"Mike" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 04 Dec 2004 04:36:21 GMT, "David Eduardo"

Actually, it is 50 kw. KXTA-1150.

The long-rumored swap amongst the Clear Channel AM facilities in Los
Angeles seems like it's gonna happen next month, if you believe the
usual industry rumor mill.

Here's how it's all supposed to pan out:

* KLAC/570 - Now standards, with sort of a "lounge"'/"hip" take on
them as "Fabulous 570". Will become sports ("XTRA Sports 570"?).
Keeps the Los Angeles Lakers, which become a centerpiece for the
format moving from 1150.

And the source of 75% of KLAC's billings historically.

* XETRA/690 Baja California - Now the San Diego-market half of the
L.A. based "XTRA Sports" simulcast, having abandoned a local focus in
the merge with 1150...well, unless you count veteran 690 afternoon
drive host Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton, who moved to the simulcast in his
traditional slot. (Ask Lee if the phone lines are color-coded. Long
story.)

XETRA's US rights (similar to an LMA) are being sold by Clear Channel... as
you speculate below. This is absolute and confirmed.

There are rumors out of San Diego that Clear Channel is set to spin
off most or all of its Mexican-based signals (Mexican-owned, CC has
the U.S.-based marketing and programming rights), perhaps for
legal/regulatory reasons. If that happens, 690 could go oldies or
standards, under another operator. There's also a chance the current
operator of San Diego market sports station XEPRS/1090 ("The Mighty
1090") could take over his old station...John Lynch's company was the
U.S. operator of 690 some time ago. That could move the San
Diego-based sports format now on 1090 back to 690.

While CCU will transfer the US rights to the X stations, they will keep the
intellectual property of the programming. So Z-90 or any of the other
formats might replace the existing format on one o fthe US licensed Clear
Channel SD stations. It is unlikely that John Lynch will get 690.

* KXTA/1150 - Now the L.A. half of the "XTRA Sports" simulcast. With
that format moving to 570, it's expected to pick up Air America, Jones
Radio's Ed Schultz and other "progressive talk" programming.

Exactly.

On Sat, 04 Dec 2004 05:50:08 GMT, "David Eduardo"
wrote:

XETRA's US rights (similar to an LMA) are being sold by Clear Channel... as
you speculate below. This is absolute and confirmed.

I'm curious...I've heard this is actually being forced for regulatory
reasons...the reason being that the Mexican signals give CC *way* over
the number of allowed signals in the San Diego market, and that
someone's "finally" realizing that as far as the feds are concerned.
(DOJ, perhaps?) Is this true?

I know that to be able to program the signals, a U.S. operator has to
file papers somewhere with the FCC. And I know the major U.S.
operators with signals they program across the border generally treat
the operations as if they were FCC licensed U.S. signals.

(And one other silly question - are the Mexican signals still required
to air "The Mexican National Hour" on Sunday nights? I thought I
heard this went away recently, perhaps coinciding with the new
presidential administration south of the border.)

While CCU will transfer the US rights to the X stations, they will keep the
intellectual property of the programming. So Z-90 or any of the other
formats might replace the existing format on one o fthe US licensed Clear
Channel SD stations. It is unlikely that John Lynch will get 690.

He keeps making noises about it, but it sounds like he isn't going to
get it.

And though CC is not replicating "XTRA Sports" on an existing San
Diego based frequency, instead consolidating it on 570/L.A., they
COULD...if they wanted to.

Mike

"Mike" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 04 Dec 2004 05:50:08 GMT, "David Eduardo"
wrote:

XETRA's US rights (similar to an LMA) are being sold by Clear Channel...
as
you speculate below. This is absolute and confirmed.

I'm curious...I've heard this is actually being forced for regulatory
reasons...the reason being that the Mexican signals give CC *way* over
the number of allowed signals in the San Diego market, and that
someone's "finally" realizing that as far as the feds are concerned.
(DOJ, perhaps?) Is this true?

The simple version is, "yes." The new FCC rules (on appeal) would
definitely prohibit, and there are additional issues involved. So, Clear
channel is simply divesting its interests (which are not ownership, just
rights).

