There’s something important you should know as political advertising ramps up.

First off, we genuinely appreciate that so many candidates recognize the value of reaching the FMX audience. Not only is FMX #1 in Lubbock, but we also have the highest exclusive audience in town. That means a huge portion of our listeners are “FMX or nothing” people — if they’re not with us, their radios are off. That loyalty is rare, and we’re grateful for it every single day.

Why FMX Airs Every Political Ad — Whether We Like It or Not

Here’s the part most folks don’t realize: federal law requires every radio station operating on public airwaves to accept political advertising. We also must offer candidates the lowest rate we have available. Yes, that revenue helps keep us running, but we have zero control over the content of any political ad that airs.

And that includes the wild stuff. Over the years, we’ve heard ads that were strange, offensive, misleading, or flat-out unhinged. It doesn’t matter if we agree, disagree, cringe, or facepalm — if a qualified candidate buys the time, we legally must run it. We can’t edit it, reject it, soften it, or shape it. Not even a little.

So here’s my ask: please judge the message, not the station carrying it. We don’t want to lose listeners because of things we didn’t write, approve, or endorse. FMX has always been in the business of creating smiles, cracking jokes, and giving you a place to rock your troubles away — not pushing political agendas.

I wanted to get ahead of this political season (and the next, and the next) by being transparent. We’re thankful for the business, but even if we wanted to turn down a political ad… we legally can’t.

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