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Radio Station Call Letters- Where did they come up with them

Started by roadman65, January 31, 2015, 02:15:53 PM

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MikeTheActuary

Quote from: KeithE4Phx on December 04, 2017, 12:21:46 PM
All new Technician and General class ham licenses are issued 2x3 callsigns starting with K, and have since late 1978.  Prior to that, all new hams got 2x3 calls starting with W.  Why they changed it, I have no idea. 

1978 is when they made the change to automated sequential callsign assignment.  K < W.


wxfree

KUNT is a pirate radio station in Denton, named for the University of North Texas in that city.
I'd like to buy a vowel, Alex.  What is E?

NWI_Irish96

South Bend:

WNDU (NBC TV plus FM and formerly AM) = Notre Dame University (though it's actually University of Notre Dame), orignal owner
WSBT (CBS TV plus AM) = South Bend Tribune, original owner
WSJV (formerly ABC TV, then FOX TV, now H&I TV) = Saint Joseph Valley
WBND (ABC TV) = south BeND
WCWW (CW TV) = self-explanatory
WNIT (PBS TV) = Northern Indiana Television
WHME (LeSea TV) = World Harvest Michiana Entertainment

WSND (FM) = Students of Notre Dame
WVFI (AM) = Voice of the Fighting Irish
Indiana: counties 100%, highways 100%
Illinois: counties 100%, highways 61%
Michigan: counties 100%, highways 56%
Wisconsin: counties 86%, highways 23%

PHLBOS

Quote from: jeffandnicole on January 31, 2015, 05:00:08 PM
Quote from: jemacedo9 on January 31, 2015, 03:19:52 PM
I always wondered how...KYW in Philadelphia got K call letters.
I think they moved from another city and were permitted to transfer the call letters.
That is correct.  KYW started in Chicago circa 1921, then moved to Philadelphia circa 1934.  It would move to Cleveland circa 1956 and then back to Philadelphia in 1965.  They started their present all-news all-the-time format some 3 months after returning to Philly. 

Wiki Account of KYW Radio History
GPS does NOT equal GOD

Desert Man

WKY radio in Oklahoma City, also the name of a TV station (now KFOR 4 NBC).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WKY

Now a Spanish-language radio station, similar to KHJ 930 in L.A. from 1990-2015.
Get your kicks...on Route 99! Like to turn 66 upside down. The other historic Main street of America.

jp the roadgeek

#105
Quote from: KEVIN_224 on February 01, 2015, 01:25:00 AM
In Hartford/New Britain/Middletown:

WZMX-FM 93.7 Hartford (Hot 93.7) alluded to a prior station format of The New Mix 93.7. A previous life of the station was as WLVH-FM, the "Latin Voice Of Hartford."

WKSS-FM 95.7 Hartford/Meriden (Kiss 95.7) alluded to a prior station format of beautiful music. The station became a Top 40 station in 1984, rebranded as 95.7-Kiss FM and competed with WTIC-FM 96.5 of Hartford.

WTIC-FM 96.5 Hartford, alluded to prior station ownership by the Traveler's Insurance Corporation with sister station WTIC-AM 1080. Both stations are owned by CBS Radio Entercom today.

WUCS-FM 97.9 Windsor Locks/Hartford is our ESPN Radio affiliate. The letters mean "Ultimate Connecticut Sports."
WRCH-FM 100.5 New Britain/Hartford is A/C powerhouse Lite 100.5 today. The letters alluded to "Rich - FM 100" and a pre-1989 beautiful music format.

WDRC-FM 102.9 Hartford alluded to the Doolittle Radio Company. It's is considered to the state's first FM station.

WMRQ-FM 104.1 Waterbury/Hartford alludes to the station's Modern Rock/Alternative format times: From 1994 to 2003 and from the late 2000s to today. When Clear Channel owned the station, it had a life as WPHH-FM, and was Urban-formatted Power 104.1.

WIHS-FM 104.9 Middletown is a non-commercial religious station. The letters mean "We're In His Service."

WHCN-FM 105.9 Hartford is presently Classic Hits "The River 105.9." The letters may mean "Hartford, Connecticut" for some. They actually stood for "Hartford - Concert Network". It was part of a regional group with then-WBCN-FM 104.1 of Boston and WRCN-FM 103.9 in Riverhead, NY (Long Island).

WCCC-FM 106.9 Hartford was once owned by a prominent Hartford business man named Bill Savitt. a long time jeweler store owner. Supposedly, the letters alluded to something like Cut, Carat and Clarity. I'm not 100% sure though. The station became a long time rocker in the 1970s and even employed Howard Stern. Today, they're a religious K-Love station. (Yawn!)

