XEROK-AM

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XEROK-AM is an AM (mediumwave) radio station that is a Mexican border-blaster licensed to operate at a power of 150 kW (150,000 watts) on a carrier frequency of 800 kilohertz from Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. In the 1970s and into the 1980s, this station was known as "X-Rock 80, The Sun City Rocker" due to its proximity to El Paso, Texas, U.S.A. and its dial position on analog-dial radios which would usually drop the last 0 in a frequency (that's why the dial on some radios will at the end read "x10 kHz." 80x10=800.) Today since 1982 the station is known as "Radio Cañon". More recently, the station has been licensed to try Ibiquity's "H.D. Radio" digital transmission system as it attempts to resume broadcasting at its licensed power level instead of on lower power (as little as 500 watts.)

In the 70's a group of American investors leased the, then, 150,000 watt AM station and turned it into an English language Top 40 radio station. In the Spring of 1975, XEROK 80 was the highest rated Top 40 radio station in the United States according to Arbitron. X-Rok 80 continued for a few years with immense popularity in El Paso, and much of the Southwest, but was eventually overtaken by an FM top 40 station, as pop music listeners migrated to the FM band during the second half of the 1970s.