 Logo since 2023 | |
| |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Mega Manila and surrounding areas |
| Frequency | 97.1MHz (HD Radio) |
| RDS | BRGY LS |
| Branding | Barangay LS 97.1 |
| Programming | |
| Language | Filipino |
| Format | Contemporary MOR,OPM |
| Network | Barangay FM |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | GMA Network Inc. |
| History | |
First air date | June 1955; 69 years ago (1955-06) |
Former call signs | DZXX (1955–1975) DWXX (1975–1986) |
Former frequencies | 890 kHz (1955–1972) 1000 kHz (1972–1978) 1026 kHz (1978–1986) |
Call sign meaning | LoretoStewart (wife ofRobert "Uncle Bob" Stewart, founder ofGMA Network) |
| Technical information | |
Licensing authority | NTC |
| Class | C/D/E |
| Power | 25,000watts |
| ERP | 75,000watts |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | www |
DWLS (97.1FM), broadcasting asBarangay LS 97.1, is aradio station owned and operated byGMA Network. It serves as the flagship station of Barangay FM.[1] The station's studio is located at the 3rd floor ofGMA Network Studio Annex, GMA Network Drive corner Samar Street, Diliman,Quezon City, and its transmitter is located atGMA Tower of Power, Charles Conrad Street, Brgy. Culiat, Tandang Sora,Quezon City and 23 Sumulung Highway, Barangay Santa Cruz,Antipolo,Rizal.
Barangay LS is currently held its position as the top FM radio station inMetro Manila, according to the Nielsen Radio Audience Measurement survey conducted in the month of January 2025,[2] and the KBP-Kantar Media Radio Audience Measurement Survey for 1st Quarter of 2025.
The station first aired in June 1955, when "Uncle Bob" Stewart opened DZXX-AM 890 kHz station under the control of the Republic Broadcasting System (RBS). DZXX made history as the first pop music station in the country using the AM format, playing both local and international pop music of that era. In 1972, DZXX temporarily shut down due to Martial Law, later it was revived under the label DZXX/DWXX 1000 (Double X) when Hypersonic Broadcasting Corporation owned this station. In 1978, its frequency changed to 1026 kHz (based on GE75). In 1986,NBC acquired and renamed its station to DZAM-AM.
In July 1976, GMA launched its third radio station97.1 WLS FM, airingadult standards andjazz music. In 1981, at the height of popularity of pop music, it switched toAdult Top 40 format, with the sloganThe Best Music. It was known for playing hourlyBeatles music every weekday early mornings, which was later on adopted by100.3 RJFM. In November 1988, upon the completion of GMA'sTower of Power, WLS earned the brand,The Giant 97.1 WLS FM.
In early 1992, the station was reformatted asCampus Radio 97.1 WLS FM, with aTop 40 format. This was to target teens & early adults. Its notable programs were the longest-running program on the station, the legendary "Top 20 at 12" (anchored by Milo Cavarlez, a.k.a. "The Triggerman," which was first heard on Kiss FM 101.1 (now101.1 Yes FM), where the top 20 songs of the day were counted down in the mold of BBC Radio 1's The Official Chart Show at noontime, and "Campus Aircheck", an institution of sorts for aspiring DJs to get hired by Campus Radio, touted as "the first school on the air".
In 1995, whenMike Enriquez took over GMA's radio operations, Campus Radio was reformatted to a contemporaryMOR format, earning its slogan "Forever!". At this time, a few programs were introduced, notably the Message Center, wherein one's message must not be a greeting, which rivals Pager 106 byKool 106[citation needed]. By 1999, it shifted back to Top 40. During their heyday as an English-language radio station, they used jingles designed for the station byJAM Creative Productions.[3]
On February 14, 2007, Campus Radio rebranded asBarangay LS 97.1, using its old slogan, "Forever!". It reverts to amasa format. Despite Campus Radio's dominant ratings performance in the pop category, GMA's FM radio sales unit failed to sell the format. With consistently low sales figures, this paved the way forMike Enriquez to successfully persuade the network's upper management to agree to shift WLS to a seemingly more profitable "masa" format. Most of the staff were retained, albeit changing their names. Unfortunately, the industry reception is lukewarm and Barangay LS has yet to regain the revenue losses incurred by the shift of advertisers to competing FM stations.[4][5]
On January 16, 2008, at around 6 pmPHT (UTC+08:00), the station launched its new tagline, "Ayos!" (transl. "Okay!"), which is also the tagline for RGMA's provincial Campus Radio stations. That same day, almost all of the staff who were also from the former Campus Radio format, and after years of loyal service toGMA Network, were summarily dismissed byMike Enriquez. Despite rising from #7 to #4 in the ratings, Enriquez deemed them unfit to take the format to the ratings game. In turn, they were replaced unceremoniously by jocks from RGMA provincial radio stations as well as jocks from other masa stations.
On January 17, 2011, facing competition with the latest masa stations, the new tagline "Tugstugan Na!" (transl. "Let's jam!") was launched and the station adopted the "crazy fun" sound brand in the market. Mike Enriquez was replaced by Glenn F. Allona as program director/station manager, aiming Barangay LS to bring back the focus on the staple of FM Programming which is music.
On February 17, 2014, Barangay LS 97.1 was rebranded with reformatted programs, new jingle, a new logo & a new slogan called "Isang Bansa, Isang Barangay" (transl. "One Nation, One Barangay"). Along its reformat, RGMA's FM radio stations carrying the Campus Radio brand (including99.5 RT in Cebu,103.5 Wow FM in Davao andSuper Radyo DYRU 92.9 in Kalibo) adopted the Barangay FM branding. The network rebranding was made to compete with its rival FM radio networkMy Only Radio, owned byABS-CBN Corporation, following the relaunch ofDWRR-FM as MOR's flagship station seven months earlier.[6]
In July 2019, the station readapted its original slogan "Forever!" after it was dropped in 2008.Ken Chan andRita Daniela performed its station's new jingle entitledTayo ay Forever underGMA Music.[7][8]
On March 20, 2020, the station implemented a scaled-down programming operation due to the situation and conditions affecting the radio station's staff caused by theenhanced community quarantine againstCOVID-19. On the same day, the station began its hookup with its sister AM-stationSuper Radyo DZBB 594.
GMA-7 cruises the airwaves through dzBB-AM and dwLS-FM in Manila and in 22 other radio stations throughout the country. In 2007, the company has reformatted its flagship station DWLS-FM as "Barangay LS Forever!"
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