Tina Ryan of Magic 89.9 has always been in a rush, managing her own weekly Friday show.
In fact, she was busy running across the station’s small space in Mandaluyong City, skipping between her duties on the air and behind the microphone.
Madness is the memo for the station every Friday as it plays some throwback stuff from 40 years ago; she has become the voice of afternoon disco.
“It’s my personal preference. I know there are people who would tell me that 80s music no longer holds any relevance; I beg to differ,” she says.
Tina has been with Magic for some thirty-something years, being the first female jock to stay with the station for a considerable amount of time.
Her first big break came in 1994, when she was taken in by her mentor Rockin V to co-host the morning show.
“I was sitting uncomfortably on my first day,” she recalls, “as I was suffering from pigsa! I couldn’t move around in my seat. But we couldn’t move the premiere since teasers had already been aired.”
TV Morning was one of the shows that woke up the Magic generation on the air in the ‘90s, followed by The Breakfast Club.
Radio has been part of Tina’s identity, as she first experienced getting the call for WLS’ Campus Aircheck in 1991 at the age of 16. But she did not seem to mind the changes in the songs being played on the station, given that Magic caters to today’s youth.
That was until podcasts streaming on the web came of age.
“I was very new to that world. I didn’t know it would become this big because I still ponder on it up to now,” she says, adding that podcasts seem to rely on their “commercial-free nature.”
“I miss those days when listeners would really take the time to call. Now, everybody’s on social media. Our phones only ring occasionally,” the seasoned DJ recounts, arguing that radio still holds more weight in interacting with people.
Social media, however, has also created awareness among today’s listeners of the good ol’ days of disco music.
“There were retro parties before the pandemic. We had to give way and find another place where we could hang out because the Gen Zs are taking over,” she recounts, noting how she still relishes the lively setting of every beat.
For a station that serves “today’s best music,” she asserts that playing the 80s is its way of bridging generational gaps.
“This station has, somehow, gathered generations of listeners. Our listeners still need to acknowledge the past, and that’s why we play the retro music,” she adds.
The ear-friendly sound and “on-point” lyricism of 80s hits only prove Tina Ryan’s passion for keeping them on the air.
“It’s making a comeback. They don’t just write music the way they used to. The ‘80s will never go away.”
