By R.J. Morales
OPINION | TX3DNews.com
DHS—the Department of Homeland Security—is now running self-deportation ads on 1310/96.7 The Ticket. Let that sink in.
For those unfamiliar, our beloved “little Ticket” could never be mistaken for Tejano FM or some dry public affairs channel. It’s sports radio for the Dallas-area dad crowd—Allen, Plano, and McKinney types who treat Cowboys draft picks like sacred texts and live for fantasy football smack talk. It’s suburban, sports-loving, and proudly irreverent.
For years, it’s been the soundtrack to our joy and pain—laughing through another Cowboys collapse, celebrating the Rangers and Mavs winning it all, riding high on the Stars’ playoff run toward the Cup.
The Ticket has always been where we put politics aside and come together as P1s—for Fake Jerry’s rants, Corby’s snake laugh, and the Musers’ musing magic during the morning drive.
Which is exactly why it’s so jarring to suddenly hear federal government PSAs about self-deportation airing in between segments. Not exactly the kind of content you expect between laughs and box scores.
So why are DHS messages—urging undocumented people to “voluntarily” turn themselves in—airing in English, on a station with a largely U.S.-born, English-speaking audience?
Maybe this isn’t about outreach at all. Maybe it’s not meant for undocumented immigrants—but for the guy in his car, nodding along on the morning drive, or catching a segment during lunch with a sandwich in hand. It’s not about reaching the undocumented—it’s about reassuring the documented. A political wink to a certain demographic that says, “We’re tough, we’re in control,” even if the reality is far more complicated. When policy starts playing for the cameras and enforcement becomes a marketing strategy, don’t we have a right to ask: who’s really being served here?
Let’s be honest—these ads aren’t about information or integrity. They lean on fear, dramatize the stakes, and dress up enforcement as entertainment. It’s less about informing the public and more about putting on a show. And it makes you wonder—when did the unapologetic voice of North Texas sports radio turn into background noise for a government PR campaign? And when did “just doing our job” start sounding a lot like saying nothing at all?
We reached out to KTCK and its hosts for comment. So far? Crickets. And that’s surprising—this is a station that prides itself on always having a take and never being in Jerry Jones’ pocket. But when it’s Uncle Sam picking up the ad tab, maybe that mic gets a little heavier. Turns out, it’s easier to clown Jerry for drafting a punter in the third round than to weigh in on DHS ad buys. When the money’s federal and the message is loaded, even the loudest mouths can suddenly lose their voice.
No one’s saying The Ticket supports the message—but silence still says something. It suggests a business decision took priority over values. And if you’ve followed The Ticket’s history—corporate shakeups, internal drama—you know it’s seen better days. Maybe the check cleared faster than the conscience.
This isn’t about being “for” or “against” immigration enforcement. It’s about something bigger: whether the stations we trust should be reduced to paid mouthpieces for scare tactics—especially when it’s all on the taxpayers’ dime.
North Texas deserves better. We deserve honest conversations, not performative crackdowns. And listeners deserve to know where their stations stand when credibility is on the line.
Because in the end, this isn’t just about ads. It’s about values—and whether we let politics hijack our airwaves, or demand more from the voices we rely on every day.
Maybe it’s time we all—DHS, radio execs, and loyal P1s—listened a little harder. And asked tougher questions before we we nod our heads.
Disclaimer: This op-ed reflects the author’s opinion and not necessarily the views of TX3DNews.com. It is based on ads personally heard on 1310/96.7 The Ticket. KTCK was contacted for comment; no response was received as of publication.