For the past couple of days 105.7 (XHPRS-FM) has been missing from the airwaves. Having been part of that station for the better part of a decade I've checked in since its removal from BCA control - just to see if someone else wanted to try something with that signal. Now it's missing. The Cerro Bola transmitter was frequently affected by weather factors and Hurricane Hillary may have blown it off the air. There was once a generator at the site - it should have kicked in if power failed. 104.9 is on - -(from the same mountain)-- 105.7 -?
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Where's Willie?
- Thread starter DaveMasonsd
- Start date
It was a go to station for me when all the other FM locals were running ad sets. The music was hit and miss but some forgotten gems got airplay.
You nailed it, Parky. While I was there we tried upgrading the signal - new antenna, new (taller) tower - -but it didn't help. Mt. San Miguel in front of it didn't make for a great San Diego coverage - but then the other issues (like financing) cropped up. Sr. Bonilla has run it since taking it back - and renaming it "Willie" - commercial free for a bunch of (nearly 5) years now. Just don't know if the loss is temporary or - permanent.
Was Mt San Antonio unavailable?
There are two other stations owned by the highly esteemed former Baja governor that are currently off the air: 620 XESS and 1030 XESDD. There is some speculation that owning and running, what is it now, 6 or 7 stations, may be taking a financial toll on Bonilla.
Hmmm-- it's certainly an interesting situation. But 1700 still on the air. When 105.7 went back to Sr. Bonilla, the story was the $100,000/month rent wasn't being paid. That was 2018. We're nearly 5 years later-and it's possible that the only reason those stations wold stay on the air would be to support the political aspirations of The Mexican government with their PSAs twice an hour. Wiki says he's no longer governor of Baja which would lessen the need for those governmental PSAs. It may also be the aftermath of the recent storm. Hard to speculate, sad to see more signals leave the airwaves.
$100,000 a month!!! No wonder the leasee couldn't keep up the payments. After taking it back,I believe he dropped it all the way down to $20,000 a month after awhile, and there still doesn't seem to be any interest. The only ad I have ever heard on 105.7 is for a coin exchange business owned by Bonilla. There is some paid religious programming on the AM's. It just doesn't seem to be very sustainable. Keeping them off the air probably saves him some money on the electric bill.
Well as of sometime yesterday 105.7 is back on the air. Must have been some kinda weather rolling through the transmitter site over the weekend.
All Mexican stations except those in English that have a waiver must run several minutes of government PSAs every hour. It is not a "kindness " of the owner... it is a legal requirement.
several minutes an hour?
that couuld be a decent chunk opf inventory.. how do stations make money?
And what do the english stations who get waivers not to run them have to do in exchange for the waiver?
English language programmed stations from BC generally air the required PSAs in English, BTW
"under Mexican law, it must commit to 48 minutes a day of tiempos oficiales. That’s the term for public-service announcements from Mexico’s federal executive, legislative and judiciary branches, as well as from the country’s Federal Electoral Institute and its major political parties."
Public-service spots have radio listeners wondering
Public service ad #1 Public service ad #2 Public service ad #3 On a recent weekday morning, San Diego’s 91-X was broadcasting its familiar fare of alternative rock, North County traffic updates and upbeat commercials for cars, mattresses and sandwiches.
www.sandiegouniontribune.com
Is there still a requirement to play the Mexican National Anthem at midnight on Monday morning, as 91X did when I used to listen to them?
Yes. And on Sunday nights, La Hora Nacional
Sweet!
Yep. In the past, carrying those PSAs exempted stations from income tax.
By running 20 to 22 minutes of ads an hour. That is why usage of radio is down to around 70% in some markets.
Some run some border related material in English. We used to get lots of tourism stuff.
And sign on and sign off all days.
Over the years, though there have been exceptions/exemptions to the requirement to carry the Sunday night "La Hore Nacional" broadcast.
Some of the spots that aren't tourism do not translate well, but they run anyway because they have to.
Sometimes when the topic is related to an issue on both sides of the border it kind of catches you off guard because it's something important to you but it tells you to contact a government agency that isn't familiar - then you remember you're listening to XHRM, and that spot was for the people of TJ.
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