XHMAP-TDT is a local noncommercial television station in Monclova, Coahuila, broadcasting on virtual channel 29 from Loma de La Bartola.
History
The Frente Ciudadano Pro-Antena Parabólica de Monclova, A.C.,[note 1] which was owned by the local chapter of a miners' union, received two television station permits at the same time on October 23, 1987: one for XHMAP-TV on channel 7, and the other for XHOPA-TV on channel 13. XHMAP and XHOPA were primarily intended to improve the available local television service in town, though they each broadcast at a power of 300 watts; there was no national television service in Monclova when they were awarded.[2] XHOPA eventually disappeared.
XHMAP, meanwhile, cycled through various programming sources over the years. It carried Galavisión, Telemundo and both Imevisión networks at various times.[3] Ultimately, the station began rebroadcasting XHRCG-TV from Saltillo.
On August 18, 2009, miners from the union seized XHMAP-TV and shut the station down.[4] They sought to regain control of the station and hoped to modernize its antiquated transmission equipment. The miners also alleged that the president and secretary of the Comité Pro-Antena Parabólica had made a deal to allow the station to rebroadcast XHRCG.[5]
After 2009, the station's programming source changed again, to channel 4 on the local cable system operated by Núcleo Radio Televisión, a company of Rolando González Treviño. NRT owned the cable system, the channel and local FM stations XHWGR-FM and XHEMF-FM. In 2014, after the arrest of González Treviño in the United States on money laundering charges, XHMAP went off the air.[6]
In 2016, XHMAP migrated to digital television on physical channel 36. As Azteca 7 was assigned virtual channel 7 nationwide, virtual channel 29 was given to XHMAP to broadcast.[7] In May 2017, XHMAP relaunched as Canal 29 with a local schedule of programs. The relaunched XHMAP exposed itself to criticism that it was being run commercially, even though it is a noncommercial station;[2] the concessionaire claimed that Hiradier Huerta Medrano, former miners' union leader, was making money off the sale of advertisements on XHMAP.
Note
^The name on the official books until 2017 was Comité Pro-Antena Parabólica de Monclova, A.C. The Secretariat of Foreign Relations instead assigned the other name. See this IFT authorization.