Prior to the PBS's acquisition, the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas asked the National Telecommunications Commission to reserve the said frequency for local campuses due to multiple reports that some others will use the latter frequency for commercial purposes. Also, a few religious and community groups operated the frequency with a low-powered signal enough to cover its main target area.
Acquisition by PBS
Radio veteran Rizal "Bong" Aportadera, Jr. was appointed by Presidential Communications Operations Office Sec. Martin Andanar as the Director General of the Philippine Broadcasting Service in July 2016. A month later, Carlo Villo was then appointed by Aportadera as the agency's Deputy Director and head of the new FM division. Villo serves as the program director for FM1, as well as its sister station 104.3 FM2. In an official statement by Andanar, PBS acquired the 87.5 MHz frequency and was later approved by the NTC. On November 1, 2017, FM1 began its test broadcast at 1:00 am. A few days later, the station's DJs identified the frequency under the call signDWFO, subject to approval from the NTC. Since November 1, 2017, the station's initial 1 kW power increases in two phases: an increase to 10 kW by December 28, 2017, then upgraded to 25 kW on January 1, 2018. The power increase makes FM1 able to cover Mega Manila and some surrounding provinces, though the ERP power is currently not at par with FM2 as well as the orientation of the new antenna expected to adjust to provide stable coverage. FM1 have bared plans for nationwide expansion by launching provincial stations, including FM1 Davao which was launched on August 1, 2018, with plans of establishing more stations on Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Bacolod, Iloilo, Baguio, Bohol, Boracay, General Santos, Laoag, Legazpi, Butuan, and Zamboanga. On January 8, 2020, however, FM1 began to phase out its regular programs following the resignation of Villo from PBS. Since March 2020, the station began to streamlining its operations by launching new programs and segments, including an all-day weekly indie/chill music block Sunday Slaps. On June 12, 2020 in the day of the Philippine independence at 12:00 nn, FM1 enhanced its branding as Republ1ka FM1, with the slogan Radio Republic of the Youth. The rebranding went same for its station in Davao.
