Palawan Broadcasting Corporation

Palawan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC), also known by its call sign DYPR, was the first local radio station to serve the island of Palawan, the Philippines. It was established in 1965, in the capital Puerto Princesa City, by Ramon Oliveros (Ray Oliver) Decolongon.

The station faced many difficulties in its early years. Although Palawan could receive some broadcasts from Manila and neighbouring Visayan islands, radio ownership among the 20,000-strong population was not high. The Tinio Electric Plant provided electricity only from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and to less than half the population. Then, in 1966, Decolongon was killed in a plane crash: his father, Emilio Decolongon, took over as company president.

In September 1972 martial law was declared throughout the Philippines and all broadcasting stations were shut down, but DYPR was able to reopen fairly quickly after making its case as a provider of essential services. The station had become a part of the communications of the island, broadcasting urgent personal messages—known as "Panawagans"—as a free service to the community. As of 2006, radio broadcast languages include Tagalog and Ilocano, and DYPR is affiliated to Radio Mindanao Network, Inc. (RMN).

In 1986, PBC began television broadcasts. It is now also affiliated to ABS-CBN, which provides some television content.

DYPR timeline

*1965 DYPR-AM 765 kHz launched, broadcasting from 1 kW transmitter
*1978 DYPR-AM increased to 5 kW
*1981 DYPR-FM 99.9 MHz launched
*1986 DYPR-TV Channel 7 launched, broadcasting at 20 kW
*1989 DYPR-AM increased to 10 kW
*1991 increased to 100 kW

DYPR TV stations

*TV-7 Puerto Princesa "Cable TV Stations in Palawan:"
*Calamianes Cable Television, Inc.-Coron, Palawan
*Culion CATV Services, Inc.-Culion, Palawan
*Cuyo Cable TV Corporation-Cuyo, Palawan
*Global Destiny Cable-Puerto Princesa
*Palawan Cable Television Corporation-Puerto Princesa
*Puerto Princesa CATV, Inc.-Puerto Princesa
*Roxas Cable Television, Inc.-Roxas, Palawan
*Taytay CATV Service-Taytay, Palawan
*Treasure Cable Television, Inc.-Cuyo, Palawan
*Vinta Cable Services-Brooke's Point, Palawan
*Vinta Cable Services-Narra, Palawan

DYPR Radio Stations:

*DYPR-AM 765 kHz
*DYPR-FM 99.9 MHz (The Beat 99.9 Palawan)

PBC-DYPR-TV Programs

*All ABS-CBN Manila programs
*Oras ng Katotohanan
*TV Patrol Palawan

References

* [http://www.pto-princesa.com/dypr/about.htm DYPR]

Further reading

*en icon [http://www.kbp.org.ph/membersPR.html Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas] Association of Broadcasters of the Philippines