NU107 still exists … sort of, and in a way

From the Twitter feed of @chillyn_out: Since @nu107 sign off, my car radio has gone thru all active radio frequency in the hopes of finding a potential home. Bomalabs. iPod na to.

It’s been weeks since Manila FM Rock station NU107 signed off, a victim of the realities of the radio business – meaning, if you want to run a business, you must be profitable. For thousands of NU107 listeners, this removes the last remaining reason to listen to the radio.

The programming on the once-hip station has been replaced by something called WIN107 (“Kailangan bang pag-isipian yan?”), of which the less said, the better.

Perhaps due to the big internet send off during the station’s final hours, the idea of NU107 has refused to die (or in the now-immortal words of Francis Reyes, “Nu107 will never fucking die.” Maybe they’re taking our cue, since we did suggest they soldier on online in this blog. A quick look at the electronic alleyways of the online world turns up some interesting artifacts:

1. YouTube is still peppered with videos chronicling the last hour of NU107 Manila, all the way till sign off, and the candlelit vigil held by fans outside the studios.

2. The @NU107 Twitter account still exists, communicating with the faithful.

3. There is still a NU107 Tumblr account, maintained in full-tilt necrophiliac mode, reminiscing about the good ‘ol days.

4. If you monitor the #NU107 hashtag on Twitter, you will still see a steady stream of tweets.

5. The NU107 Facebook page is still alive and kicking.

And then there’s USTREAM.TV, that web-based DIY broadcasting system that allows everyone to broadcast video and audio over the web, and on mobile apps for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, and Android devices.

Now the odd thing about NU107 Manila’s demise is that it’s owner, Progressive Broadcasting, the company that owns the station, has continued to operate NU107 Cebu. And in fact you can continue to listen to that station’s livestream, over the Internet via Ustream.TV.

You can click here to listen to that stream right now.

On their USTREAM page, the channel proudly announces, “Nu107 Cebu is DYNU FM at 107.5 MHz, a loud and proud member of the KBP. Nu107cebu.com on the web. Rocking from Cebu City, Philippines, we are The Home of New Rock, NU107!”

The station maintains its website at http://www.nu107cebu.com and they are up on Facebook as well.
In fact, the station now announces itself as “the Home of New Rock, from Cebu City to the World” thanks to the Internet broadcast. They even announce “We’re Not #1, We’re The Only One” – a sly allusion to their survivor status.

Indeed, NU107 Cebu programming is a dead ringer for NU107 Manila’s old sound. The playlist is decidedly modern rock, and while the DJs are entirely different personalities, the shows are virtually clones of the old NU Manila.

Consider these sample show titles:

• Remote Control Weekend
• Not Radio
• Raw Beginning (their version of In The Raw)

Listening to NU Cebu on the Internet has become an exercise in nostalgia. It’s not hard to imagine the same sound blasting from NU107 Manila 6 months ago.

And as for the now unemployed air staff of the old NU107 Manila, a bunch of them did try to put on a USTREAM show recently. Converging at Francis Reyes’ house, the old rock jocks (some of the younger air staff as well as some veterans) cracked some beers, set up Macs and PCs and a broadband connection, and a collection of Mics, ipods, and CD players and tried to recreate the old magic, broadcasting a faux version of the old station before retiring to play some pool on camera.

This was billed as a “test broadcast” on Twitter, stoking up the hopes of old fans who thought this would be a regular event.

Alas, the test broadcast has turned out to be “just for fun” and it has never happened again. Most likely there will be another party at Francis Reyes’ house one of these days and an announcement on Twitter, people will tune in, and for a few hours NU107 Manila will live again.

Till then, there’s always NU107 Cebu, a loud and proud member of the KBP.