En Frecuencia Notebook: September 3
By: Raymie Humbert
Tags: Mexico, Radio, Television

En Frecuencia Notebook: September 3

Picking up the pieces from XHTVL’s tower collapse; Canal 13 gets local programming for Cancún; Puebla goes common-concession; remembering a Nuevo León broadcasting pioneer Raymie Humbert Sep 3·3 min read

Picking Up the Pieces

Some of the most impressive images this year came on Wednesday when XHTVL-TDT’s 104-meter-high tower failed in a wind storm that struck Villahermosa.

The station has continued to broadcast online, though local cable systems are not providing any backup feed. This is surprising, given that XHTVL is uplinked via satellite to feed the expansion Canal 13 transmitters with no local programming. There has not been any disruption to these stations.

Despite the wreckage, XHVA reported that there was no major damage to property. However, the director of civil defense for the municipality of Centro noted that structures of this kind are not subject to annual inspections and that it would have been inspected when it was built some time ago.

Speaking of Albavisión…

Canal 13 has managed to launch local programming in the Cancún area; however, it is subcontracting the production to another company.

“CreaTV” is the company that is providing the local programs for XHTMQR. It apparently operates a local cable channel on the Telecable system in Cancún. The programs, which are streamed by CreaTV’s own Facebook, include two daily newscasts and a local version of the Giros magazine.

One Concession to Rule them All in Puebla

Puebla’s state network, SET Televisión, has been approved for a common-concession conversion.

The concession chosen for conservation is XHPBZC-TDT, the Zacatlán transmitter; the XHPUE-TDT concession must be surrendered.

This is the worse choice in terms of band (they will be on VHF 11, not UHF 26) for new transmitters. However, the Puebla transmitter will likely not have to move despite the common-concession move, as the channel belongs to the unbuilt XHCSAI-TDT 11 (Radio Lacustre, A.C.). A common-concession conversion would allow the state to apply for new transmitters as shadows to fill the statewide coverage area in areas that are currently unserved. For context, Puebla’s FM network has eight transmitters, so there may be some substantial construction ahead.

Common-concession conversions have been approved, but never made effective, in Sonora and Nuevo León. Chiapas is the only state network to do so and follow through, and its four transmitters are on three different channels. Oaxaca was approved for a common-concession conversion in the same Pleno meeting (August 18), but no further information is available.

In this week’s virtual channels and multiprogramming lists updates, XHPBZC-TDT picked up virtual channel 16 instead of 26, as has been used in Puebla.

Remembering Gonzalo Estrada Cruz

A broadcasting pioneer in Nuevo León is being remembered today, as Gonzalo Estrada Cruz has died at the age of 101.

Estrada, born in Veracruz, moved to Monterrey at a young age and, after working as a letter carrier and street vendor, opened a clothing store. He wanted to promote his business, which led him to the idea of starting a radio station, which came on the air in 1957 as XENV (1340 AM). He later expanded with other stations — forming today’s Grupo Radio Alegría — and started the newspaper ABC in 1985.