The AM Forum

Fresh Air from WHYY, April 21, 2005 · Writer Bill Crawford on Border Blasters.   Crawford is co-author of the book, Border Radio: Quacks, Yodelers, Pitchmen, Psychics, and other Amazing Broadcasters of the American Airwaves. It's about the "border blaster" AM stations that set up across the Mexican border to evade U.S. regulations, and beamed broadcasts into the United States.

It covers the period from the 1930s through the 1960s and included such colorful characters as Wolfman Jack, Rev. Ike, "Dr." J.R. Brinkley, and Pappy O'Daniel.

Listen to streaming audio from NPR at

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4609913

Thanks for the link, Don.  Really enjoyed the program.  I'm going to look for the book.   Good old Doc Brinkley and his goat gland treatments that "make you the ram what am with every lamb."   Woof!

There's a great song by ZZ Top titled "Heard It On The X" which is about the border station XERF. I believe this is the same station you guys are refering to......

From the song lyrics..........


"We can all thank Doctor B
who stepped across the line.
With lots of watts he took control,
the first one of its kind.
So listen to your radio
most each and every night
'cause if you don't I'm sure you won't
get to feeling right"

Glenn, you're right.  And Billy Gibbons wrote liner notes for an album featured on the NPR program, "Los Super 7: I Heard It On The X".

Hi Paul;

Great slide player that Billy G. Thanks for the tip, I'll see if I can locate that CD. Looks to be a great album.  8)