KXEW
Encyclopedia
KXEW is a commercial radio station
located in South Tucson, Arizona
, broadcasting to the Tucson, Arizona
, area on 1600 AM
. KXEW airs a tejano
music format branded as "Radio Tejano".
KXEW first signed on for broadcasting on May 10, 1963, operating local sunrise to sunset with a directional array at 1600 Kc with 1 KW of power. The call letters were inspired by those of Mexico City's giant AM station XEW. The station was owned and operated by Pan American Radio Corporation; J. Carlos McCormick was its president, CEO and majority shareholder.
The totally Spanish language format featured traditional Mexican, Latin American and Spanish recorded music, with hourly newscasts and sports and social commentary segments throughout the day. The style of programming was an adaptation of "Color Radio" that had been borrowed from its innovator, former Tucson disk jockey, Chuck Blore. Oscar Humberto Stevens, Sr. was the first station manager, and Lorenzo Palma Cárdenas was the first program director. The directional antenna array was designed by and the station's studio, transmitter and phaser equipment installed by Oscar Leon Cuellar, who later became Arizona's first registered professional engineer with a broadcasting and communication specialization.
The station was nicknamed Radio Fiesta. During its first years of operation some of the radio personalities who served on its staff were Alfonso Gárfias, Chato López Quintana, Tony Castro Miranda, Arnulfo "Fito" Palma Cárdenas, Ernesto Portillo Villalobos, Enrique Villegas Grácia and Manuel Palma Parra. Oscar Stevens, Carlos McCormick, Ernesto Portillo, Lorenzo Palma , Tony Castro and Enrique Villegas had formerly worked at KEVT, Tucson's first all Spanish language station. KXEW was the first Arizona commercial radio station license granted to a corporation/person controlled and managed by an applicant of Mexican ancestry. KXEW was sold in 1968 to a group headed the entertainer, Harry Belafonte. It continued under the management of Ernesto Portillo.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
located in South Tucson, Arizona
South Tucson, Arizona
South Tucson is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States and an enclave of the much larger city of Tucson. South Tucson is known for being heavily influenced by Hispanic, and especially Mexican, culture; restaurants and shops which sell traditional Mexican foods and other goods can be found...
, broadcasting to the Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
, area on 1600 AM
Amplitude modulation
Amplitude modulation is a technique used in electronic communication, most commonly for transmitting information via a radio carrier wave. AM works by varying the strength of the transmitted signal in relation to the information being sent...
. KXEW airs a tejano
Tejano
Tejano or Texano is a term used to identify a Texan of Mexican heritage.Historically, the Spanish term Tejano has been used to identify different groups of people...
music format branded as "Radio Tejano".
KXEW first signed on for broadcasting on May 10, 1963, operating local sunrise to sunset with a directional array at 1600 Kc with 1 KW of power. The call letters were inspired by those of Mexico City's giant AM station XEW. The station was owned and operated by Pan American Radio Corporation; J. Carlos McCormick was its president, CEO and majority shareholder.
The totally Spanish language format featured traditional Mexican, Latin American and Spanish recorded music, with hourly newscasts and sports and social commentary segments throughout the day. The style of programming was an adaptation of "Color Radio" that had been borrowed from its innovator, former Tucson disk jockey, Chuck Blore. Oscar Humberto Stevens, Sr. was the first station manager, and Lorenzo Palma Cárdenas was the first program director. The directional antenna array was designed by and the station's studio, transmitter and phaser equipment installed by Oscar Leon Cuellar, who later became Arizona's first registered professional engineer with a broadcasting and communication specialization.
The station was nicknamed Radio Fiesta. During its first years of operation some of the radio personalities who served on its staff were Alfonso Gárfias, Chato López Quintana, Tony Castro Miranda, Arnulfo "Fito" Palma Cárdenas, Ernesto Portillo Villalobos, Enrique Villegas Grácia and Manuel Palma Parra. Oscar Stevens, Carlos McCormick, Ernesto Portillo, Lorenzo Palma , Tony Castro and Enrique Villegas had formerly worked at KEVT, Tucson's first all Spanish language station. KXEW was the first Arizona commercial radio station license granted to a corporation/person controlled and managed by an applicant of Mexican ancestry. KXEW was sold in 1968 to a group headed the entertainer, Harry Belafonte. It continued under the management of Ernesto Portillo.