WXB 102 - History

History

Nicknamed "The Station That Dares To Be Different", DWXB-FM was the first all-New Wave music radio station in the Philippines. Broadcasting at 102.7 MHz (initially at 102.5 MHz) on the FM dial and from inside a house in Pasay City, Philippines, DWXB-FM, also referred to as WXB-102, acquired legendary status since it vanished from the airwaves on June 9, 1987. DWXB-FM targeted the youth demographic, bringing New Wave music to the Philippine mainstream and inspiring regional rock artists such as The Dawn, Identity Crisis, and Violent Playground, all of whom were championed by the station at a time when guitar-based OPM was ignored by the other local outlets with the exception of a weekly show on DZRJ-AM in the early 1980s.

Prior to switching to New Wave, the DWXB-FM management flirted with disco in the late 1970s and then adopted the American Top Forty format in 1982, dubbing itself as Cute 102. By 1983, WXB 102 started including New Wave acts from the UK into the Top Forty mix, due to the influence of the late DJ Mark Fournier and his Uncle Eric y. In 1984, New Wave began erupting in Manila's dance clubs thanks to the city's mobile discos, who often spun records imported from Europe, and the proliferation of New Wave music videos on Philippine TV. WXB 102 gradually evolved into a New Wave radio station with the Fournier; The Unbeatable, the alias of Dave Ryan; and Rico Severino, known as J.J. Michaels. WXB 102 briefly competed with another New Wave and disco radio station in Manila, DZBM-FM 105.1 MHz (now DWBM-FM 105.1) which then dubbed as Power 105 BM FM (now 105.1 Crossover) in 1985.

It was only in 1986 when the station went full-blown "new music" in format with the line-up of The Morning Man or Inggo & his Request Round-Up at sign-on; Cool Carla; Julius Caesar; George Frederick, who was also the Program Director; Fat Albert & his program Rock Wave; and The Ghost. Later, Allan K joined the staff deejays after an on-air search. A pair of blocktime shows that caught the youth market by the neck back then were Radio Manila and Capital Radio, specializing in local underground punk scene and U.K. and U.S. imports that characterized a harsher or more avant-garde side to alternative music. At this point, "The Station That Dares to be Different" became station's the official slogan.

Despite its relatively low power of roughly 1 kilowatt, WXB 102 developed a huge following in places where its signal could be picked up.

In 1986, WXB 102 was the Philippines' most influential music station, its popularity putting pressure on regional labels to belatedly release the entire discographies of several new wave artists. On the surface, their New Wave format could be compared to overseas stations like KROQ-FM and CFNY-FM, but WXB 102 probed the genre for deeper cuts and more obscure acts, giving massive exposure to little-known or forgotten New Wave artists from the UK. WXB 102, with the New Wave market to itself and surprising Top Ten ratings, concentrated on pleasing its followers instead of playing to the masses.

By 1987, while the New Wave era was sadly and mistakenly pronounced dead in America, the genre hadn't even reached its peak in Manila. Albums once unavailable were continuing to be licensed to Philippine labels, a lot of it being credited to WXB 102. However, 1987 would be WXB 102's final year. The new Corazon C. Aquino-led government began sequestering properties owned by her predecessor Ferdinand Marcos and his cronies, including the home studio that WXB FM beamed from.

On June 9, 1987, despite attempts to keep it on the air, WXB 102 signed-off the air in Manila.