XEWW (Mighty 690) Rosarito Cross Border Controversy

[davideduardo]

There are likely financial reasons for them not to get it, but the public broadcaster IMER owns XERF.

XERF is across the river from Del Rio, TX, and is now running less than 50 kw. IMER does programming that we would compare to NPR, with a focus in some markets on the many indigenous languages of Mexico.

XERF is non-directional and on a full Mexican (former) 1-A clear channel. On the other hand XEWW proteccts the major Grupo Radio Centro AM in Mexico City and must be highly directional away from most populated parts of Mexico itself except for the NW portion of Baja California. It's best population coverage is from Ensenada up to the coastal areas of Los Angeles.

In some ways, I could see a similar analogy to CKLW, as it serves Windsor and SW Ontario now.

That is because it had to comply decades ago with the enhanced CANCON rules which severely restricted the music they could play... along with the rapid transition of audiences to FM in the 70's.

 

[Mediafrog+]

I managed a station that was leased to a U.S. owned company that had China Radio International as a client. I was told by the owner of that company, they had to maintain a client base that equaled or exceeded 20% of their income for the agency in order to function in 'buying time on behalf of a China Radio International entity' (CRI was not to exceed 80% of gross income). At some point Congress started looking at the situation and my owner frequently got inquiries from the FCC regarding 'control of the station' over the years. The contract ended suddenly about the time the US Government was taking a hard look. I really don't the US government shut it down because it ended in all countries at the same time.

There was also at the time a major investigative story by Reuters that exposed the relationships between the Chinese government, CRI, a CRI subsidiary, and the American entity controlled by that subsidiary. The broadcasts were suspended very quickly after that report came out, which pretty much busted the Chinese and their soft propaganda effort.

Lots of people think the English CRI was directly out of China. The reality was programs were created and operated by air talent mostly in the LA area, were general interest talk shows and had no connection to China.

Most of the programming on “G&E Radio” (as it was called, IIRC) came out of LA, but there were some programs direct from China. I do recall the service running “The Beijing Hour” current affairs program which is broadcast across China and also carried on CRI’s shortwave and Internet output.

Some were even critical of how China handled certain things. Most of the time they did carry the CRI 5 minute news summary on the hour but I did notice at some point there was more USA and Canada news stories.

CRI can be surprisingly objective at times, not hesitating to report some stories that might be less than flattering to China’s image. But there is never any direct criticism of the government or questioning of the current brand of communism in China.

 

[davideduardo]

Sidebar: this has been an interesting and informative thread. I found that I had considerable misconceptions about the nature of program origination in the US for use on Mexican border stations as well as ignorance of the procedure to get permission to conduct such operations.

Thanks go to Michi and Scott Fybush for clarifying and explaining the regulatory issues. And to Michael Hagerty for clarifying the discussion with appropriate questions and comments, as well as to Mediafrog for giving some historic perspective to the Chinese / Chinese affiliated program sources.

This was also a good illustration of "the older I get them more I realize how little I know".

It also shows that those of us who were station or group managers depended on our FCC attorneys, consulting engineers and other outside experts for the data needed to make decisions... we were sort of like a railroad "yardmaster" who watches displays of hundreds of switches and engines and thousands of rail cars, but could not drive a locomotive if our life depended on it!

 

[b-turner]

They used fill programs off shortwave when their schedule wasn't compete. The Beijing Hour didn't last too long (or moved past sunset since we were sunrise to sunset. Mostly it was an automated English AC styled format.

The hosts were sometimes critical even of the Chinese government but normally communism in general.

I'd love to know when the Reuters story came out. It was early December when it went away.

 

[TomásEstefan]

There was a major conflict years ago when the former XETV ch. 6 was an ABC Television Network affiliate, but owned by a Mexican broadcaster that eventually became Televisa (before then, Bay Television).

Western Telecasters, then-owners of KCST (now NBC O&O KNSD), challenged XETV's affiliation renewal with ABC - claiming that it's no longer appropriate for a Mexican-licensed station to carry an American network when there's now a station available in America (then-recently launched KCST) to carry their programming, as well as claims that XETV didn't have enough local programming that served the San Diego side. The FCC sided with KCST in May 1972 and ABC programs gradually moved to that station throughout June 1973, leaving XETV as an independent station for the next 13 years. There are international agreements between Mexico and the United States on sharing the radio/TV spectrum.

Television stations in San Diego cannot directly transmit signals from their live microwave/satellite news trucks from Tijuana (that's in Mexico, Gregg).

The broadcaster that was broadcasting from Irwindale was being financed by the Chinese Communist Party. Get realistic, Sunshine.....the CCP is not Captain Kangaroo....wake up from your naivete and smell the Folgers...

