Very recently, WhenInManila.com ventured into another medium. Last week, When In Manila Nights was launched and now you can hear in our new home on the airwaves, V81 Radio!
V81 Radio is an online radio station that streams OPM hits all over the world! They aim to “act as a bridge between the global Pinoy and their homeland.”
How it all began
Pinoy music is something very distinct and dear to every Filipino’s heart. Wherever you are in the world, you always come back to wanting to hear the OPM hits you grew up with and sang karaoke too. Not only is this type of music good and familiar, it also invokes feelings of home, comfort, and nostalgia for those now living in different parts of the globe, away from the local music scene.
Seeing a market in these overseas Pinoys who’d take comfort in an accessible station which caters to Filipino music sensibilities and hoping to spread the glory of Pinoy music to more parts of the world, former radio DJ Rally Vargas dreamed of an online OPM Radio Station. After meeting Aine Ong through a common friend, the two decided to make the dream into reality. Thus: V81 Radio.
V81 Radio is a Filipino internet radio station in the Philippines and in the USA. We are reaching out to connect Filipinos across the globe through music and news.
V81 was conceptualized by a group of professionals from the radio broadcasting industry out of their desire to form a venue for the global Pinoy to share their innate passion for music. Focusing mainly on OPM, V81 Radio aims to provide Pinoy expats their regular dose of homegrown hits and to keep them updated with the Filipino music scene via entertainment news.
Meet the the V81 Radio founders
Rally Vargas and Aine Ong are the forces behind V81 Radio. Their goal is for V81 Radio to be the mainstream name in Internet radio for Pinoys worldwide.
Rally Vargas started in the radio industry in 2000. He stopped for a while in 2012, and formed Transource Media (TSM), a multimedia company. TSM is based in the Philippines but provides clients around the world with multimedia production and business support through digital services. Website: https://transourcemedia.com/Â
He moved to the US in 2013. He made TSM flourish, but always thought of going back to radio, as it’s his passion. He soon realized that mediums that play OPM were scarce in the US, and considered how he could build an enterprise that could give back to the community.
Aine graduated from Enderun Colleges in 2013 with a Major in Culinary Arts. She went soul searching, traveling all over the US and the Philippines for a few years, then decided to move to the States. In that time, she realized that while cooking is a passion, it wasn’t really a career path for her. Nevertheless, she still enjoys cooking for gatherings.
Since she grew up in a Chinese family, she has always been business-minded. She draws everyday inspiration from her late grandfather, Albert Ong, who introduced her to entrepreneurship at an early age.
The current show lineup
The station plays OPM hits Mondays to Fridays and foreign hits throughout the weekend. Various radio programs with topics ranging from news, travel, and even comedic chit chat!
And of course, When In Manila Nights on Saturdays at 8-9 pm!
The people behind V81 Radio
V81 Radio would be nothing without the people behind the scenes who bring the music to Pinoys all over the world. The crew consists of:
- Jet Jason, the Program director, who has been in the broadcasting field since 1998
- Camille Rodriguez, Rally’s executive assistant and V81 Radio’s Operations Coordinator
- Mary Quilang, Aine’s as her executive assistant and V81 Radio’s Marketing Coordinator
- Blessy Beldia, V81 Radio’s Administrative Assistant
- Mariel Constantino, Â V81 Radio’s Sales and Event manager
- Kristina Mongcal, V81 Radio’s Accounting head
- DJs Patrick & Eunice Rogando and DJ Stanley Chong of Krunchy Patatas
So, what are you waiting for? Give v81 Radio a listen!
You can tune in on v81Radio.com or watch on Facebook: V81 Radio. You can also download the v81 Radio app for free on iTunes and the Google Play store.
