Border Radio

So I took a listen to this NPR On The Media podcast entitled The X Factor:

WILD!!!

Apparently starting in the 1930's with all the strict radio regulations there was a growing popularity of these "Border Radio" stations that would be located just across the border into Mexico and would broadcast at about 100 times the power of regular American radio stations! Birds would be electrified in mid air and the radio signals could be picked up by barb-wire fences and the springs in mattresses!

One pioneer of these "Border Blasters" (as they were also called) was a one Dr. Brinkly who already had become a bit of a radio personality promoting his new medical procedure where he would implant goat glands into men to increase their libido (with much success too!). Brinkly was asked to come to Mexico to be the host of a Border Blaster station and he agreed.

Not restricted like American radio Brinkly was free to ask for donations as well as sell stuff from medical supplies to sexual medicines and devices to baby chickens! In fact there were stories of post-offices being overwhelmed with baby chicks. These DJ's were the first "Shock Jockeys" as one Mr. Baker even brought a bed into his booth and would make love while on air talking about the evils of radio. One "Wolfman" was an early radio advocate of R nB and Rock n Roll and just generally one of this first DJ's to promote music so widely.

These radios gave birth to much of our media today. Howard Stern pales in comparison to Baker's on air love making. The spam we all receive in our email (especially for Viagra and such) owes its start to the early Border Blaster stations that would ceaselessly advertise such products to gain revenue. Morning DJ's all owe their start to these early Blast stations. Most importantly these Border Blasters were the first to aggressively advocate music and push it towards the people and introduce so many people to forms of music they had never heard.

The Border Blasters were so powerful that at nigh they would bounce of the atmosphere and literally reach around the globe. There are rumors that the KGB would tune in to learn how to speak English. Others say that ships in the South Pacific would receive the broadcasts.
All of us (even me now blogging) owe our ability for "freedom of speech" and our "freedom of culture" to these early Border Blasters (which finally disbanded in the 1980's). Today I give you, the early Border Blasters, my fist-in-the-air of rocking out. THANK YOU!