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Major offensive against Bonilla's cross-border authorities
A major offensive has been launched on the Section 325(c)
cross-border program transmission authorities associated with Jaime Bonilla's
XHBCE-FM, 105.7 MHz, in Baja California North.
By using an airplane and flying to the coordinates published
for XHBCE's Class B operation, nothing but wild brush and grass were found.
There were no power lines, roads or trails serving the site, and a picture
was provided to demonstrate that point.
Further, there was "no physical evidence to suggest that a
transmitter was ever built there" or anywhere nearby (a search was
made). Thus, it is claimed, the transmitter site that XHBCE has reportedly
been using all these months does not exist, so all 325(c) requests relative
to that site constitute fraud.
The real XHBCE transmitter was discovered on Cerro Bola
mountain 10-miles away and at a much higher elevation than the authorized
Class B site. A number of technical question have arisen regarding the
facilities found there. But there is more.
Mr. Bonilla's XEKTT, 1700 kHz, should be using two towers of equal height,
but two towers of "grossly unequal height" were found instead,
calling into question the night-time radiation pattern of that station.
XESDD, 1030 kHz, should be using a three-tower directional antenna array
to beam its signal away from the U.S. both day and night, but was photographed
using one tower (presumably omni-directional) instead. And XESS, 620 kHz,
should have been sharing that same three tower array to protect the U.S.
full time, but XESS' transmitter had mysteriously migrated 21 miles closer
to the U.S. and was discovered at the XEKTT site, virtually right on the
U.S./Mexican border, without the required three tower array.
To see and read more, open the two pdf documents below.
The first doc contains an Engineering Statement with colored
photographs of the numerous alleged technical transgressions; the second
doc is a copy of the complete legal and engineering package filed with
the FCC as a formal complaint (the engineering photos did not reproduce
properly in this, the only pdf doc available to us at this time, hence
the separate posting of the Engineering
Statement).
There is much more to this story, probably one of the biggest stories
to break in the local broadcast community in years. From this one 325(c)
case, a number of legal actions may follow including demands for massive
power rollbacks at some or all of the Bonilla properties, and retractions
of all 325(c) permits.
Keep in mind that the charges made so far are only allegations and that
the Bonilla organization needs to be given an opportunity to respond.
There may be mitigating technical factors at work or special agreements
between the U.S. and Mexico of which we are unaware.
Our experience indicates that there are many fully compliant broadcast
facilities in Mexico and that this case - if the allegations hold - is
not representative of the Mexican
broadcast industry as a whole, and should not reflect negatively on the
many fine people in Mexico who strive for excellence.
Engineering Statement alone (1 mega byte in size):
http://earthsignals.com/add_CGC/baja_engr.pdf
Complete Petition to Deny (sans photos, 2 mega bytes in size): http://earthsignals.com/add_CGC/pet_to_deny.pdf
Source: CGC Communicator
For the background to this on-going saga, please the past
issues of CGC Communicator
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