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The Autonomous University of Baja California Sur (UABCS) officially began broadcasting on 99.9 FM in La Paz on June 9, marking a major upgrade for the university’s radio operations as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations.
Governor Víctor Manuel Castro Cosío inaugurated Radio UABCS at the university’s Radio and Television Center alongside UABCS Rector Dante Arturo Salgado González. The new FM frequency replaces the university’s previous AM-only presence on XEUBS-AM 1180, which had been the last station in Baja California Sur still broadcasting exclusively on the AM dial.
From AM to FM: A Long Road to 99.9
The frequency has an unusual backstory. The Baja California Sur state government received authorization in 2013 to migrate its AM station to FM as XHEBCS-FM 99.9, but the facility was never built. For over a decade, the 99.9 FM license sat unused while the state radio network operated on other frequencies. In 2024, the state government announced it would transfer the concession to UABCS through the State Institute of Radio and Television (IERT).
That transfer is now complete. The move gives UABCS a far stronger signal than its old AM station could deliver. FM broadcasting reaches more listeners with clearer audio, particularly important in a state where terrain and distances make radio coverage challenging.
A Non-Commercial Station for La Paz
Radio UABCS operates as a public, non-commercial station focused on education, culture, science, and the arts. Castro Cosío called it a space for communication open to both the university community and the broader public, intended to expand access to information and civic participation across Baja California Sur.
UABCS has operated some form of radio programming for roughly 30 years through its AM station. The FM upgrade brings new programming potential and positions the station as a civic platform for the region. Content will include academic programming, cultural coverage, and community-oriented information.
The university, founded in 1976, is the primary public higher education institution in Baja California Sur. Its main campus sits on the southern edge of La Paz, the state capital. Listeners in La Paz can now tune to 99.9 FM to hear the station’s programming.
This story was first reported by Colectivo Pericú and confirmed by multiple Baja California Sur news outlets including Tribuna de México and La Polaca BCS.