XERCN 1470

[DavidEduardo]

According to Wikipedia, XENK was a pioneer in the transmission of English language music in Mexico, and were first to play The Beatles in Latin America in 1962. Not sure if true, being Wiki as the source. Was the format Top 40?

As usual in radio listings, Wiki is wrong. No surprise, fer' sure.

I was an intern at another station (actually a group) in Mexico in 1963 and XENK was all 40's and 50's crooners and big band singers, all in English. Nothing current, and nothing pop at all.

They had kind of antiquated studios (neat and clean but old gear) at, IIRC, the corner of Banderas and Juárez in the old "downtown" of Mexico City.

There is no way that they could have been first with the Beatles. That likely was one of the stations where I interned, XERC, 790, Radio Éxitos. They played half English and half Spanish Top 40 songs, so the Beatles would have been part of their lists.

 

[DavidEduardo]

Speaking of Beatles music on the air in Latin America, and parts of Asia in the early 60's, I read several years ago that at this time certain stations in some countries such as Argentina were still only capable of playing 78 RPM records. So EMI, the Beatles label (and parent company of Capitol records in the US) had special 10" shellac discs made for Argentina and possibly the Philippines of a few of the Beatles earliest big hits. If you can find them these 78s are supposedly worth to collectors upwards of 1500 to 2000 dollars.

That is not true. In 1964 when I was doing Top 40 in Ecuador, I started getting record service from Argentina and it was all 45's and some albums. I went to Buenos Aires to get the "library" songs I needed when we went on the air and they were all available at retail or at the labels in the original 45s, dating back four or five years. I never saw a 78 rpm record anywhere in Argentina in multiple visits.

 

[radiofan2023]

Discogs shows some Beatles 78s were made for India and the Philippines:

https://www.discogs.com/artist/82730-The-Beatles?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3Zb_iLLlgwMVgnBHAR3mwwXXEAAYASAAEgLSW_D_BwE&superFilter=Releases&subFilter=Singles+%26+EPs

 

[TomásEstefan]

That is not true. In 1964 when I was doing Top 40 in Ecuador, I started getting record service from Argentina and it was all 45's and some albums. I went to Buenos Aires to get the "library" songs I needed when we went on the air and they were all available at retail or at the labels in the original 45s, dating back four or five years. I never saw a 78 rpm record anywhere in Argentina in multiple visits.

Thanks for the correction. I think I read about this in some random record collectors publication. Apparently they were wrong about Argentina. But according to "radiofan2023"s post they were right about the Philippines and India. An acquaintance of mine ran a used record store and told me he had seen one of those rare discs. He said it was "surreal" experience.

 

[powers]

One question: What's up with the sound of a rooster crowing that keeps popping up now and then?

It's odd, but Mexican radio stations seem to like to put identifying effects right in the middle of songs, especially in the instrumental bridges of them. Stereo Rey is another one that plays English pop songs and then they would drop in a "Stereo Rey" liner right inside the bridge. The rooster crowing seems to pop up in the middle of most of their songs. I also like the ID in morse code, but since my Spanish nor my morse code is any good, I'm not sure what the morse code is saying.

I remember as a kid in the 80s I always wondered why the Spanish stations always had to throw animated network or station graphics all over the screen in the middle of shows every couple of minutes. This was before the trend in the 90s and 2000s of the English stations doing that, which they seem to have backed off considerably on. I know that David Eduardo has worked in Hispanic media in different countries. Perhaps he could let us know the answers on both of these practices. In 1989 I worked at Z90 in Tijuana. We shared studios with Radio Latina and (then) Fiesta Mexicana. I befriended one of the lady DJs on Radio Latina, who was about 19 at the time and I was 20 and used to drive her home after our shifts before I headed for the border and the long drive to the College Area, where I lived. I never thought to ask her about the sound effects and IDs in the middle of songs, but I don't think Radio Latina, or many other Tijuana stations, even did that.

 

[exbloguero]

I never thought to ask her about the sound effects and IDs in the middle of songs, but I don't think Radio Latina, or many other Tijuana stations, even did that.

At that time it was used due to piracy issues, both by street vendors who sold the recordings and also by competing stations.

The tradition is still valid in some stations, that's why you hear that "stamp" in the middle of the musical bridges. Although, currently it is no longer applied in large chains.

 

[GEDA1990]

In Exa FM for example, songs like "Desde que llegaste" by Reyli, "Cerca de Ti" by Thalía and "Lento" by Julieta Venegas use a bumper of that radio station during the musical bridges before appears the singing parts (that was between 2003 and 2004)

 

[DavidEduardo]

At that time it was used due to piracy issues, both by street vendors who sold the recordings and also by competing stations.

In some cases, stations did this for songs that had not been released locally; they considered them "exclusive".

Long ago when I owned a CHR in Ecuador, nearly 100% of our music was exclusive to us. So having "cositas que nadie tiene" was a valuable audience driver.

 

[powers]

Thank you for the answers! I kind of thought back in the 80s and 90s that it was done for a number of reasons, the main one being copyright reasons (remember when we used to tape songs off the radio and hated when the ID or jock talked over the song?). It seems like an outdated practice today, since we don't usually record songs off the radio anymore and there are many ways to access the songs. But the practice of doing this for standout branding makes sense, and if it works for the station and its audience, why not continue?

