Station identifications - most interesting?

[SidS1045]

To expand, commercial stations have to ID within 10 minutes of the top of the hour.

Ah, no.  The pertinent rule (47 C.F.R. section 73.1201) states that the station identification must be done "hourly, as close to the top of the hour as feasible, at a natural break in program offerings."

it's sufficient to say "this is KLOS.  we'll be back with Zeppelin after this break."

The same rule says the station ID must consist of the call letters followed immediately by the "community or communities specified in its license as the station's location." (e.g., "KLOS Los Angeles.")  Further, the rule states that an HD signal must be ID'ed separately.  (e.g., "KLOS and KLOS-HD, Los Angeles.")

[Pete from Boston]

Having once lived in San Diego a decade ago, I became accustomed to Mexican-licensed stations that did their IDs in Spanish. For instance, 91X: "Equis e te ere a, efe eme, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico." Mexican stations do it twice an hour, and are required to play the Mexican National Anthem at least once a day (most play it around midnight and/or near dawn).

I rented a car one night of a trip in San Diego and when every station suddenly had the same bombastic horn part I just about lost it until I put together what was going on.  These were English-language, US-top-40 stations, but as you say, licensed to broadcast from that big hill in Tijuana. 

Is the power allowance greater there, is it cheaper, or is it just the best place geographically?

[rickmastfan67]

Back when 94.5 3WS here in Pittsburgh had the Penguins games, they used to say "94 Puck 5, 3WS Pittsburgh" when they did the IDs during the games.

[6a]

To expand, commercial stations have to ID within 10 minutes of the top of the hour.

Ah, no.  The pertinent rule (47 C.F.R. section 73.1201) states that the station identification must be done "hourly, as close to the top of the hour as feasible, at a natural break in program offerings."

Well damn, I'm not sure where I got that in my head. Should've known better, thanks for the clarification.

[golden eagle]

Having once lived in San Diego a decade ago, I became accustomed to Mexican-licensed stations that did their IDs in Spanish. For instance, 91X: "Equis e te ere a, efe eme, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico." Mexican stations do it twice an hour, and are required to play the Mexican National Anthem at least once a day (most play it around midnight and/or near dawn).

I rented a car one night of a trip in San Diego and when every station suddenly had the same bombastic horn part I just about lost it until I put together what was going on.  These were English-language, US-top-40 stations, but as you say, licensed to broadcast from that big hill in Tijuana. 

Is the power allowance greater there, is it cheaper, or is it just the best place geographically?

The AMs can have greater power. For instance, XETRA-AM (91X's former sister station) has a 77K-watt signal. The most a U.S. AM can have is 50K. Even more stunning: XERF in Ciudad Acuna, MX, broadcasts at 250K watts! The late Wolfman Jack once worked at XERF.

Whether or not is cheaper to broadcast from a Mexican or U.S. transmitter...I never really thought about that. Since the cost of living is cheaperin Mexico, perhaps, it saves money on the power bill. I believe these stations started out as Spanish-language programming targeting the Mexican side of the border, but some broadcasters got the bright idea to target the U.S. side to make more revenue.

[Pete from Boston]

Most Unwieldy ID goes to Northeast Public Radio in New York.  WAMC 90.3 Albany is the one I've pulled in most often, but the ID includes what must be 10 or so affiliate stations in New York and nearby states.  It must eat up 20 minutes a day. 

[golden eagle]

^^

If you think that's bad, Jimmy Swaggart Ministries ID all of their stations, one after the other. I don't know how many that is.

[jbnv]

Back when 94.5 3WS here in Pittsburgh had the Penguins games, they used to say "94 Puck 5, 3WS Pittsburgh" when they did the IDs during the games.

That couldn't have been the legal ID. They have to spell out the call sign (in this case, WWSW).

[Rushmeister]

"97X -- BAM!! The future of rock and roll."   


(Uh oh!  It's time for Judge Wapner!)

[woodpusher]

USFL days in the 1980's:  "WXYZ Detroit....home of the Michigan Panthers....(panther growl)"
I was driving through Alabama I think it was.....I don't recall the station but it was W??? - "it's radio-active!" 

[golden eagle]

Another thing: if an AM and FM station have the same set of call letters, they must use AM or FM at the end of the letters during the legal ID (though I rarely hear the AMs do it.

[SidS1045]

Another thing: if an AM and FM station have the same set of call letters, they must use AM or FM at the end of the letters during the legal ID (though I rarely hear the AMs do it.

You "rarely" hear AM's do it because the FCC does not assign call signs with "-AM" suffixes.

The required call sign in a legal ID is the one specified on the station's license, and AM stations are assigned call signs with no suffixes at all.  This is the only remaining holdover from the days when AM stations were referred to as "standard broadcast" stations.  If two stations, one AM and one FM, with the same "base" call sign are simulcasting, the legal ID must say "WXXX, WXXX-FM, City."  The old days of "AM and FM" legal ID's are long gone.

