On April 15, the FM station Wave 89.1 posted a heartfelt message of farewell and gratitude to its listeners, former DJs, managers, guests, and crew on its official Facebook page.
“We want to thank everyone for all the love and support over the years. What a wild ride it has been, Manila. While our heart is being pinched we wanna officially announce that Wave 89.1 has made its final broadcast.” The station wrote.
The since-deleted Facebook post garnered over 20K reactions and about 3K comments from listeners who shared their personal encounters with Wave 89.1, testifying how the station and its music made their childhood, brightened their gloomy days, accompanied them through late-night drives, and introduced them to an array of song genres.
One Facebook user credited the station as a game-changer in Philippine FM, expressing gratitude for its influence, saying, “This station solidified my love for hiphop and RnB during my late teens when Spotify, Youtube and even music on mobile phones still weren’t a thing. Y’all indeed a game changer on PH FM. Wave 891 It’s been good!”
Angelo G, an audio specialist and a DJ shared his sadness for the station’s retirement. Yet he did not fail to express his utter love and gratefulness for the station that helped him start his career.
“Thank you Wave for kickstarting my DJ and broadcasting career and to you, the thousands of loyal listeners, who made us smile each and every night. Maraming salamat talaga sa lahat ng memories na pinagsamahan natin dahil sayo. [Thank you so much for all the memories we’ve created because of you] Stay Moist,” he wrote.
Some of the previous guests like Fatima Loo, a vocalist, featured a snap of them in the station. She shared in the comment section how she went from a listener of Wave 89.1 to being a performer herself on the station. She added that Wave 89.1 acknowledged their music and supported their performance, and thus it holds a space in her heart.
At the end of the post, the station wrote, “WAVE 89.1, never forget. Peace!”
Wave 89.1 began airing in 2001 with their selection of easy listening and R&B tracks, but has since concentrated on airing urban contemporary playlists. In the early 2000s, the station became a springboard for the careers of some of our beloved OPM favorites, such as MYMP, Kyla, Thor, Paolo Santos, and the Philippines’ Soul Siren, Nina. It also gave popularity to some of the most renowned R&B playlists that have grown its own fan base, such as Six O’ Slow, The Quiet Storm, and the revered Dreamsounds series. The station was also originally home to Joe D’ Mango’s Lovenotes, and for a period of time had Joe D’ Mango himself as the station manager. Over the years, it housed some of the most renowned voice talents in the Philippine broadcasting and events scene, such as Erik Mana, Lindy Pellicer (who happens to be Inka Magnaye’s mom), Jada Pangan, Anne Asis, Ryan Armamento (Sun Valley Crew), Flava Matikz, and Dannieboi.
Prior to becoming Wave 89.1, the frequency originally broadcasted DMZ 89.1, or the Dance Music Zone station, which aired Dance and Hip Hop mixes.
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