Part of these restrictions pretty much ended after XETV became the FOX affiliate for San Diego, when it was realized that the San Diego market would not be able to watch the Super Bowl live...so the cross border re-transmission rule was dropped...

 

[TomásEstefan]

Then how did KUAN-LP (48) Telemundo 20 broadcast a live feed from a news reporter from Tijuana BC Mexico for their 5,6pm/11pm newscast?

Also, How did XETV back then FOX 6/San Diego CW 6 able to broadcast (back then they were an English language TV) able to broadcast their morning news and their prime time news live?

As I said in a previous post, when XETV became a FOX affiliate, Ch 6 was allowed to begin running USA programming live so that the SD market would be able to watch the Super Bowl on FOX and continued live there after.

 

[TomásEstefan]

XERF is across the river from Del Rio, TX, and is now running less than 50 kw. IMER does programming that we would compare to NPR, with a focus in some markets on the many indigenous languages of Mexico.

XERF is non-directional and on a full Mexican (former) 1-A clear channel. On the other hand XEWW proteccts the major Grupo Radio Centro AM in Mexico City and must be highly directional away from most populated parts of Mexico itself except for the NW portion of Baja California. It's best population coverage is from Ensenada up to the coastal areas of Los Angeles.

That is because it had to comply decades ago with the enhanced CANCON rules which severely restricted the music they could play... along with the rapid transition of audiences to FM in the 70's.

Wasn't XERF's original power 150 kW way back in the Wolfman Jack days ?

 

[fybush]

Part of these restrictions pretty much ended after XETV became the FOX affiliate for San Diego, when it was realized that the San Diego market would not be able to watch the Super Bowl live...so the cross border re-transmission rule was dropped...

The rule wasn't dropped. XETV had a section 325(c) permit the whole time it was a Fox affiliate.

 

[TomásEstefan]

The rule wasn't dropped. XETV had a section 325(c) permit the whole time it was a Fox affiliate.

Got it! As I understand it, way back in the day when XETV became SD's ABC affiliate in the 50s the ABC shows were recorded in SD via microwave or other means and then recorded (kinescoped or later videotaped) and then driven across the Border to the XETV studios which were adjacent to the Mt San Antonio xmitter, for playback at the appropriate time. What's interesting is that at this same time XETV produced live late evening news for San Diego from the Mt San Antonio studio. This apparently ended in the early 60s after the news director/anchor (whose name escapes me) decided to move on and go elsewhere. So the program was simply discontinued. I would guess that the viewership on ch 8 and ch 10 were much higher at 11 PM for local news if anything because of greater resources available for production, as I believe XETV had only a couple of people in it's "English news department".

On another note, although XETV 6 and XEWT 12 were co-owned, I thought it was interesting that the technicians/cameramen at the Plaza (Bullfighting) all wore XETV jackets. To my knowledge (unless it was in XETV's very early years prior to ABC when ch 6 had afternoon Spanish language programming) XEWT 12 was the only station to broadcast bullfighting, but records show that ch 12 didn't go on the air until 1960. So there might have been a 4 or 5 year gap...hmmm. Maybe someone can explain...

 

[spiritof67]

XERF is across the river from Del Rio, TX, and is now running less than 50 kw. IMER does programming that we would compare to NPR, with a focus in some markets on the many indigenous languages of Mexico.

XERF is non-directional and on a full Mexican (former) 1-A clear channel. On the other hand XEWW proteccts the major Grupo Radio Centro AM in Mexico City and must be highly directional away from most populated parts of Mexico itself except for the NW portion of Baja California. It's best population coverage is from Ensenada up to the coastal areas of Los Angeles.

That is because it had to comply decades ago with the enhanced CANCON rules which severely restricted the music they could play... along with the rapid transition of audiences to FM in the 70's.

All good points

With CKLW, CANCON made for a lot of creativity in their programming, and still maintained a strong listenership even by the late 1970s as AM top 40 lost its listeners to FM

So David, what would you do with a signal like XEWW now? Sell the land? Take it dark?

 

[gr8oldies]

XERF is across the river from Del Rio, TX, and is now running less than 50 kw. IMER does programming that we would compare to NPR, with a focus in some markets on the many indigenous languages of Mexico.

XERF is non-directional and on a full Mexican (former) 1-A clear channel. On the other hand XEWW proteccts the major Grupo Radio Centro AM in Mexico City and must be highly directional away from most populated parts of Mexico itself except for the NW portion of Baja California. It's best population coverage is from Ensenada up to the coastal areas of Los Angeles.

