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