XEW-AM

XEW-AM is a radio station in Mexico City, Mexico, broadcasting on the AM frequency of 900 kHz; it is branded as W-Radio. XEW-AM serves as the originating station for other "W-Radio" stations around Mexico that carry some of its programs. The programming on XEW-AM is also simulcast on Mexico City FM radio station 96.9 XEW-FM.

History

It began regular broadcasts at 20:00 CST on 18 September 1930. Broadcasting from a room (later to become a proper studio) at the Olympia Cinema on 16 September Street in Mexico City, it initially had only 5 kW of transmitter power, although this was increased to 50 kW by 1934. With the installation of new transmitters, the power became 250 kW by 1935. XEW-AM remains the most powerful AM radio station in North America.

It was the first Mexico City station in Emilio Azcarraga Vidaurreta's Chain of the Americas, the forerunner to today's Televisa whose radio unit still owns XEW-AM. XEW-AM originally was affiliated with the NBC Radio Networks (NBC and Blue); its future sister stations would take affiliation with rival networks, XEQ-AM with CBS and XEX-AM with Mutual. As radio in Mexico evolved with the country's growth and more radio stations signed on, XEW-AM became flagship to the country's largest radio network. Several radio and television stations have derived their call signs from XEW radio and television, all of them affiliated at one time or another with Televisa.