That is because it had to comply decades ago with the enhanced CANCON rules which severely restricted the music they could play... along with the rapid transition of audiences to FM in the 70's.

CKLW hung on later than WABC and many other top 40s, going Music of Your Life in 1984 or 85 and Canadian News-Talk in 1991 or so. A couple of Big 8 revivals happened on the FM. What finished CKLW off was the refusal of the CRTC to allow the top 40 format to migrate to FM. Pat Holiday had painstakingly designed a format that met all the requirements (Cancon, hit/non-hit, etc) called 94 Fox FM. Jingles cut, billboards commissioned, staff practicing the format and then at the 11th hour the CRTC only allowed the format 4 hours a day with the rest of the day remaining Big Band, it.....and the whole operation....failed with a massive layoff.

 

[davideduardo]

Wasn't XERF's original power 150 kW way back in the Wolfman Jack days ?

250,000 watts. The transmitter gave out in the later 80’s and it ran lower power for some time, per reports in DX News, the National Radio Club bulletin.

It was XEROK 800 that was 150 kw, as was 1050 in Monterrey.

 

[davideduardo]

All good points

With CKLW, CANCON made for a lot of creativity in their programming, and still maintained a strong listenership even by the late 1970s as AM top 40 lost its listeners to FM

So David, what would you do with a signal like XEWW now? Sell the land? Take it dark?

The issue is whether one of the Mexican news talk networks would take it, such as the Radio Fórmula group, and add it to heir array. There is no opportunity for US focused programming .

 

[TomásEstefan]

250,000 watts. The transmitter gave out in the later 80’s and it ran lower power for some time, per reports in DX News, the National Radio Club bulletin.

It was XEROK 800 that was 150 kw, as was 1050 in Monterrey.

Thanks I remember now that XEROK (then XELO) was 150. XERF at 250 kW the electric bill must have been tremendous!

 

[davideduardo]

Thanks I remember now that XEROK (then XELO) was 150. XERF at 250 kW the electric bill must have been tremendous!

They generated their own power and also provided street light power for Villa Acuña. They only ran from sunset to sunrise.

 

[Mediafrog+]

It was XEROK 800 that was 150 kw, as was 1050 in Monterrey.

XEG was always listed as 100kw, and even said so themselves in a station jingle during the "English language at night" years: "One hundred thousand watts...that covers the nation! X-E-G, Ten-Fifty!"

You might be thinking of XEWA which had 150kw on 540.

 

[Mediafrog+]

They generated their own power and also provided street light power for Villa Acuña. They only ran from sunset to sunrise.

I recall they ran 10kw during the day back then. I lived in Austin, a little over 200 miles from Ciudad Acuna during the 250kw years (1960s) but never had any daytime reception of XERF...I instead heard a 250 watt daytimer on 1570 in La Grange, Texas, about 60 miles away.

 

[TomásEstefan]

XEG was always listed as 100kw, and even said so themselves in a station jingle during the "English language at night" years: "One hundred thousand watts...that covers the nation! X-E-G, Ten-Fifty!"

You might be thinking of XEWA which had 150kw on 540.

I believe that David was right about XEROK because back in the day when it was XELO, they had a funny sounding DJ who hosted a late evening show called the "Record Roost" where he frequently mentioned the station's power, and solicited listeners to call in to his show, and the furthest caller in the USA that called in he said he would send them a free record... Not much of a prize though as he played 45s out of a grab bag of records probably dumped on the station in hopes they might get played...really funny and bad sounding toons...

 

[Mediafrog+]

I believe that David was right about XEROK because back in the day when it was XELO, they had a funny sounding DJ who hosted a late evening show called the "Record Roost" where he frequently mentioned the station's power, and solicited listeners to call in to his show, and the furthest caller in the USA that called in he said he would send them a free record... Not much of a prize though as he played 45s out of a grab bag of records probably dumped on the station in hopes they might get played...really funny and bad sounding toons...

Yes, XELO/XEROK was 150kw, but not XEG.

BTW, there have been reports that XEROK has been completely off the air since March 2022 after having operated at greatly reduced power in recent years.

 

[davideduardo]

I recall they ran 10kw during the day back then. I lived in Austin, a little over 200 miles from Ciudad Acuna during the 250kw years (1960s) but never had any daytime reception of XERF...I instead heard a 250 watt daytimer on 1570 in La Grange, Texas, about 60 miles away.

According to Sergio Ballesteros, the manager for Richard Eaton's interest in XERF and XESM, the daytime operation was not done in the time he was there... most of the 60's. They had no low power transmitter, and the 250 kw rig would not run at any low power level... and the generator needed the daytime to be maintained.