The Sistema de Radiodifusoras Culturales Indígenas (SRCI; ) is a state-owned network of radio stations in Mexico. The radio stations it operates are community radio stations that aim to serve different sectors of the country's indigenous peoples. Pursuant to Article 4 of the Constitution, their mission is to strengthen the multicultural nature of the nation by promoting the use of 31 indigenous languages.
As the stations are owned by the federal government, they hold public concessions.
History The SRCI began operations in 1979 with the launch of XEZV-AM, "La Voz de la Montaña", in Tlapa de Comonfort, Guerrero. The network was initially managed by the National Indigenist Institute (INI), an agency of the federal government In 2003, the INI was dissolved and replaced by the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples (CDI), which consequently assumed control over the network. The CDI was in turn replaced by the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (INPI) in late 2018.
Until 2019, the station was known as the Sistema de Radiodifusoras Culturales Indigenistas (Indigenist Cultural Broadcasting System).
Stations
The SRCI operates 22 primary radio stations, most of which transmit on AM and eight of which are high-power FM stations. It also previously operated four 10-watt FM stations in Yucatán.
The 22 main stations transmit for an average of 12 hours a day, during daylight hours, covering 928 municipalities with high levels of indigenous inhabitants. The stations' potential audience comprises 5 million speakers of indigenous languages and more than 22 million Spanish speakers. They all broadcast an array of programming in both Spanish and the particular native languages spoken in the coverage area.
Four stations are AM-FM migrants: XHCARH, XHPET, XHTUMI, XHNKA. XHCARH and XHPET are required to maintain their AM frequencies because they are the only radio service for certain communities in its AM coverage area. The second and third stations reacquired their AM frequencies under new callsigns.
In 2016 and 2017, the CDI applied for and received FM radio stations that provide simulcast service for XETLA (XHPBSD-FM 95.9), XEGLO (XHGJO-FM 88.3), and XEQIN (XHSQB-FM 95.1).
On February 28, 2020, the INPI relaunched La Voz de los Chontales, which had been shuttered as XENAC in 1989 for political reasons, as XHCPBS-FM. Call sign Launched Transmitting from Coverage Languages FrequencyXEZV 10 May 1979 Guerrero(Tlapa de Comonfort) Guerrero OaxacaPuebla NahuatlMixtecTlapanec 800 AMXETLAXHPBSD 15 September 1982 Oaxaca (Tlaxiaco) OaxacaGuerreroPuebla MixtecTriqui 930 AM95.9 FMXEPUR 2 October 1982 Michoacán (Cherán) Michoacán Purepecha 830 AMXETAR 11 November 1982 Chihuahua (Guachochi) ChihuahuaSinaloaDurango TarahumaraTepehuano 870 AMXHPETXEPET 29 November 1982 Yucatán (Peto) YucatánQuintana RooCampeche Yucatec Maya 105.5 FM730 AMXEVFS 27 April 1987 Chiapas (Las Margaritas) ChiapasGuatemala TojolabalMamTseltalTsotsilPopti 1030 AMXEANT 28 September 1990 San Luis Potosí (Tancanhuitz de Santos) San Luis PotosíHidalgo QuerétaroVeracruz NahuatlPameWastek 770 AMXEGLOXHGJO 18 November 1990 Oaxaca (Guelatao de Juárez) OaxacaVeracruz ZapotecMixeChinantec 780 AM88.3 FMXEZON 20 November 1991 Veracruz (Zongolica) VeracruzOaxacaPueblaTlaxcala Nahuatl 1360 AMXEOJN 14 December 1991 Oaxaca (San Lucas Ojitlán) OaxacaPueblaVeracruz MazatecCuicatec Chinantec 950 AMXEJMN 3 April 1992 Nayarit (Jesús María) Nayarit Jalisco Durango Zacatecas Cora Huichol Tepehuano Nahuatl 750 AMXEJAM 5 May 1994 Oaxaca (Santiago Jamiltepec) Oaxaca Guerrero Mixtec Amuzgo Chatino 1260 AMXEQINXHSQB 15 June 1994 Baja California (San Quintín) Baja California Mixtec Zapotec Triqui 1160 AM95.1 FMXECTZ 21 August 1994 Puebla (Cuetzalan) Puebla Hidalgo Veracruz Nahuatl Totonac 1260 AMXEXPUJ 22 January 1996 Campeche(Xpujil) Campeche Quintana Roo Yucatec Maya Ch'ol 700 AMXEETCH 19 February 1996 Sonora (Etchojoa) Sonora Sinaloa Chihuahua Mayo Yaqui Guarijio 700 AMXECOPA 17 July 1997 Chiapas(Copainalá) Chiapas Tabasco Zoque Tzotzil 1210 AMXHTUMIXETUX 12 May 1998 Michoacán (Tuxpan) Michoacán Edo. de México Querétaro Mazahua Otomi 107.9 FM1010 AMXHCARHXECARH 1 August 1998 Hidalgo (Cardonal) Hidalgo Querétaro Veracruz San Luis Potosí Ñha-ñhu Nahuatl 89.1 FM1480 AMXHNKAXEFEL 15 June 1999 Quintana Roo (Felipe Carrillo Puerto) Quintana Roo Yucatec Maya 104.5 FM1030 AMXETPH 8 November 2012 Durango (Santa María de Ocotán) Durango, Nayarit O'dam, Wixarika 960 AMXHCPBS 28 February 2020 Tabasco (Nacajuca) Tabasco Yokot'an, Ch'ol, Ayapa Zoque 98.7 FMXHCPCT 28 September 2021 Sonora (Vícam) Sonora Yaqui 89.3 FM
Defunct stations
Between 1982 and 1989, the SRCI system included a station at Nacajuca, Tabasco, XENAC-AM 1440. That station was shut down in 1989; the station was revived more than 30 years later as XHCPBS-FM.
The CDI also formerly held a trio of permits for low-power FM stations at three communities in Michoacán;Proyectos experimentales: Radiodifusoras de baja potencia en albergues escolares indígenas (SRCI) these were not renewed.
Programming The stations' programming is eminently community-focused. Bilingual presenters attend inquiries from listeners, convey community and personal announcements, and promote various government assistance programs in the areas of health, education, human rights, etc. Traditional music is also a key component of the stations' broadcasts, and their recording collections, frequently gathered in the field, constitute an important cultural resource.
References
External links Sistema de Radiodifusoras Culturales Indígenas The Negotiation of Indigenist Radio Policy in Mexico (on World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters website)