Why Did XEWW and XEPRS Change Their Cities of License?

[Gregg.]

We were discussing 690 on the DX board but I think this is better addressed on the San Diego board. Originally 690 XETRA (now XEWW) and 1090 XEPRS were licensed to Tijuana, both 50,000 watt stations broadcasting in English to the San Diego and Los Angeles markets. Then some years ago, the cities of license changed. XEWW is now licensed to Rosarito. It also changed its power, running 77,000 watts by day, but returning to 50,000 watts at night.

XEPRS, originally had Class I-B status on 1090, along with WBAL Baltimore and KAAY Little Rock, running 50 kw around the clock. It also changed its city of license some years ago to Rancho del Mar. Rosarito is about 20 km south of Tijuana. I'm not quite sure where Rancho del Mar BC is. According to Google Maps, there's a Rancho del Mar housing development in the middle of Tijuana, but it's only a handful of nice houses, not a real community.

In the U.S., a station may change its city of license at the same time it requests a favor from the FCC. Give us a power increase and we'll give a community with no radio or TV station licensed to it a station of its own. But does that work in Mexico?

Today XEWW is a Spanish-language News-Talk station, carrying many of the call in shows running on XEW Mexico City. But for the last few decades it's been an English-language station, for a time All-News (hence the call letters, referring to Extra, a newspaper publishing term), Top 40, All-Sports (when there were also other XTRA Sports stations around Southern California) and even Beautiful Music at one time. XEPRS today is San Diego's primary Sports station but some years ago it used its 50 kw to target LA with R&B shows and paid religion, all in English.

 

[davideduardo]

We were discussing 690 on the DX board but I think this is better addressed on the San Diego board. Originally 690 XETRA (now XEWW) and 1090 XEPRS were licensed to Tijuana, both 50,000 watt stations broadcasting in English to the San Diego and Los Angeles markets. Then some years ago, the cities of license changed. XEWW is now licensed to Rosarito. It also changed its power, running 77,000 watts by day, but returning to 50,000 watts at night.

XEPRS, originally had Class I-B status on 1090, along with WBAL Baltimore and KAAY Little Rock, running 50 kw around the clock. It also changed its city of license some years ago to Rancho del Mar. Rosarito is about 20 km south of Tijuana. I'm not quite sure where Rancho del Mar BC is. According to Google Maps, there's a Rancho del Mar housing development in the middle of Tijuana, but it's only a handful of nice houses, not a real community.

In the U.S., a station may change its city of license at the same time it requests a favor from the FCC. Give us a power increase and we'll give a community with no radio or TV station licensed to it a station of its own. But does that work in Mexico?

Today XEWW is a Spanish-language News-Talk station, carrying many of the call in shows running on XEW Mexico City. But for the last few decades it's been an English-language station, for a time All-News (hence the call letters, referring to Extra, a newspaper publishing term), Top 40, All-Sports (when there were also other XTRA Sports stations around Southern California) and even Beautiful Music at one time. XEPRS today is San Diego's primary Sports station but some years ago it used its 50 kw to target LA with R&B shows and paid religion, all in English.

City of license is a much more abstract concept in Mexico than it is in the US. In fact, the same is true all over Latin America. Part of this is because elsewhere cities expand to include suburban sprawl and do so until they hit another incorporated town.

Mexico does not have the kind of community service and ascertainment issues that US stations have; the government and infrastructure is far more centralized and local services and organizations are far more limited.

I believe that both 1090 and 690 were "given" to towns that were not incorporated when the stations were built. In each case, those towns are nearer to the transmitter site as well. 950 AM is now also licensed to a diffferent town, Rosarito, which is in the same area where the three stations have their transmitters. XEWW is licensed to Playa de Rosarito, so there is some mystery.

IIRC, none of these areas was previously incorporated as a town before.

 

[Big 121]

690's XEAK, and 1090 XERB located in the area of Rosarito Beach. Note the 'RB' in XERB..
690's English ID named it as coming from "Tiajuana" ; 1090 said Rosarito, Baja, CA.
The coastal location had a downside...in '73, a 1090 tower dropped due to corrosion of guy eyebolt.

 

[rickityone]

Before 50,000 watt was XEAK was it's antecedent, 5,000 watt XEAC, pioneer top forty which was located inland, at a community or area then known as La Presa (meaning I believe, either "the dam" or the "reservoir" - the only reservoir that I know of at the time, serving Tiajuana was and is Rodriguez dam east of the city and west of Tecate, on the Tiajuana River. Spelling note: I grew up with Tijuana spelled as Tiajuana - I don't remember when the "a" was dropped from "Aunt Jane" or whether American's or Mexicans abbreviated the spelling and and it morphed into whatever Tijuana means now.

XEAC/K - the Mighty 690 is one of my all time favorite radio stations.

rickity
www.gulchradio.com

 

[MadMan]

Before 50,000 watt was XEAK was it's antecedent, 5,000 watt XEAC, pioneer top forty which was located inland, at a community or area then known as La Presa (meaning I believe, either "the dam" or the "reservoir" - the only reservoir that I know of at the time, serving Tiajuana was and is Rodriguez dam east of the city and west of Tecate, on the Tiajuana River. Spelling note: I grew up with Tijuana spelled as Tiajuana - I don't remember when the "a" was dropped from "Aunt Jane" or whether American's or Mexicans abbreviated the spelling and and it morphed into whatever Tijuana means now.

XEAC/K - the Mighty 690 is one of my all time favorite radio stations.

rickity
www.gulchradio.com

XETRA -the Mighty 690, what a flame thrower! That station had incredible coverage north of L.A. Same with Wolfman and XERB at night, sounded like a local in Bakersfield. Lets not forget the Sun City Streaker out of El Paso, XEROK (X-Rock 80), wow!