WHCN dj's used to joke that CCC stood for Copy Copy Copy.  Also a running joke that the PLR in WPLR in New Haven stands for Play a Lotta Repeats, and might have been part of a network including WPLJ.    WMRQ was once WWCO, sister station to WWCO-AM (still exists as part of the Talk of Connecticut network run by WDRC-AM) , then WIOF (sort of looks like 10Four) in it's country and "Magic 104" soft AC days, then WYSR when it was rebranded "Star 104".  BTW, I fixed WTIC ownership to Entercom.

Hartford/New Haven Television Call Letters:

WFSB 3 (CBS):  Once known as WTIC (see above), and was a sister station to the radio stations.  Became WFSB when sold to the Washington Post and named after broadcasting division president Frederick S Beebe.

WTNH 8 (ABC):  Television NewHaven.  Once known as WNHC which stood for New Haven, Connecticut (WPLR mentioned above was originally WNHC-FM)

WUVN 18 (Univision):  Has to do with its Univision affiliation.  Once known as WHCT, standing for Hartford, Connecticut

WCCT 20 (CW):  Once known as WATR (see above) and WTXX (Television and the roman numeral for 20).  Now stands for CW and the postal sign CT.  Sister station of WTIC

WEDH 24/ WEDW 49/ WEDN 53/ WEDY 65 (PBS): All part of CPTV (Connecticut Public Television).  The ED stands for educational, the last letters stand for location: H for Hartford, W for Western CT, N for Norwich, and Y for Yale (New Haven)

WVIT 30 (NBC): Call letters associated with its old owner Viacom (now an O&O), and stands for Viacom International Television.  Once known as WNBC for New Britain, Connecticut before the network flagship took th letters, then as WHNB, standing for Hartford/New Britain

WCTX 59 (My Network): CT the postal code, and the station was once branded as "The X" when it became a UPN affiliate. Was once a repeater for WVIT, then became a low-powered WTVU before becoming WBNE (Warner Brothers New England) when it was a WB affiliate (swapped affiliations with WCCT in 2001).  Sister station of WTNH.

WTIC 61 (FOX):  Revival of old WTIC call letters (see above), but no relation to the radio stations other than shared weather resources.  Proposed call letters were WETG in honor of former governor Ella T Grasso.  Sister station of WCCT.
Interstates I've clinched: 97, 290 (MA), 291 (CT), 291 (MA), 293, 295 (DE-NJ-PA), 295 (RI-MA), 384, 391, 395 (CT-MA), 395 (MD), 495 (DE), 610 (LA), 684, 691, 695 (MD), 695 (NY), 795 (MD)

Road Hog

Quote from: wxfree on December 04, 2017, 01:44:09 PM
KUNT is a pirate radio station in Denton, named for the University of North Texas in that city.
Maybe there's a pirate using that call for comedic purposes, but the call of the university station is actually KNTU.

Flint1979

WJR in Detroit is for Jewitt Radio the original owners.
WDIV in Detroit is for Detroit 4 as it's on channel 4, the NBC station.
WJBK in Detroit stands for Jesus Be Kind.
WOMC in Detroit comes from Wayne, Oakland, Macomb Counties.

Rick1962

Tulsa:

KFMJ: Fred & Mary Jones -- Jones owned a Ford Motor CO. re-manufacturing plant in OKC, as well as Ford dealerships in OKC and Tulsa.

KRMG: From names of Kerr-McGee oil company partners Senator Robert S. Kerr & Dean McGee.

KTUL: Tulsa. Originally a radio station, now Channel 8.

KWGS: William G. Skelly -- Tulsa oilman & philanthropist.

KVOO: Voice of Oklahoma (from 50,000-watt AM days).

Tulsa's first UHF station was (short-lived) KCEB in the mid-'50s. Founder Elfred Beck's last name spelled backwards.

Desert Man

#109
The state of Utah has a large radio/TV market, including eastern NV, and parts of ID, WY, CO and Az. - KENV (NBC) 10 of Elko, Nev. with a translator on 7 in Winnemucca (KWNV). And KKOH 780 Reno Nv. covers the entire west...west of the Rockies, that is (night time).
Get your kicks...on Route 99! Like to turn 66 upside down. The other historic Main street of America.

inkyatari

Quote from: briantroutman on February 05, 2015, 02:25:03 PM

Perhaps it would have been impractical in real life, but I recall hearing more than a few broadcasters say that WKRP–more than any other fictional radio station–came the closest to representing life in radio.

