XEDTL-AM


XEDTL-AM is a radio station in Mexico City. Broadcasting on 660 AM, XEDTL-AM is owned by the Instituto Mexicano de la Radio and broadcasts a citizen-sourced talk and music format under the brand name Radio Ciudadana.

History

AM station

XEDTL-AM began on 820 kHz as XEBZ-AM, with a concession awarded on July 9, 1936 to Sra. Refugio Esparza Vda. de Valezzi. It likely moved to 660 in 1939, when most Mexico City radio stations changed frequencies. It was sold in 1942 to Vocero Mexicano, S.A.
In 1956, the station changed its callsign to XERPM-AM and was licensed for 50 kW day/10 kW night. It was the key station of the Cadena Radio Tricolor, also operated by RPM. The station passed into the ownership of Radio Fórmula in the 1970s, and in turn, Radio Fórmula's then-three stations were nationalized in 1978. The callsign was changed yet again in 1987, to XERIN-AM, with power being lowered to 10 kW day/1 kW night. The station during this time was known as "Radio Rin", a children-oriented format that came to an end in 1991 with the callsign being changed to the current XEDTL-AM the next year. The station changed formats and names several times during this period.
In 2001, the station was given to Ricardo Rocha under a time brokerage agreement. Rocha ran the station under the Radio Fórmula banner, sparking debate on whether state property should be commercialized as such. In 2003, the contract was rescinded as Rocha could not pay to keep operating 660 AM, with the station broadcasting tropical music as "Canela 660 AM: Tropicalísima". This frequency became Radio Ciudadana in 2005.

Format history

Radio Ciudadana got its start on XEQK-AM 1350 in 2003, displacing the Hora Exacta time service after 59 years. Two years later, it was moved to 660 AM, after which XEQK returned to the Hora Exacta format for several years.