The University of MindanaoBroadcasting Network is a commercial broadcasting company in the Philippines. Founded in 1949 in Davao City, UMBN and its affiliate Mt. Apo Broadcasting System runs AM and FM stations in Mindanao, while its affiliate Ditan Communications run the Visayas FM stations. It has three radio network brands, namely: [|Radyo Ukay], [|Wild FM] and [|Retro]. Its headquarters are located at the UMBN Media Center, C. Bangoy corner Palma Gil Streets, Poblacion, Davao City, while its national marketing offices are located in Makati. UMBN is majority-owned and controlled by the Torres family, which also owns educational institutions, newspaper Mindanao Times, and business hotel and leisure TowerInn.
History
The origins of UMBN can be traced to DXMC, the first radio station in Davao City and the entire Mindanao region. DXMC was founded in 1949 by businessman Atty. Guillermo E. Torres, and was granted a broadcast franchise by the Congress under Republic Act 514. The broadcast franchise was later amended on June 22, 1957 under Republic Act 1832, allowing Torres to establish and operate radio stations in the Philippines. With this, the University of Mindanao Broadcasting Network or UMBN was established on the same year the MC was renamed as the University of Mindanao. DXUM was also launched as its second radio station in Davao. From 1957 to the 1960s, UMBN established several stations within the Mindanao area such as in the Davao areas, Cotabato City, General Santos, Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga City, Iligan, and Bukidnon. In 1972, all UMBN stations were shut down in the midst of the Martial Law, but later resumed its operations lately. In 1975, Torres transferred the ownership of DXUM to Mt. Apo Broadcasting System but maintaining its airtime operations. In 1988, about two years after the "EDSA People Power Revolution", DXMC was transferred to the FM broadcasting frequency and relaunched as DXWT, forming the nucleus of UMBN's FM network known as Wild FM, while DXUM and other AM stations formed the nucleus of the Radyo Ukay network. In the 1990s, UMBN expanded its Wild FM network into the Visayas region with launch of 105.9 Wild FM Cebu in 1994 through airtime lease. This was later transferred to 103.5 MHz in 2000 after Ditan Communications became an affiliate of UMBN. In the 2000s, UMBN rented the airtime of Rajah Broadcasting Network-owned DXDJ and became known as an oldies/classic hits station Hit Radio 100.3. Its programming format would later moved to DXKR 95.5 via airtime lease from ACWS-UBN in 2010. The station later became known as Retro 95.5. On June 16, 2020, its AM stations retired the Radyo Ukay branding after 20 years, as part of enhancement of the stations' news and public affairs programming.
