Bay City Television - Special Broadcast Authority

Special Broadcast Authority

Because XETV is licensed to Tijuana by the Mexican government, it is not covered under the FCC's must carry rules. This means that local cable providers are not required to carry XETV, even if the TV station requests to be carried under this provision. However, subchannel 6.1 is carried by Cox Communications, Time Warner Cable and AT&T U-verse in San Diego and by Cablemás in Tijuana, while subchannel 6.2 is not carried by the systems on the American side of the border. Subchannel 6.2 notwithstanding, XETV has broadcast almost entirely in English since 1956, if not earlier. The only exceptions are station identifications, the compulsory playing of the Mexican national anthem El Himno Nacional Mexicano, technical disclaimers and public service announcements.

XETV broadcasts 24 hours a day, however for legal sign-on purposes and as required by Mexican regulations (specifically Article 41 of Mexico's Law on the National Arms, Flag, and Anthem), its broadcast day begins at 5 a.m. Pacific time Monday through Saturday and 6 a.m. on Sundays; this begins with the playing of El Himno Nacional Mexicano, followed by the customary operational information and disclaimer, read in both English and Spanish on its primary digital channel (6.1). For a period of time dating back to its days as a Fox affiliate, the station had also played the national anthem of the United States, The Star Spangled Banner, prior to the disclaimer (XETV has since dropped the latter anthem and only shows the former).

Since the mid-1990s, XETV's production operations have been based in the United States. The station's production, news and sales operations are owned by Televisa subsidiary Bay City Television, while Televisa itself owns the master control and transmitter facility on Mount San Antonio in Tijuana. Local programming is fed from San Diego to Mount San Antonio by way of microwave link, and network and syndicated shows via satellite. There is currently no local programming on XETV which originates from Tijuana.

Because its broadcast area covers San Diego, XETV also voluntarily complies with the FCC's policies on public service and requirements for E/I children's programming.