Does anybody know if the reason for the splashy graphics every couple of minutes on Spanish TV was also to deter copyright pirates? I remember noticing this a lot in the 80s and 90s, and then US stations and networks started out with the continuous logo bug and for a time used to put up splashy graphics of their own promoting other shows while you were watching one. I think they have largely backed off of that practice and I don't watch a lot of live TV anymore so I don't know if Spanish TV still does this a lot.

 

[Signal Geek]

Getting back to the subject of 1470 AM/Tijuana...

This has to be the oddest oldies format I've ever heard. Just now, they played the James Bond movie theme, followed by a *cover* version of Air Supply's "Lost in Love." The other day, they were airing Montovani-style instrumentals. But just when I think I'll be surprised again, one evening I caught George Michael's "Careless Whisper," which has played a million times on U.S. AC and Classic Hit stations.

I'm not familiar with English-language radio in Central and South America. Is this a format that gets commercial traction in those areas?

 

[DavidEduardo]

I'm not familiar with English-language radio in Central and South America. Is this a format that gets commercial traction in those areas?

No. Never heard such a format before anywhere in Latin America.

There are Spanish language radio stations all over Latin America that play all English language music or a mix of it with Spanish language music. There are stations playing English language rock (mainstream, not alternative or other derivatives), AC, classic hits and Top 40 (CHR). None have English language announcing.

There are a couple of English language religious stations in Puerto Rico, including a K-Love station. They do not show in the ratings. Elsewhere, there are no English language stations at all.

The stations that play English language music, though, are often top billers as they appeal to the highest income groups. Ad buys in Latin America are often more based on the income of station listeners than their age range.

 

[RadioFixerCLE]

According to Wikipedia, XENK was a pioneer in the transmission of English language music in Mexico, and were first to play The Beatles in Latin America in 1962. Not sure if true, being Wiki as the source. Was the format Top 40?

XENK 620 is now Catholic talk radio. Affiliated to ESNE Radio (Ministerio El Sembrador - The Sower).

 

[DavidEduardo]

XENK 620 is now Catholic talk radio. Affiliated to ESNE Radio (Ministerio El Sembrador - The Sower).

And, as posted before, they did not play pop music in the 60's... they played 40's and 50's MOR songs, not Top 40 songs. I lived in Mexico City in 1964 and interned at a station there. I know XENK did not play the Beatles!

 

[KilowattKat]

XENK 620 is now Catholic talk radio. Affiliated to ESNE Radio (Ministerio El Sembrador - The Sower).

As of this morning XENK is still playing the 50's through 80's Oldies. On the ESNE website, there's no mention of XENK. The only station in Mexico affiliated with ESNE is XEBBB in Guadalajara. Is this something that's still in the works, or a change of plans?

I wonder how XENK, as well as XERCN generates revenue, as I've never heard any commercials on both while listening. A full time lease of XENK may be a good idea, financially. El Sembrador currently owns KURS San Diego, so that's not going to happen with XERCN.

 

[powers]

I wonder how XENK, as well as XERCN generates revenue, as I've never heard any commercials on both while listening.

My Spanish may be a little rusty but during most afternoons I hear what sounds like several stopsets on XERCN. Perhaps they are just playing a series of PSAs?

 

[Sammi Brie]

My Spanish may be a little rusty but during most afternoons I hear what sounds like several stopsets on XERCN. Perhaps they are just playing a series of PSAs?

If they weren't playing those INE spots, they'd be in big trouble.

 

[Signal Geek]

I try to listen to 1470 AM for at least a few minutes every day, and it appears they've made a slight change. I'm no longer hearing oldies from two violently different styles played back-to-back. More of the song groups are from the same genre. Example: they'll play several 1950's oldies in a row, or several Mantovani-style instrumentals in a row. And one weekend night, I heard at least four consecutive disco songs in a row -- all from 1977-78. Maybe they're re-creating the Disco Saturday Night some U.S. stations used to air (I still remember the one that ran for years on 104.3 KBIG/Los Angeles).

 

[pjc1961]

Listen Live link for XERCN Rasa 1470:

xercn

xercn is on Mixlr. Mixlr is a simple way to share live audio online. Broadcast using any source and invite others to listen and chat in real-time.

xercn.mixlr.com

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Since it was on the same platform, Listen Live link for sister station XEXX Radio Ranchito 1420:

XEXX

XEXX is on Mixlr. Mixlr is a simple way to share live audio online. Broadcast using any source and invite others to listen and chat in real-time.

xexx.mixlr.com

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Web page for Radio Cadena Enciso with non-working Listen Live links:

Home | RCE

www.rceradio.net

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A long column in El Sol de Tijuana from Gerardo Fragoso M. (first operational manager of RCN 1470 in 2016)
about his history and changes at XERCN resulting in his leaving in the Fall of 2022:

English language translation:

Expediente Confidencial | RCN, principio y final

www-elsoldetijuana-com-mx.translate.goog

*****
Original Spanish language translation:

Expediente Confidencial | RCN, principio y final

www.elsoldetijuana.com.mx

 

[GEDA1990]

Direct streaming : http://edge.mixlr.com/channel/lhkft

 

[GEDA1990]

Also XED 1050 AM from Mexicali, broadcasting the same format that XERCN 1470 : xed1050