Why is it Tejano music radio stations always seem to have stronger signals/recep!
Question:
Why is it Tejano music radio stations always seem to have stronger signals/reception than mainstream stations?
Answers: If they are licensed to Mexico, the border stations will run at higher power than what you're accustomed to in the US - especially those lower on the dial. It eneables them to sell advertising in the US at bigger $s than in Mexico.
If it's a US station, it's just that you are closer to their transmitter; or the owner is using an especially big signal for an Hispanic station than is customary - and good for him.
-a guy named duh Source(s):
EDIT: Gearbox's comment got me thinking about Wolfman Jack. He got fed up with US radio for a while and went to work out of San Diego studios for XTRA, a Tijuana station. They'd send his show down live by microwave or just a phone line then broadcast it all over the southwest at night. That thing would really boom. And he became famous for it. I agree with Duh
I want to add that a lot of stations use what is called a "Optimod" or something that compresses the music to make it seem louder. With spanish music already being full of highs.. they do sound louder.
But no all stations in the US have to follow rules set down by our federal government not allowing for more than x amount of power etc. etc. .. However as Duh said, some places on the dial in a certain area are allowed to have more power than others legally (as radio stations come in different sizes... and depending upon if it will cause interference somewhere's else and such, some stations are local jobs, wheras others are maximum legal power )
But Duh is also right on the Mexican station power... They were called "Border Blasters" as the mexican government allowed for stations that were up to 3 times or so more powerful than stations in the US on Am radio... some are still on the air such as one on 1150khz (XEG playing Ranchero or Spanish country music as it's unofficially considered) that's 2 1/2 times more powerful than any station legally allowed to broadcast in the US on AM (It broadcasts at a reported 150kw compared to the maximum 50kw on the Am band in the US)