Soon my video game podcast is going to have a special episode about mine and my co-host's radio careers.

Let's just say, in my experience, WKRP is a documentary.
I'm never wrong, just wildly inaccurate.

inkyatari

Quote from: Pete from Boston on February 04, 2015, 09:30:46 AM
WKRP either stands for nothing or for "crap," but were a compromise because the preferred choices were being used by real radio stations.

If I recall correctly there was a WKRC in Cincinatti around the time of the sitcom.
I'm never wrong, just wildly inaccurate.

inkyatari

Oh.  The Radio station I worked for..

WKAN - I'm assuming it stands for Kankakee
WYKT - Not sure, but they called themselves THE KAT! (Later changed, for a short while to "The Pickle" for some unknown reason)
and WXNU - No idea.  This was a new radio station Star Radio created when a new frequency became available.
I'm never wrong, just wildly inaccurate.

jp the roadgeek

Quote from: inkyatari on December 07, 2017, 05:15:24 PM
Quote from: Pete from Boston on February 04, 2015, 09:30:46 AM
WKRP either stands for nothing or for "crap," but were a compromise because the preferred choices were being used by real radio stations.

If I recall correctly there was a WKRC in Cincinatti around the time of the sitcom.

And there still is.  The CBS/CW TV affiliate, and an iHeart radio station have those call letters.

Quote from: Road Hog on December 05, 2017, 02:44:24 PM
Quote from: wxfree on December 04, 2017, 01:44:09 PM
KUNT is a pirate radio station in Denton, named for the University of North Texas in that city.
Maybe there’s a pirate using that call for comedic purposes, but the call of the university station is actually KNTU.

Somehow, don't think the FCC (or Industry Canada) would allow those last three letters in that order.  Maybe they would if they were assigned to another school in Texas: Sam Houston Institute of Technology

Interstates I've clinched: 97, 290 (MA), 291 (CT), 291 (MA), 293, 295 (DE-NJ-PA), 295 (RI-MA), 384, 391, 395 (CT-MA), 395 (MD), 495 (DE), 610 (LA), 684, 691, 695 (MD), 695 (NY), 795 (MD)

DTComposer

Holy City was a purported utopian community along CA-17 between Los Gatos and Santa Cruz founded by William Riker in 1919. In the 1920s he operated a radio station with the call letters KFQU. I'm surprised they let those letters through.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_City,_California

wxfree

Quote from: jp the roadgeek on December 07, 2017, 10:45:56 PM
Quote from: Road Hog on December 05, 2017, 02:44:24 PM
Quote from: wxfree on December 04, 2017, 01:44:09 PM
KUNT is a pirate radio station in Denton, named for the University of North Texas in that city.
Maybe there's a pirate using that call for comedic purposes, but the call of the university station is actually KNTU.

Somehow, don't think the FCC (or Industry Canada) would allow those last three letters in that order.  Maybe they would if they were assigned to another school in Texas: Sam Houston Institute of Technology

I don't know if it's still running.  According to the Dallas Observer, it was run by a student from his dorm room in 2013.  It's likely he's graduated by now.  The station's Facebook page, linked to in the article, hasn't been updated since 2014.
http://www.dallasobserver.com/music/meet-the-mad-scientist-operating-pirate-radio-station-kunt-out-of-a-denton-dorm-room-7049249
I'd like to buy a vowel, Alex.  What is E?

Desert Man

Quote from: DTComposer on December 07, 2017, 11:05:52 PM
Holy City was a purported utopian community along CA-17 between Los Gatos and Santa Cruz founded by William Riker in 1919. In the 1920s he operated a radio station with the call letters KFQU. I'm surprised they let those letters through.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_City,_California


I heard of Holy City, one of a few cities disincorporated in CA history (in 1959, after 33 years being a city). It was founded on the principle of religious living, esp. prohibition and temperance. Prohibition was federal law: the 18th amendment of the US constitution from 1919 to its repeal by the 21st amendment in 1933.
Get your kicks...on Route 99! Like to turn 66 upside down. The other historic Main street of America.

Henry

I'd be surprised if a radio station existed with the calls KCUF, as that is a major swearword spelled backwards.

Is there a list of callsigns that are banned for vulgar use, like there is one for vanity plates?
Go Cubs Go! Go Cubs Go! Hey Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today!

jp the roadgeek

Quote from: Henry on December 08, 2017, 09:02:17 AM
I'd be surprised if a radio station existed with the calls KCUF, as that is a major swearword spelled backwards.

