DWAL
| City | Batangas City |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Batangas |
| Branding | AL-FM 95.9 Radyo Totoo |
| Slogan |
Ang Inyong Evangelization Radio (Your Evangelization Radio) Lakas ng Katotohanan (The Power of Truth) |
| Frequency | 95.9 MHz |
| First air date | mid-2009 |
| Format | news, public affairs/Talk, religious broadcasting |
| Power | 5,000 watts |
| ERP | 10,000 watts |
| Class | C/D/E |
| Callsign meaning |
DW Archdiocese of Lipa |
| Former callsigns | DWAM (1969-2002) |
| Former frequencies | 1080 kHz (1969-2002) |
| Owner | Catholic Media Network/Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lipa |
| Sister stations | 99.1 Spirit FM |
DWAL, operating as AL-FM 95.9 Radyo Totoo, is a news/talk FM station owned by Catholic Media Network and the Archdiocese of Lipa. The station's studio is located at the 2nd floor, Balmes Building, Barangay 7, C. Tirona Street (formerly at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception) Batangas City, Philippines. Its transmitter site is at Barangay Santo Domingo, Batangas City. It operates Mondays-Saturdays from 5:00 am–10:00 pm (Philippine Standard Time), Sundays and special coverage days from 5:00 am–6:30 pm. Exception to the regular broadcast time is every Maundy Thursday to Good Friday when the station operates on simulcast with 99.1 Spirit FM from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm, Black Saturday when it airs on simulcast from 6:00 am to 8:00 am and 5:30 pm to 12:00 midnight, and annually during Misa de Gallo days (December 16–24) from 4:00 am to 6:30 pm.
The station is the first news and talk FM station in the Philippines owned and operated by the Catholic church and it is similar to the country's first news and talk station on FM band Radyo5 92.3 News FM Manila owned and operated by TV5 which debuted November 2010.
History
Overview
DWAL is a station that brings news, information and evangelization. Pioneer personalities of the FM station were Fr. Nonie Dolor, Lita Aguila-Bicol and Renzo Luna (Renz Belda, also a reporter for DZRH). More personalities added up through the years up to the present. DWAL-FM carries the slogan Evangelization Radio. Father Ildefonso Dimaano served as its pioneer station manager, starting from its launch in 2009. Fr. Nonie Dolor replaced him until April 2016. His position was succeeded by Fr. Jayson Alcaraz
Marcos to Estrada presidencies
DWAL-FM traces its roots from the old, but now-defunct DWAM-AM 1080 kHz in 1969, with Calero Road, Batangas City as its first studios. However, with the declaration of Martial Law on September 21, 1972 under Ferdinand Marcos, the station was closed under strict censorship imposed by him. After complying with the papers needed for resumption of broadcasts, DWAM-AM returned on air by October that same year.
DWAM 1080, through the years, provided listeners with religious broadcasting, news, music and oftentimes, drama.
In the '90s, influx of population and development of the city was on the move, but the potent of AM stations started to dwindle as FM stations like GV 99.9 and Bay Radio (now Brigada News FM) started to air in the city. However, DWAM never stopped bringing what it had brought from the start. In 1999, 99.1 Spirit FM was born to cater the younger generation with music.
2002; DWAM-AM 1080 ceases operations, revival in the works
Due to the antiquity of the facilities of the AM station, DWAM-AM ceased operations in mid-2002. Efforts of establishing another one took years. The first permit of operations expired in 2004 before full supply of materials was commenced. It was in this time also that two choices were decided, whether to revive the station in the same frequency band or to migrate to an FM frequency as an "AM on FM format".
2009 to present; DWAL-FM
In mid-2009, a new station on the frequency of 95.9 MHz started to air, later to be unveiled as ALFM 95.9 Radyo Totoo with its first slogan Makipanalig, Makiugnay at Makidasal. It was only in 2010 that DWAL-FM carried the Evangelization Radio tagline.
Training journalists of tomorrow
Since 2010, ALFM has been a training ground for students taking up Mass Communications, AB Communications and Journalism in their pursuit for work in the media industry after graduation. These OJTs work as news gatherers and field reporters during their tenure.
Transfer of facility
On May 21, 2015, ALFM and Spirit FM went off-air to give way to its transfer from Basilica Site to its new broadcast complex at C. Tirona Street. It returned broadcasting on May 25.
Cable carriage
For the 2016 Philippine local and national elections, the station's online streaming was simulcast over the Batangas provincial arm of the MyCATV cable system after a deal was struck by the management. Currently, the news-talk programs of the station are being broadcast over MyCATV Channel 8 as a blocktimed TeleRadyo format, while negotiations for a permanent contract are still underway.