XEX-AM (730

kHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in terms of SI base uni ...

) is a

commercial Commercial may refer to: * (adjective for) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and services ** (adjective for) trade, the trading of something of economic value such as goods, services, information or money * a dose of advertising ...

radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...

based in

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. It carries a

sports Sport is a physical activity or game, often competitive and organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The number of participants in ...

radio format A radio format or programming format (not to be confused with broadcast programming) describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. The radio format emerged mainly in the United States in the 1950s, at a time when Radio broadcasting, ...

known as "W Deportes." The station is owned by

Radiópolis Radiópolis (incorporated as Sistemas Radiópolis, S.A. de C.V.) is a Mexican radio broadcast company that owns AM radio, AM and FM radio stations in Mexico and syndicates music and talk formats. It is the former radio division of Televisa, which ...

. XEX is a Class A

clear-channel station A clear-channel station is a North American AM radio station that has the highest level of protection from interference from other stations, particularly from nighttime skywave signals. This classification exists to ensure the viability of cross ...

, powered at 60 kilo

watt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of Power (physics), power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantification (science), quantify the rate of Work ...

s and using a

non-directional antenna In radio communication, an omnidirectional antenna is a class of antenna which radiates equal radio power in all directions perpendicular to an axis (azimuthal directions), with power varying with angle to the axis (elevation angle), declining t ...

. The

transmitter In electronics and telecommunications, a radio transmitter or just transmitter (often abbreviated as XMTR or TX in technical documents) is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna (radio), antenna with the purpose of sig ...

is on Avenida Rio Bravo, in Los Reyes Acaquilpan, just east of Mexico City.

History

XEX-AM came to air in 1947 as a 500,000 watt national radio station. The Mexican government built XEX with the transmitter equipment of the former XERA at Villa Acuña, Coahuila, whose 500 kW transmitter was seized, dismantled and shipped to Mexico City. It obtained its

call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally as ...

from a

Monterrey Monterrey (, , abbreviated as MtY) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León. It is the ninth-largest city and the second largest metropolitan area, after Greater Mexico City. Located at the foothills of th ...

station, which was reassigned the XEAW-AM call letters. During the 1940s, XEX was a

network affiliate In the broadcasting industry (particularly in North America, and even more in the United States), a network affiliate or affiliated station is a local broadcaster, owned by a company other than the owner of the network, which carries some or a ...

of the

Mutual Broadcasting System The Mutual Broadcasting System (commonly referred to simply as Mutual; sometimes referred to as MBS, Mutual Radio or the Mutual Radio Network) was an American commercial radio network in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the Golden Age of Radio, ...

as its Latin American

flagship station In broadcasting, a flagship (also known as a flagship station or key station) is the broadcast station which originates a television network, or a particular radio or television program that plays a key role in the branding of and consumer loyal ...

. In 1951, it was sold to Rómulo O'Farrill after four years of losses. Its sister stations were also flagships of Latin American branches of competing radio networks,

XEW-AM XEW-AM (900 kHz) and XEW-FM (96.9 MHz) are commercial radio stations in Mexico City, Mexico, simulcasting a news/talk radio format branded as ''W Radio''. XEW serves as the flagship for other "W Radio" stations around Mexico that carry some or ...

with

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

and

XEQ-AM XEQ-AM (940 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in Mexico City. The concession is held by Cadena Radiodifusora Mexicana, S.A. de C.V. and is operated by Radiópolis. It airs a Spanish-language adult hits radio format known as "La Q 940." ...

with

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

. XEX was also affiliated with

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

. All three Mexico City radio stations have been owned by Televisa Radio for decades. By 1970, XEX had reduced its half-million watt output to 150,000 watts. After airing a multitude of formats throughout its existence, in 2003 it became a

sports radio Sports radio (or sports talk radio) is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sport, sporting events. A widespread programming genre that has a narrow audience appeal, sports radio is characterized by an often-low comed ...

outlet. The sports format it inherited started in 1999 as "Super Deportiva" on 1180 AM. Later, it moved to 830 AM ("Estadio 830") and 590 AM ("Estadio 590"). In 2003, the format settled at XEX and was known as ''Estadio W'' until 2012 when it adopted the branding "TDW," in reference to Televisa's sports cable channel "TDN." XEX moved its transmitter in 2016 to a new site in Los Reyes Acaquilpan, La Paz Municipality,

State of Mexico The State of Mexico, officially just Mexico, is one of the 32 federal entities of the United Mexican States. Colloquially known as Edomex (from , the abbreviation of , and ), to distinguish it from the name of the whole country, it is the mo ...

. After broadcasting at 150,000 watts in the 1970s and 80s, and more recently at 100,000 watts, this transmitter relocation was coupled in a further reduction in power to 60,000 watts. The sports format continued through January 5, 2017, when the TDW Radio network bid farewell to its listeners. The station was relaunched the following Monday as "W Deportes."

References

Radiópolis Radio stations in Mexico City Sports radio stations in Mexico Clear-channel radio stations Radio stations established in 1947 1947 establishments in Mexico {{Mexico City-radio-station-stub