Cyberspace, Dec. 9, 1998 - PhilMusic Radio made history
last October 13, by becoming the first Filipino radio station
originating from the United States to broadcast LIVE on the World
Wide Web. The radio station is owned by PhilRadio International
and is broadcasting from the WTRR radio station in Orlando,
Florida. The live broadcast is hosted by Kathy Llamas and runs
from 8:00 PM to 10:00PM daily (Monday to Friday) Eastern Standard
Time.
Kathy, with 16 years of radio broadcasting tucked under her belt, came up with this brainchild, which she does in an informal, relaxed mix of English and Tagalog. People within the continental United States get to chat on the air with Kathy via a 1-800 number while those from outside the USA send their requests and dedications via e-mail for Kathy to read diligently during the show.
To listen to her show via the Internet, you will need a RealAudio player, a free plugin program that your web browser will activate as soon as you click on PhilMusic Radio's show icon. Anyone can download a copy of the player from the PhilMusic Radio website. Highlights of the show are being archived daily to give chance to people who missed the live show to listen to it later. However, only small section of the show are being made available on the archive to encourage listeners to listen to the live show where all the fun is.
Kathy is a consultant for WTRR and handles its sales and marketing function. When the radio station decided to convert its format to international music with emphasis on Spanish music, Joe Episcopo, WTRR's General Manager, asked Kathy to do a Spanish program. She did and her show, ROMANCE CON CATALINA, became so successful that it paved way for three more Spanish programs.
Impressed by her shows, Episcopo suggested that Kathy do a Filipino show since that is her native language. Kathy's reaction? "Are you crazy?" She told Episcopo that there are hardly any Filipinos in Orlando and she didn't have an idea where she would find enough material for the program. But Episcopo was insistent and Kathy is not the type of person who will turn down a challenge. She eventually accepted the proposal and the rest is history in the making.
Kathy put the concept together from scratch. She wanted to target overseas Filipinos who have been away for a few years and were extremely homesick for good old Filipino music. It was to have a grassroots approach using "Taglish" (mixed English and Tagalog) as a means to bridge whatever gaps there were between English and non-English speaking listeners. She added call-ins, requests and dedications to bring life to the show. The key element which is Filipino music, was to transcend all forms and genres. She plays anything Filipino from rock to folk to classical and traditional.
Artist
interviews are also in the line-up. To date, she has interviewed
Ramon "RJ" Jacinto, Ramon Faustmann and comedian Ronnie Estrada.
She is scheduled to do a live telephone interview with
Toronto-based singer, Marc
Ballesteros, on
Wednesday night (December 9) during her live show. Kathy plays
Marc's records including his latest CD "Ating
Paraiso" regularly
in the show. Also lined-up for an interview is folk singer,
Florante de Leon.
Putting the show together is a big challenge for Kathy. She had absolutely no material to start with but with a lot of help from her friends, she eventually built a sizeable library through artist contacts and recording company contacts who have all been very supportive and eager to promote her show.
Kathy believes the biggest factor in the show's success lies in the overwhelming support it receives from her listeners. Kathy says, "One only needs to go through the email I receive as well as the guestbook entries posted on the site to know that I touched a very emotional nerve in every Filipino. That is the greatest satisfaction I get doing the show. It is my commitment that keeps me going."
PhilRadio International's web site is at http://www.philradio.com. PhilMusic Radio broadcasts LIVE worldwide.