This story was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. VI, No. 6, March 12-18, 2006

Critical Radio Show Now Off the Air,
Listeners Try to Bring It Back

Two days before it was supposed to celebrate its fifth anniversary, a radio program was suspended “until further notice.” At first glance, it would appear to be no big deal since radio programs tend to come and go. What makes this particular case interesting is that the suspension happened last Feb. 24, the day that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed Proclamation No. 1017.

BY RAYMUND VILLANUEVA
Contributed to Bulatlat

Two days before it was supposed to celebrate its fifth anniversary, a radio program was suspended “until further notice.”

At first glance, it would appear to be no big deal since radio programs tend to come and go. What makes this particular case interesting is that the suspension happened last Feb. 24, the day that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed Proclamation No. 1017, which declared the country as being in a state of national emergency.

Was it just a coincidence? Is it valid to conclude that Ngayon Na, Bayan! which used to air from Monday to Friday, 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on DZRJ (810 khz AM station) was the first “media casualty” of Arroyo’s state of national emergency?

Product of EDSA Dos

Produced by Kodao Productions, Inc., Ngayon Na, Bayan! is considered a product of the people’s uprising in 2001 popularly called EDSA Dos. DZRJ-AM station owner Ramon Jacinto who also called for the ouster of then President Joseph Estrada at that time offered a timeslot to party-list group Bayan Muna which in turn asked Kodao Productions, Inc. to produce the program. On Feb. 26, 2001, Ngayon Na, Bayan! aired its first broadcast.

It was logical for DZRJ, also known as Radyo Bandido, to accommodate pro-people thinking given that the radio station openly called for the ouster of two Presidents, the late Ferdinand Marcos in 1986 and Joseph Estrada in 2001. In fact, during the 1986 people’s uprising, Jacinto allowed the use of DZRJ’s facilities to allow broadcaster June Keithley to continue broadcasting when the Marcos administration succeeded in shutting down Radyo Veritas.

The program is hosted by veteran broadcaster Sonia Capio. With me as co-hosts of Ngayon Na, Bayan! are human rights worker Benjie Oliveros, former College Editors’ Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) president Ruth Cervantes, activist priest Fr. Joe Dizon and University of the Philippines (UP) professor Danilo Araña Arao. Aside from our own set of reporters, we also maintain a team of regional and sectoral correspondents and it is the only program in its station that could field reporters especially during nationally-coordinated events.

Popular and awarded

According to a survey in 2002, Ngayon Na, Bayan! was among the top five most listened-to radio programs on its time slot despite DZRJ-AM having only a 10,000-kHz transmitter. The show’s popularity has reached a point where its listeners were organized into the Ngayon Na, Bayan! Crusaders for Good Government.

Ngayon Na, Bayan! was adjudged Best Public Affairs Radio Program in Metro Manila by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP or Philippine Broadcasters Association) 2002 Golden Dove Awards. It was a consistent finalist in the Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA) from 2001 to 2005. It fact, it is the only awarded radio show on DZRJ.

The radio program analyzes issues and concerns by engaging its listeners in an open discussion. While there were several like-minded listeners, we the hosts also had our share of threatening text messages and hysterical phone calls. Through the years, we acknowledged the differences in opinion of the program’s callers and texters.

Ngayon Na, Bayan! also does village tours where we would air our episode in a specific village and interview the residents about their plight. The objective of the village project which began on July 21, 2001 is to know first-hand the realities in the communities and to provide a venue for the discussion of the residents’ concerns.

Email and text barrage

The suspension came as a surprise and those who believe in the radio program have taken it upon themselves to call for the resumption of its broadcast. Since the suspension last Feb. 24, listeners have sent e-mail and text messages urging people to call the DZRJ office (895-4546 or 897-8374) and ask what ever happened to its only award-winning radio program.

Perhaps a people power of sorts is needed to bring Ngayon Na, Bayan! back on the air. The only question is if the management of DZRJ will heed this call. Bulatlat

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