I know that to be able to program the signals, a U.S. operator has to
file papers somewhere with the FCC. And I know the major U.S.
operators with signals they program across the border generally treat
the operations as if they were FCC licensed U.S. signals.

No, there is no FCC approval needed to operate a station in Mexico. There is
a requirement to get a permit to oriiginate programming in the US that will
be rebroadcast back to the US on a foreign transmitter. It is a mere
formality. Mexicans stations are treated as what they are, Mexican stations
that music comply with Mexican boradcast law and all other aspects of the
Mexican legal system.

(And one other silly question - are the Mexican signals still required
to air "The Mexican National Hour" on Sunday nights? I thought I
heard this went away recently, perhaps coinciding with the new
presidential administration south of the border.)

Yes. They are. And up to 4 minutes per hour of government PSAs, too.

While CCU will transfer the US rights to the X stations, they will keep
the
intellectual property of the programming. So Z-90 or any of the other
formats might replace the existing format on one o fthe US licensed Clear
Channel SD stations. It is unlikely that John Lynch will get 690.

He keeps making noises about it, but it sounds like he isn't going to
get it.

I doubt it. anyting possible.

And though CC is not replicating "XTRA Sports" on an existing San
Diego based frequency, instead consolidating it on 570/L.A., they
COULD...if they wanted to.

I think they believe that a battle against 50 kw XEPRS is not a good idea.

On Sun, 05 Dec 2004 04:14:21 GMT, "David Eduardo"
wrote:

No, there is no FCC approval needed to operate a station in Mexico. There is
a requirement to get a permit to oriiginate programming in the US that will
be rebroadcast back to the US on a foreign transmitter. It is a mere
formality. Mexicans stations are treated as what they are, Mexican stations
that music comply with Mexican boradcast law and all other aspects of the
Mexican legal system.

That's what I was talking about...the need to get that permit to
originate U.S.-based programming on a foreign signal, from the
viewpoint of the U.S. programming operator. And of course, the U.S.
operators of the station now known as Fox 6 in the San Diego market
had to go through some hassle back in the days when it was an ABC
affiliate.

I imagine the process of filing whatever permit it is, is much easier
and much more trivial today.

(And one other silly question - are the Mexican signals still required
to air "The Mexican National Hour" on Sunday nights? I thought I
heard this went away recently, perhaps coinciding with the new
presidential administration south of the border.)

Yes. They are. And up to 4 minutes per hour of government PSAs, too.

Last time I heard a Mexican-originated U.S. programmed signal, I do
believe it was 690...and I believe those PSAs take the form of tourism
promotions for the Mexican government, in English, of course.

The Mexican National Hour, such as it is, is in Spanish, of course,
meaning a one-hour language change for stations that normally do
English 24/7 from across the border. (Give or take the
Spanish-language legal IDs.

Mike

On Sun, 05 Dec 2004 00:00:18 -0500, Mike wrote:

formality. Mexicans stations are treated as what they are, Mexican stations
that music comply with Mexican boradcast law and all other aspects of the
Mexican legal system.

I programmed XTRA for 5 years. The US contingent was committed to
following both the Mexican as well as FCC regulations. I actually had
Norman Vincent Peale use an obscenity when I told him we couldn't air
his show that had been sold by our US sales reps. No religion allowed.
No alcohol. Far more stringent than the US.

That's what I was talking about...the need to get that permit to
originate U.S.-based programming on a foreign signal, from the
viewpoint of the U.S. programming operator.

It's known as 325B. Very hard to get back then, especially when you
had San Diego stations petitioning the FCC and threatening ad
agencies. We sued the stations for $39 million. The result was a
public agreement that we had the right to operate in the San Diego
market.

And of course, the U.S.
operators of the station now known as Fox 6 in the San Diego market
had to go through some hassle back in the days when it was an ABC
affiliate.

That hassle was that Channel 39 (now KNSD, formerly KCST) wanted the
affiliation. ABC preferred the XETV VHF Channel 6 even in the city
with one of the first and largest cable systems in the country.

