Mareco Broadcasting Network, Inc. is a radio network in the Philippines. Mareco stands for Mabuhay Records Corporation as its parent company also owns Villar Records and Mabuhay Records. Its headquarters is located at #6 Tirad Pass Street, Sta. Mesa Heights, Quezon City. Aside from owning stations, Mareco also provides management and marketing consultancy for various radio companies in the country.[1][2][3][4]
Manuel P. Villar Sr., owner of Mareco Broadcasting Network, Inc.,[5][6]
The Villar clan, which pioneered the country's recording business in 1950 through Mareco, opened two AM radio stations: DZBM 740 in 1963, and DZLM 1430. The group acquired an FM radio station in 1971. Upon the declaration of nationwide martial law in 1972, a decree was issued ordering a broadcast company to operate an AM and an FM station in each area. As a result, DZBM was kept,[9][10] while DZLM was transferred to FM, later called DWLM 105.1.[11] The family eventually focused on broadcast operations when they stopped recording business in the late 1970s.[12]
These radio stations mostly played foreign records yet a local recording once daily,[13] all requested by the listeners in early years.[14] DZBM had the magazine-type format until the management later adopted the one with different announcing style, the first AM station to reformat into such; thus becoming the top-rated pop station[5] for at least five to six years. Among those DJs at that time were the late Angelo Castro and Howard Medina, now with DZBB-AM.[15] Villar Records, then country's leading biggest record company[5] and the licensee of foreign labels including RCA, Columbia and Motown, once promoted its star balladeer to play alongside foreign pop stars on that station.[13] DZBM's frequency was moved to 774 kHz by 1978.[9]
In early 1990s, DWBM-FM and DWOO-AM (successors of DWLM-FM and DZBM-AM, respectively), along with Citylite 88.3 Metro Manila and its partner, DYBW-FM 89.1 Cebu City, became CNN radio affiliates, relaying international news reported by the outlet.[16]
In May 1993, MBNI, owned by Palma and Villar group of companies at that time, relaunched DWOO-AM as news radio station.[17][18]
In 1994, Luis Villar sold the shares to his children; the FM station went to his son, Louie, who introduced Crossover stations since then.[12] The Villars later explained that the name describes its format: a combination of jazz, Latin, R&B and pop music. Four additional stations were later established nationwide.[19]
On the other hand, the AM station, as DWAT, went to the Palmas and later brought by businessman Lucio Tan, while its franchise was still being held by the MBNI. The transfer to the latter was the subject of a dispute when the Villar family filed a court case against Tan,[20] which caused the delay of station's scheduled official broadcast as DWWW 774 in October 1996, under new management.[20][21] The station is currently operated by Interactive Broadcast Media.[22]
On August 8, 2019, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11367 to the renewed Mareco Broadcasting Network, Inc., An act renewing for another Twenty-five (25) years the franchise granted to MBNI a franchise to construct, maintain and operate radio broadcasting and television stations in the Philippines.[23]
On December 30, 2019, Horizon of the Sun Communications (producer of Chinese Filipino oriented shows Chinatown TV and Chinese News TV on IBC 13) took over the station's operations. The Q Radio branding was launched on January 13, 2020. Meanwhile, its provincial stations started carrying the said brand on November 16, 2020.
On July 1, 2023, Q Radio permanently went off-air due to financial problems. A few days prior, Brigada Mass Media Corporation signed an agreement with Mareco, in which it will lease the stations, except for the Bacolod station, whose operations were taken over by RYU Group of Companies.[24][25][26]
Crossover (presently known as Crossover Radio Online) was a smooth jazz/adult contemporary radio brand of Mareco Broadcasting Network. It began its broadcast on terrestrial in 1994, and officially migrated to digital-only via internet radio on December 30, 2019.
Much like its previous broadcast on FM, it still carries the same programming and international news bulletins from BBC World Service and Voice of America. As of 2025, the online radio staion is inactive.
In the early 1990s, Mareco underwent several changes in management and programming, which also involves relaunching in 1991 of 105.1 Manila as DWBM-FM, until the launch of Crossover network through that station in (June) 1994.[12][3]
The network was later expanded with the establishment of four additional stations:[19] in Bacolod (99.1 FM, in February 1997), Cebu City (93.1 FM, in September of the same year; later moved to 90.7 FM), Davao City (93.1 FM, in June 1999), and Baguio (105.1 FM, in 2000) which is a relay.[3]
On December 30, 2019, Crossover began its transition into a digital-only internet station, as Mareco began to lease airtime of its FM stations to third-party companies.
Its format being described by the station's name, a combination of variety of music including jazz and R&B music,[3][19] as well as its affiliation with BBC World Service,[28] continue to this day. The station, pre-transition, was the country's first CNN radio affiliate.[3][28]
Currently, Crossover Radio Online also broadcasts via live streaming on its mobile application available on iOS and Android.[29][30]
