Exa 91.3 is now... 91.3?

[JustinT]

XHMLS 91.3 in Matamoros and the RGV, which had been using the Exa brand for several years, seems to have dropped the name, but is keeping the format, best I can tell. The Exa 91.3 website is gone, and the station's Facebook page is just calling the station "91.3". Hmm...

 

[JakeMott]

Smooth Jazz. Mellow you guys out.

 

[fredcantu]

A number of Exa affiliates dropped the concept at the end of the year. Syndicator MVS must have raised the rates. All stayed some form of Spanish pop/CHR but without the Exa branding. Rumor has it Exa will reappear in Matamoros on another station soon.

 

[Bordercaster]

EXA is a very popular Spanish CHR format that works well in most markets where launched in Mexico and is offered as a "turn key" solution for small market broadcasters. Unfortunatly it is not a format that does well in US Markets... XMLS 91.3 is the most recent example. After 8 years, they finally realized that they were never getting any real Arbitron numbers. This format was launched in San Diego, El Paso, Laredo, McAllen (Border towns) and a hand full of affiliates in California where it has failed horribly. I have heard that the guy in charge of the brand in Mexico City is not aware that each market is unique! The RGV needs better radio and I hope XMLS 91.3 takes advantage of the opportunity... maybe anything will be better than that EXA "brand"!?

 

[JustinT]

This format was launched in San Diego, El Paso, Laredo, McAllen (Border towns) and a hand full of affiliates in California where it has failed horribly. I have heard that the guy in charge of the brand in Mexico City is not aware that each market is unique!

I've heard that comment about all EXA stations sounding the same before, and perhaps I'm completely off in my judgment, but to me it almost seems like there is no consistency with the brand! I'm in a place where I can hear EXA 95.1 in Rio Grande, EXA 97.3 in Monterrey, and (the former) EXA 91.3 in Matamoros. EXA 95.1 - when it's on the air - sounds very similar to Wild 104, and is very English-heavy in its playlist. EXA 91.3 seemed more like Digital 101.5 in its music selection. But it's extremely rare that I hear an English title on EXA 97.3 when scanning the dial.

 

[Bordercaster]

XHMLS has rebranded itself as "EXITOS" and has changed it's programing to better suit the Spanish market in the Valley. "Exitos" comes from KXOS-FM 93.9 Los Angeles (www.exitos939.com) owned by Grupo Radio Centro.

 

[Bordercaster]

This format was launched in San Diego, El Paso, Laredo, McAllen (Border towns) and a hand full of affiliates in California where it has failed horribly. I have heard that the guy in charge of the brand in Mexico City is not aware that each market is unique!

I'm in a place where I can hear EXA 95.1 in Rio Grande,

EXA 95.1 - when it's on the air -

If you are in the McAllen area, you should not be able to hear KRGX 95.1 with a local signal... it is a Class A transmitting 75 miles away!
Rumor has it that they set up some kind of FM booster across the border in order to get some signal into McAllen. Very shady operators.

 

[JustinT]

If you are in the McAllen area, you should not be able to hear KRGX 95.1 with a local signal... it is a Class A transmitting 75 miles away!
Rumor has it that they set up some kind of FM booster across the border in order to get some signal into McAllen. Very shady operators.

I'm in McAllen during half of the week and Rio Grande City during the other half, and I was actually referring to the latter as the place where all three EXAs (well, now two) can come in. But agreed on the shady operator - considering the power, the distance, and the presence of 95.3 XHRT, 95.1 shouldn't even be audible at its McAllen studios!

95.1 has to be the most unreliable radio station I've ever heard. Their main priority needs to be just keeping something on the air 24/7 - this is a radio station that you can't set your alarm clock to, because odds are, they won't be on in the morning!

 

[Bordercaster]

XHMLS has rebranded itself as "EXITOS" and has changed it's programing to better suit the Spanish market in the Valley. "Exitos" comes from KXOS-FM 93.9 Los Angeles (www.exitos939.com) owned by Grupo Radio Centro.

I heard some Colombian girl with a nice accent on at 3pm.. sound good so far, but the only thing missing is a better signal! I saw that they are authorized to be a C1... we'll just have to wait I guess.