Alternativa 98.1 broadcasts from a frequency that spent more than four decades cycling through identities before finally settling on the alternative rock format it carries today.
From a 1973 Cultural Station to a Public Broadcasting Signal
The station's roots trace back to October 12, 1973, when it signed on as XENM-AM 1320 under the name Radio Casa de la Cultura, before moving through a string of identities, Radio Instituto Cultural de Aguascalientes, La Voz del Estado, and Radio Solidaridad, that reflect just how many times its owners rethought its mission over the decades (Wikipedia). By the early 2010s it was operating simply as "La Estación" before the frequency made its biggest technical leap yet, launching on FM at 98.1 MHz in August 2015.
Teleradio, Tu Estación, and Finally Alternativa
That FM launch didn't settle the identity question either. The station first rebranded as "Teleradio," simulcasting audio from television partner XHCGA, then shifted again in 2017 to "Tu Estación," Your Station. When that programming moved over to sister frequency XHRTA-FM at 92.7 in early 2018, 98.1 was freed up to become something entirely different: Alternativa 98, a dedicated alternative rock signal (Wikipedia). The station operates today under Dirección General de Radio y Televisión de Aguascalientes, a division of the state government, making it public radio broadcasting a distinctly rock-oriented format, a combination that isn't especially common.
Broadcasting From a City Built Around One of Mexico's Oldest Fairs
Aguascalientes has spent nearly two centuries defining itself around the Feria Nacional de San Marcos, which traces back to a harvest fair first held in 1828 and now draws an estimated seven million visitors every spring across more than 1,500 events, music, theater, bullfighting, and a concert forum that regularly hosts major touring artists (Wikipedia). A station carrying alternative and indie rock out of a city that turns into one of the country's biggest live music and performance hubs every spring has a genuinely rich local backdrop to draw on.
- Alternative and indie rock, broadcast on 98.1 FM as Alternativa 98.
- Frequency dates back to 1973, originally Radio Casa de la Cultura on AM.
- Became Alternativa in 2018, after its prior format moved to sister station XHRTA-FM.
- Public radio, operated by the Aguascalientes state government's broadcasting office.
Why It's Worth a Spot in Your Rotation
Few alternative rock stations can point to a broadcast history running back to 1973 and six separate identities before landing on their current format. Alternativa 98.1 carries that entire winding history into a city that treats live music as a civic institution every spring, giving a public radio signal a genuinely distinctive rock identity.
Stream Alternativa 98.1 Free on Radio Shuffle
Tune in to Alternativa 98.1 on Radio Shuffle, no account, no app, no fee. Press play and hear Aguascalientes' alternative rock station take over.