Sunday, November 14, 2010

Radio in Mexico but only on Sunday, Sunday, Sunday


Having been in broadcasting in one form or another, since high school, as I drive I will occasionally spin the dial to listen to radio stations. I am interested in the variety of programming, if they are automated or not, and the signal quality etc.

The other day I found something that was interesting, at least in Michoacan. If you listen you may find the same in some of the other states in Mexico.

I call it on and off radio..... Or hear today, but not tomorrow.....

The other day while in Morelia, I was elated at finding a nice FM radio station that was playing classical music.... just what I needed while trying to drive around the traffic congested areas. I had to pick up my wife, then we decided to have lunch and upon returning to the car, my classical radio station had disappeared.

Gone...vanished... Why? Was it because someone was at home during lunch? A few days later when back in Morelia I returned to that frequency.....silence.....

While driving around Patzcuaro, I am lucky to pick up one or two of the FM stations that emanate from Moreila. But today, I noticed that the last position on the dial that I had set, was now playing Chopin's passage of Static.

So I decided to push the scan button.

Low and behold a plethora of Ranchera music along with voices hawking dedications to each and every colonia known to man....

Spinning the dial around I found no less that 4 very powerful stations. These were all local, by local all within 5 to 10 miles, or very unlikely broadcasting with so much power that they sounded local.
When you tune the radio to the next adjacent channel you will get bleed-over from the strength of the signal..... they were all very strong or very close.

How can that be?

I don't hear them during the week.

Weekend radio? Maybe.

Listening to one, I heard that after every song, the announcer, who was trying to sound like Don Francisco, was dedicating each and every song. To each and every colonia around Patzcuaro.
Local FM Radio....Weekend Radio..... better know as PIRATE Radio.

Another dead giveaway was the quality of the broadcast. Some where overmodulating, another station had a 60 cycle ground loop hum, another one was way undermodulating. All signs of non professional broadcasting.... Home Broadcasting at it's finest.


So I would have to guess that Pirate radio has come to Mexico. I am sure that it's been here for awhile, so Sunday broadcasters will probably enjoy themselves while having some sips and eats until the sun goes down and it's time to watch the next sports game on TV.

El Radio Pirata is pretty easy nowadays. It use to cost at least 10 to 20 thousand dollars to get sufficient equipment for a marginal FM transmitter and antenna.

It all can be gotten for less that a thousand bucks nowadays.....plug in your Ipod into the computer, add a microphone and you too can be

Radio Maximo......voz de pueblo ......

6 comments:

Bob Mrotek said...

My favorite station is XEWE, "La EstaciĆ³n Familiar" and it can be found at 1420 on your AM radio dial (if you are lucky like me). They broadcast a variety of programs to suit everything and everybody at "diez mil watts de potencia". Hey, Don Francisco's real name is Mario Luis Kreutzberger Blumenfeld. Did you know that?

Tancho said...

I'll have to make it a point to try and tune in XEWE with 10KW they may make it over here, depending if they are directional or not....
Kreutzberger Blumenfeld???
Sounds like a good Spanish Name to me... Never new that, I understand that he flies into Miami from Peru or someplace down there, once a week for his goldmine of a program. My wife sometimes had it one when we could pick up Univision.....

JerryL said...

I have always enjoying seeing Don Francisco's female assistants on his TV show.

Anonymous said...

Funny that you mentioned this, I have noticed in our area of Guadalajara, there is a boom box that is on Sundays and Saturdays only. It sounds like a old time record player, the kind that the records dropped one on top of each other, including the scratches. They play mostly mariachi music, most of the day. Only on weekends. Occasionally you hear a voice, but seldom.
Andy in GDL

Calypso said...

I try FM radio now and again in hopes of something new - I think we have about 4-6 pretty bad stations - one plays a LOT of U.S. music - who can be listening to that - besides us?

Tancho said...

Jerry, there is a big difference between TV assistants NOB and Mexico...BIG difference.

Andy, I am surprised at the lack of choices of programming when we drive through towns.

Calypso, For some reason radio broadcasting doesn't seem as professional and advertiser driven as NOB. It sucks...the stations would never survive, here it's like a non business for some reason. I can put my finger on it, why the medium is so lame.