47 C.F.R. §73.3550, the rule which defines the use of call signs in the broadcast services, nowhere mentions a "-AM" suffix on a call sign.

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2010-title47-vol4/pdf/CFR-2010-title47-vol4-sec73-3550.pdf

[6a]

That runs all the way to television, too. With the digital transition you'll see -DT at the end, before that it was -TV. Along with the AM/FM simulcast, I know of at least one, WBT, that had two separate locations. It was (is still?) 'News talk 1110 WBT, Charlotte and 99.3 WBT-FM, Chester.'

edit: that should tell you how much television I watch

[SidS1045]

That runs all the way to television, too. With the digital transition you'll see -DT at the end, before that it was -TV.

If you read the rule linked above, you'll see no mention of a "-DT" suffix.  That suffix was used during the years in which each television station was assigned two channel numbers, one for its existing analog transmitter and one for digital.  Once the transition date passed, and the analog transmitters were turned off, the use of "-DT" was ended.

[tidecat]

The Air1 radio network used to identify all of their full-power stations at the top of the hour; when a new station was acquired, it was added in to the end, and while I was a grad student at Kentucky, WXKY-FM Stanford was the newest one at the time. Their automation later improved to where each station now identifies itself individually.

[mcdonaat]

One of those is for KQID-FM, aka Q-93. "The 100,000-watt gorilla station (with a normal voice changing to a deep and serious voice) KQID, Alexandria, Monroe, West Monroe, Natchez" and immediately going into a song.

I've always had a warm spot for KQID. It was a better top 40 station "back in the day" than my home station (KSMB in Lafayette).

As one who used to pick up KQID a lot in Jackson, it was, hands down, one of the best stations ever. To be a small-market station, it had a big market sound. I also used to love the echo they had in their audio processing.

An interesting ID I used to like was KBIG in Los Angeles. I don't know if they do it now, but during my time in Cali, they would say something like, "It's four o' clock in the far west..."

I believe that, last night, we did a swap. I picked up WJMI crystal clear in Pineville, La.

Also picked up Sunny 98.3. It was. "Sunny 98.3 is KZRZ West Monroe, Monroe. Sunny 98.3 means more music."
Our native soft rock is "Sunny 106.9 is KEDG Alexandria, Pineville. Sunny 106.9 means more music." Kind of cheap, but I guess it works.

I did pick up KMRX in Pineville. I'm at least 100 miles from the closest point in range of the signal. It was weird...

[JMoses24]

An interesting ID I used to like was KBIG in Los Angeles. I don't know if they do it now, but during my time in Cali, they would say something like, "It's four o' clock in the far west..."

They do not do that anymore. I was in Los Angeles a few years ago for a conference and heard it.

One of the best ID's I ever heard came from Eaton, Ohio's WGTZ-FM, whose ID was "WGTZ, Eaton (sounds like eatin') Dayton and Springfield ALIVE!" It had actually been used since 1984, and continued in one form or another into the late 90's.

[golden eagle]

Also picked up Sunny 98.3. It was. "Sunny 98.3 is KZRZ West Monroe, Monroe. Sunny 98.3 means more music."
Our native soft rock is "Sunny 106.9 is KEDG Alexandria, Pineville. Sunny 106.9 means more music." Kind of cheap, but I guess it works.

I bet they're owned by the same company.

The KEDG calls would fit better on a rock station.

[Pete from Boston]

It's not a strict station ID, but the hourly "---–" (Morse code "V" for "victory" -- four quick Beethoven's-Fifth beeps) identifies WTIC-AM in Hartford every time I hear it.  It's hard to believe that WWII-relic tone is twice as old now as when I first recall hearing it.

[mcdonaat]

Also picked up Sunny 98.3. It was. "Sunny 98.3 is KZRZ West Monroe, Monroe. Sunny 98.3 means more music."
Our native soft rock is "Sunny 106.9 is KEDG Alexandria, Pineville. Sunny 106.9 means more music." Kind of cheap, but I guess it works.

I bet they're owned by the same company.

The KEDG calls would fit better on a rock station.

106.9 The Edge, Cenla's home for alternative!

KQID has now changed to different IDs... "Alexandria, Monroe, Natchitoches", "Alexandria, Marksville, Pineville", "Alexandria, Leesville, Jonesville"

EDIT: I heard one driving around north Louisiana a few days ago. "Coming to you from the highest point in Louisiana, this is KRLQ, Hodge-Ruston, Q Country 94.1"

KRLQ, a local backwoods station playing a mix of modern "country" (bubblegum top-40) and good classic country, also has obituaries and regional news. It's the most community-oriented station I've ever heard! Then again, I can also pick up Z-country 107.5, to hear the faithful Mountain Man Show, until I get to Williana (about 5 mins from home).