.9 My Only Radio Pirmi Na! Legazpi | DWRD-FM | 93.9 MHz | 5 kW | Legazpi, Albay |
| MOR 91.1 My Only Radio Abaw Pwerte! Iloilo[8] | DYMC-FM | 91.1 MHz | 10 kW | Iloilo City |
| MOR 101.5 My Only Radio Sikat! Bacolod | DYOO-FM | 101.5 MHz | 10 kW | Bacolod |
| MOR 97.1 My Only Radio Lupig Sila! Cebu | DYLS-FM | 97.1 MHz | 20 kW | Metro Cebu |
| MOR 94.3 My Only Radio Sikat! Tacloban | DYTC-FM | 94.3 MHz | 10 kW | Tacloban |
| MOR 91.9 My Only Radio Chuy Kay' Bai! Cagayan de Oro[9] | DXEC-FM | 91.9 MHz | 10 kW | Cagayan de Oro |
| MOR 101.1 My Only Radio OK Kaayo! Davao[10] | DXRR-FM | 101.1 MHz | 10 kW | Metro Davao |
| MOR 92.7 My Only Radio For Life! General Santos | DXBC-FM | 92.7 MHz | 10 kW | General Santos |
| MOR 95.1 My Only Radio For Life! Cotabato | DXPS-FM | 95.1 MHz | 10 kW | Cotabato City |
| MOR 98.7 My Only Radio Nah Ese Vale! Zamboanga | DXFH-FM | 98.7 MHz | 10 kW | Zamboanga City |
Note:
The first theme music was recorded in English byAnna Fegi in 2001.[14] In 2007, in line with its 6th anniversary, a new jingle was launched with a pop-rock arrangement entitled "Ang Gusto Ko, MOR" performed by Emman Abatayo ofPinoy Dream Academy. The original jingle was revived in early 2011 and performed by various artists includingErik Santos andAiza Seguerra.
On July 7, 2013, together with the rebranding of MOR as a national brand, the theme was given a refresh and its music video was launched onASAP 18, also performed by various artists.[15] The original version of the refreshed jingle was recorded in both Filipino and English byToni Gonzaga-Soriano,Vice Ganda, andDaniel Padilla, and was adopted by all MOR stations. Portions of the jingle contain elements from DWRR-FM's first For Life jingle for its first verse with altered lyrics (representing the iconic status of the once-independent Manila station) and the pre-2013 MOR jingle.[16] The jingle was used until August 7, 2016, in favor of a romance-themed version recorded byNow United memberBailey May andYlona Garcia.[17] The 2nd version was used extensively on the Manila station from the day after, while provincial stations only adopted it on an occasional basis, as the ABS-CBN Regional group received its own set of jingles produced by Dennis Ba-ang (popularly known on-air as David Bang from MOR Cagayan de Oro). The management, however, reverted its primary jingle to the original 2013 version by June 4, 2017; with the newer rendition being used only as an alternate until it was retired weeks later.
On July 21, 2018, with the upcoming relaunch as MOR Philippines, a new network jingle was introduced during its Pinoy Music Awards, combining the 2013 jingle with David Bang's MOR regional stingers. Its new jingle was launched at noon of September 24, 2018. Toni, Vice, and Daniel were reintroduced to sing the revamped jingle. Two sub-versions were recorded in the 2018 refresh. One version omits the "For Life" phrase used by the Manila station to allow usage for MOR Regional stations where its respective cities provide a distinct local slogan among stations.[18] This jingle is also used by MOR Entertainment.