Is there a list of callsigns that are banned for vulgar use, like there is one for vanity plates?

Going through some of Mr. Carlin's seven deadly words and a couple others.  There is no CRAP in Canada, none involving 3 or 4 letters of the F-word or the vulgar (or slightly less vulgar) word for urination, none involving the "T" word for bosoms, no W or K SHT, no WUSS, C or K RZY, or WTF.  There is a KRAP in Missouri, a W and K DAM in Mississippi and South Dakota, a W and K MFR in North Carolina and Texas, and a WHOP in Kentucky.  The most interesting is KSKR in Oregon
Interstates I've clinched: 97, 290 (MA), 291 (CT), 291 (MA), 293, 295 (DE-NJ-PA), 295 (RI-MA), 384, 391, 395 (CT-MA), 395 (MD), 495 (DE), 610 (LA), 684, 691, 695 (MD), 695 (NY), 795 (MD)

Desert Man

KSXY, a FM station in Fresno in the 1990s...an interesting call sign if you ask me. "KDAM" (KDMM) 103.1 in the Parker AZ area covers nearby Lake Havasu City on one side of the Colorado river and Needles with Blythe CA on the other. And KFBK 1530 from Sacramento is one letter too close to the F word, heard across California and the western states.
Get your kicks...on Route 99! Like to turn 66 upside down. The other historic Main street of America.

KeithE4Phx

#120
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on December 08, 2017, 11:01:54 AM
There is no CRAP in Canada...

That's because CR callsigns are assigned to Portugal, part of that country's CQ-CU block, not Canada.  Canada's "C" blocks includes CF-CK plus CY-CZ and, unoficially, CB.  The latter two are not (yet) used for broadcasters, and they have a long-standing agreement with Chile to use the CB block (Chile owns the CA-CE block) for CBC-owned stations.

QuoteThe most interesting is KSKR in Oregon

There's KKNT in Phoenix.
"Oh, so you hate your job? Well, why didn't you say so? There's a support group for that. It's called "EVERYBODY!" They meet at the bar." -- Drew Carey

SidS1045

Quote from: bing101 on January 31, 2015, 02:49:43 PM
WABC once stood for Atlantic Broadcasting Company back in the 1930-1940's in New York before CBS had to change 880am to WCBS to prevent confusion with 770 AM.

880 changed call letters from WABC to WCBS in 1946, three years after the NBC Blue Network became ABC.  770 changed from WJZ to WABC in 1953.
"A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves." - Edward R. Murrow

SidS1045

Quote from: bing101 on February 01, 2015, 12:26:52 AMWNEW Washington,DC stands,for New York

Nope.

The call letters came from the station on 1130 in New York City.  The original owners of the station, Milton Biow and Arde Bulova (who also founded a well known watch company), wanted to convey to their listeners that theirs was a NEW station in the New York area.
"A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves." - Edward R. Murrow

bing101

Quote from: SidS1045 on December 09, 2017, 07:53:05 PM
Quote from: bing101 on January 31, 2015, 02:49:43 PM
WABC once stood for Atlantic Broadcasting Company back in the 1930-1940's in New York before CBS had to change 880am to WCBS to prevent confusion with 770 AM.

880 changed call letters from WABC to WCBS in 1946, three years after the NBC Blue Network became ABC.  770 changed from WJZ to WABC in 1953.

WJZ supposedly stood for New Jersey when WJZ was signed for NBC Blue affiliate in New York in the 1930's and 1940's.

But WJZ was later used for a CBS-TV affiliate in Baltimore, MD.

jwolfer

Jacksonville FL has WFOX for the fox affilliate. Which surprises me it's not in NYC

WTLV is channel TweLVe NBC
WJAX is  channel 47 the CBS affiliate
WJXT for JaXTv is the oldest TV station in Jacksonville long time CBS affiliate

Channel 47 started as a Christian Station it's call letters were WXAO X (shorthand for Christ) the Alpha and the Omega
----------------
Some Jax Radio call letters from the past I liked were

WIOI " w one o one" for 100.7 FM back when radio dials were used

WAIA was 93.3 FM after the iconic a1a.. the roadgeeks favorite station LOL

WDBO is the big talk station in Orlando.. used to be am 580.. I always assumed it was for 'Daytona Beach Orlando"  back when Orlando split media with Daytona Beach and it was a small unknown mid Florida city but apparently it was for "Way Down By Orlando"

WPBF is a tv station in West Palm Beach Florida .. like WWVA is Wheeling WV

Z981




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