Raúl Azcárraga Vidaurreta
Encyclopedia
Raúl Azcárraga Vidaurreta was a Mexican
business
man and broadcasting
pioneer.
In February 1923, he started transmitting trial radio
signals from his business office located in Avenida Juárez, in Mexico City
, using a 50-watt
transmitter
. After the success of the transmissions Azcárraga and Mexico City's newspaper
El Universal
made an agreement to operate jointly the radio station.
On May 8, 1923, the newspaper issued the following statement: "As the big American newspapers do, El Universal is now using a powerful radiostation to broadcast its news. It is located in the heart of the [Mexican] Republic." The inaugural broadcast was transmitted that same day.
This venture would provide the capital for the radio station that would shape Mexican communications for years to come, XEW
, started in 1930. It was initially owned by Raúl Azcárraga Vidaurreta but later passed on to his brother Emilio
who would in time set his own broadcasting legacy by starting Televisa
.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
man and broadcasting
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
pioneer.
In February 1923, he started transmitting trial radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
signals from his business office located in Avenida Juárez, in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, using a 50-watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
transmitter
Transmitter
In electronics and telecommunications a transmitter or radio transmitter is an electronic device which, with the aid of an antenna, produces radio waves. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the antenna. When excited by this alternating...
. After the success of the transmissions Azcárraga and Mexico City's newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
El Universal
El Universal (Mexico City)
El Universal is a major Mexican newspaper.El Universal was founded by Félix Palavicini and Emilio Rabasa in October 1916, in the city of Santiago de Queretaro to cover the end of the Mexican Revolution and the creation of the new Mexican Constitution...
made an agreement to operate jointly the radio station.
On May 8, 1923, the newspaper issued the following statement: "As the big American newspapers do, El Universal is now using a powerful radiostation to broadcast its news. It is located in the heart of the [Mexican] Republic." The inaugural broadcast was transmitted that same day.
This venture would provide the capital for the radio station that would shape Mexican communications for years to come, XEW
XEW-AM
XEW-AM is a radio station in Mexico City, Mexico. It is branded as W-Radio and its slogan is La voz de la América Latina desde México or "The voice of Latin America from Mexico."It began regular broadcasts at 20:00 CST on 18 September 1930...
, started in 1930. It was initially owned by Raúl Azcárraga Vidaurreta but later passed on to his brother Emilio
Emilio Azcárraga Vidaurreta
Emilio Azcárraga Vidaurreta or Emilio Azcárraga Sr. was a Mexican businessman son of Basque immigrants Mariano Azcárraga and Emilia Vidaurreta....
who would in time set his own broadcasting legacy by starting Televisa
Televisa
Televisa is a Mexican multimedia conglomerate, the largest mass media company in Latin America and in the Spanish-speaking world. It is a major international entertainment business, with much of its programming airing in the United States on Univision, with which it has an exclusive contract...
.