La Tremenda 106.5

La Tremenda (branded as La Tremenda de los Dos Laredos) was an international contemporary music FM radio station that served the Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas and Laredo, Texas area of the Mexico • United States border. From May 2006 through June 2008 the radio station was broadcasting as a pirate FM radio station since it did not have a permit or license to broadcast. In June 2008 the station was shut down and a month later the station was back on air for a few days later to become silent again.

Callsign

This station never had a call sign due to it being a pirate radio station which broadcast without a license or permit. Its logo contained the fictitious United States "callsign type" letters "KLPR".^[1] It used the KLPR callsign and its slogan "La Tremenda de Los Dos Laredos" (English: La Tremenda of the Two Laredos) to make it harder for the American or Mexican government to investigate its broadcasting location since it was located in the United States-Mexican border.^[2]

Shutdown

The station was shut down by the Mexican Federal Police with orders from the Attorney General on June 5, 2008 at 2:00 PM. The last sounds broadcast were banging on doors, shouting, and glass breaking. Newspaper sources stated that "it was suspected that the signal was used for transmitting messages of members of organized crime." The shutdown of La Tremenda was part of "Operation Tamaulipas", which is the operation federal police and military are in to crack down on drug gangs in Tamaulipas.^[3] La Tremenda's broadcasting equipment, including the antenna, was dismantled and taken by the Mexican authorities. The owner faces two to 12 years in prison and a fine of up to US$40,000.^[4] The owner of the pirate radio station said he planned to apply for license from the Secretariat of Communications and Transport.^[5]

External links

• La Tremenda 106.5 FM • official site (down as of 2008-09-08)

See also

• Call sign
• Pirate radio
• Pirate radio in North America
• Los Dos Laredos
• Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas
• Laredo, Texas

References

1. ^ youtube.com video showing KLPR callsign in La Tremenda's logo accessed June 19, 2008
2. ^ Intervienen fuerzas federales estación de radio (Spanish)
3. ^ San Antonio Express News article; Federal police shutdown Nuevo Laredo radio station accessed June 19, 2008
4. ^ El Universal article; Desmantela PGR estación de radio en Nuevo Laredo (Spanish) accessed June 19, 2008
5. ^ Laredo Morning Times article; Noncompliance shutting down FM 106.5 accessed June 19, 2008

Categories: Radio stations in Nuevo Laredo | Radio stations in Laredo, Texas | Laredo • Nuevo Laredo metropolitan area | Latin rhythmic radio stations | Spanish-language radio stations | Radio stations established in 2006 | Radio stations disestablished in 2008 | Pirate radio stations | Defunct radio stations | Defunct radio stations in the United States