Last time I heard a Mexican-originated U.S. programmed signal, I do
believe it was 690...and I believe those PSAs take the form of tourism
promotions for the Mexican government, in English, of course.

You can thank Ed Noble (a personal friend of then President Jose Lopez
Portillo) for eliminating (for a while) the shortwave-delivered
Mexican Hour in favor of Tourism PSAs for the border stations.

Rich
Former Program Manager - XTRA

On Wed, 08 Dec 2004 18:29:09 -0500, Rich Wood
wrote:

Last time I heard a Mexican-originated U.S. programmed signal, I do
believe it was 690...and I believe those PSAs take the form of tourism
promotions for the Mexican government, in English, of course.

You can thank Ed Noble (a personal friend of then President Jose Lopez
Portillo) for eliminating (for a while) the shortwave-delivered
Mexican Hour in favor of Tourism PSAs for the border stations.

Yet, according to David, the Mexican National Hour is once again heard
even on English-language U.S. targetting stations like XETRA. I'm
surprised that the government of Vicente Fox hasn't eased up on it.

Mike

"Mike" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 08 Dec 2004 18:29:09 -0500, Rich Wood
wrote:

Last time I heard a Mexican-originated U.S. programmed signal, I do
believe it was 690...and I believe those PSAs take the form of tourism
promotions for the Mexican government, in English, of course.

You can thank Ed Noble (a personal friend of then President Jose Lopez
Portillo) for eliminating (for a while) the shortwave-delivered
Mexican Hour in favor of Tourism PSAs for the border stations.

Yet, according to David, the Mexican National Hour is once again heard
even on English-language U.S. targetting stations like XETRA. I'm
surprised that the government of Vicente Fox hasn't eased up on it.


I am not sure about XETRA. I know XEPRS does run the Hora Nacional, but
there may be a dispensation based on relationships for XETRA that still
prevails. Ed Noble was owner of what was Mexico's largest ad agency, Noble &
asociados, and a very influential man.

On Wed, 08 Dec 2004 20:43:10 -0500, Mike wrote:

Yet, according to David, the Mexican National Hour is once again heard
even on English-language U.S. targetting stations like XETRA. I'm
surprised that the government of Vicente Fox hasn't eased up on it.

Mexican stations don't often make it this far North, so I can't claim
to have heard the Mexican Hour in any language.

Ed Noble is dead and Jose Lopez Portlillo is no longer in office. I
can only speak for the time I spent in San Diego. I've been in New
York City for 20 years. A lot can change.

If David says the Mexican Hour is back on XTRA in Spanish, then I
believe it. He's much closer to them than I am.

Rich

Rich Wood wrote:
On Sun, 05 Dec 2004 00:00:18 -0500, Mike wrote:


formality. Mexicans stations are treated as what they are, Mexican stations
that music comply with Mexican boradcast law and all other aspects of the
Mexican legal system.


I programmed XTRA for 5 years. The US contingent was committed to
following both the Mexican as well as FCC regulations. I actually had
Norman Vincent Peale use an obscenity when I told him we couldn't air
his show that had been sold by our US sales reps. No religion allowed.
No alcohol. Far more stringent than the US.

Do they still allow cussing (at least in English, don't know about
in Spanish) on Mexican stations? (I recall XETRA-FM getting away with
a few f-bombs in the 80's....)

"Charles Hobbs" wrote in message
...
Rich Wood wrote:
On Sun, 05 Dec 2004 00:00:18 -0500, Mike wrote:


formality. Mexicans stations are treated as what they are, Mexican
stations that music comply with Mexican boradcast law and all other
aspects of the Mexican legal system.


I programmed XTRA for 5 years. The US contingent was committed to
following both the Mexican as well as FCC regulations. I actually had
Norman Vincent Peale use an obscenity when I told him we couldn't air
his show that had been sold by our US sales reps. No religion allowed.
No alcohol. Far more stringent than the US.

Do they still allow cussing (at least in English, don't know about
in Spanish) on Mexican stations? (I recall XETRA-FM getting away with
a few f-bombs in the 80's....)

Mexico is much stricter than the US, but English content seems not to be
monitored and only comes to the SCT's attention if someone reports it.