XHINFO-FM

XEINFO-AM/XHINFO-FM

File:Aire Libre logo.svg
Mexico City
Broadcast area	Mexico City
Frequency	1560 AM 105.3 FM (HD Radio)
Branding	Aire Libre
Programming
Format	Alternative
Ownership
Owner	Eduardo Henkel Rojas (XEFAJ, S.A. de C.V.)
History
Call sign meaning	INFOred (owner in the 2000s)
Technical information
Class	B (AM) A (FM)
Power	50 kW day 10 kW night
ERP	2 kW
HAAT	50 m
Transmitter coordinates	19°22′26″N 99°06′31″W
Links
Website	airelibre.fm

XEINFO-AM/XHINFO-FM is a radio station in Mexico City. Broadcasting on 1560 kHz AM and 105.3 MHz FM, XEINFO-AM is owned by XEFAJ-AM, S.A. de C.V., a company controlled by Eduardo Henkel Rojas.

History

Early years and Radio Centro operation

The concession for 1560 AM at Ciudad Satélite was originally awarded to Ruben Marín y Kall, with the callsign of XERMK-AM. In 1969, when the station's concession was renewed, it became XEVIP-AM and broadcast news in English as "Radio VIP". In 1979, Grupo Radio Centro bought the station, changed its calls to XEFAJ-AM and introduced a regional Mexican format under the name "Radio Consentida". In 1983, the concession passed to Radio Industrial de la Provincia, S.A. de C.V.

Infored/Monitor years

In a 1998 contract, Grupo Radio Centro announced the transfer of XEJP-AM 1320 (now XENET-AM) and XEFAJ-AM 1560 to José Gutiérrez Vivó, journalist and producer of the Monitor newscasts, then heard on Radio Centro's XERED-AM and XHRED-FM. Infored took over operation of the station in April 2000, changing its name in November to "La Banda 15-60" where it broadcast grupera music. In 2004, the station changed calls again, this time to XEINFO-AM, and the station returned to a news format as "Radio Monitor" when Radio Centro and Monitor parted ways.

From 2006 to 2008, XENET-AM simulcasted XEINFO-AM. However, in June 2007, the legal fighting between Radio Centro and Monitor, which had severely hurt the latter's finances, forced the closure of both 1320 and 1560 AM from June 29 until September 3. Radio Centro was owed more than $100 million. On April 10, 2008, a sale was made to a creditor, Eduardo Henkel Rojas, but the sale reportedly could not be completed because workers of STIRT, Mexico's radio and television labor union, went on strike. Unlike XENET, which remained on-air until May 23, 2008 when the STIRT, whose members were angry about unpaid wages, raised its red and black flags at Radio Monitor, XEINFO suspended its programming on the day of the attempted sale.

Interim operations and silence

"La Mexicana" logo

On March 19, 2011, XEINFO returned to the air with regional Mexican music. However, there were no commercials or branding, not even airing government or electoral spots, with the station only known by its call letters and frequency. The station's sparse identifications mentioned Grupo Radio Centro's control of the station, but such was never publicly confirmed or acknowledged by the company, nor mentioned on its website. Eventually, XEINFO went off the air again.

In April 2017, a definitive court ruling against Gutiérrez Vivó opened the door for the station's future to be resolved. On May 15, 2017, coinciding with a major reshuffle of Grupo Radio Centro's AM radio stations, the format of XEEST-AM 1440, operated by Grupo Siete under contract to GRC, was moved to 1560 kHz, marking its first regular broadcasts in more than nine years; the station returned to XEEST on October 2 of that year and XEINFO went off the air again.

AM-FM migration and relaunch as Aire Libre

As part of the second wave of AM-FM migration in Mexico, XEINFO was selected as the lone commercial AM station in Mexico City to move to the FM band. It will broadcast as XHINFO-FM on 105.3 MHz. The new station could have a maximum effective radiated power of 3,000 watts and must broadcast in HD Radio as one of the conditions of second-wave migration.

The selection of XEINFO triggered some dissatisfaction from the other AM-only commercial radio broadcasters, who had expected to go into a random drawing as provided for by the rules for second-wave migration. In the wake of the ruling, Capital Media, owners of competing applicant XEITE-AM, published several articles critical of the IFT in its newspaper, among other criticisms.

Meanwhile, Henkel, operating the radio station directly for the first time since acquiring it, began building a team and facilities. José Álvarez, who gained fame as the program director of the legendary Radioactivo in the 1990s and early 2000s, was hired to run the new station. The project also brought on board José Luis Fernández Prieto and Rodrigo González Calvillo, who brought with them the radio station they had won in the IFT-4 radio station auction of 2017, XHPTUL-FM 94.7 in Tulum, Quintana Roo, which will simulcast XHINFO.

On June 21, 2018, the IFT approved the final technical parameters for the station, including a transmitter location in the Atlazolpa area of Mexico City with an effective radiated power of 2,000 watts. On August 9, test transmissions began for XHINFO-FM.

Aire Libre held a formal press conference on October 25, 2018, to announce its formal programming with a November 1 launch date. At the conference, Víctor Trujillo was announced as the station's morning show host, while programs helmed by Ilana Sod, who had previously worked at Radioactivo, and Jordi Soler, who will host a show from Barcelona, were also revealed.