Businessman Antonio “Tonyboy” Cojuangco is looking to break into the crowded but lucrative music radio industry with an established brand catering to listeners from low-income households.
At a press conference earlier this week, Cojuangco said radio station 106.7 Dream FM, which he owns, would be rebranded as “Energy FM.”
Energy FM, operated by Ultrasonic Broadcasting System Inc. (UBS), previously aired on 91.5 FM (frequency modulation).
UBS chairperson Rebecca Ann Sy said Energy FM aimed to maintain its position as one of the top five highest-rated FM stations in the country today, even with the move. Sy added that she considered the transfer a “challenging” move.
“Making Energy FM on Dream 106.7 a really compelling brand and making it grow its business to an even more meaningful market share are a challenge that I will never shy away from,” Sy said.
UBS is owned by the SYSU group of companies, a family-owned conglomerate that distributes imported food products in the country.
Cojuangco, for his part, said he was optimistic of the prospects of his new station, which had earlier catered to the high-income market.
He said that targeting the “D” and “E” market was likely to be more profitable for the company, saying that though individuals in these groups have less to spend, they make up the bulk of the population.
“There are only 15 to 20 big advertisers on FM radio. And most of the products they make are targeted for the lower-income markets,” Cojuangco said.
“They are doing things to market the new station that I never would have thought of doing,” Cojuangco said, referring to the Energy FM team. He declined to disclose details about the deal, saying that revealing too much would put the new venture at a disadvantage against its more established rivals.