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Some Audacy All-News Stations Acknowledge Their AM Frequencies, Some Don't

G

Gregg.

I find it interesting that WINS still is doing promos to remind listeners they can get their news in clear FM sound by tuning to 92.3. WINS has been simulcasting on WINS-FM since October 2022. I suppose the ratings show some folks are still tuning to 1010 AM. I guess that includes listeners well inside the FM coverage area, not just folks too far to hear the FM signal but still receiving 1010 kHz.

Unlike some Audacy stations that simulcast, WINS continues to use the phrase "Ten-ten WINS on 92.3 FM." Ten-ten WINS is a slogan that pre-dates the All-News format, from when it was a Top 40 station in the 1960s. It went All-News in 1965.

I've heard WBBM still using 780 occasionally, KCBS says 740 sometimes and WFAN still mentions 660. But other Audacy stations only acknowledge the AM station briefly in the legal I.D. KYW never talks about 1060, KNX never talks about 1070.
 
Audacy is focusing on brands. 10-10-WINS is a brand. You think of it as a dial location. But imagine that there is no dial. Then the AM frequency no longer matters. In other words, think beyond AM or FM. Think about a brand that exists on the infinite dial. They aren't tuning in frequencies on transistor radios. They're searching for news on the Audacy app. You save your stations on your own favorites bar. That's where this is heading.
 
Gregg. said:
But other Audacy stations only acknowledge the AM station briefly in the legal I.D.
Click to expand...
The frequency is not part of the legal ID. A legal ID requires call letters and city of license (together). Some stations have gotten their wrists slapped for deviating: WWJ, The Detroit News. WCFL, The Voice of Labor, it's 10 o'clock, Chicago. Wins, can not be used in a legal ID, just W-I-N-S.
 
Jean Luc said:
The frequency is not part of the legal ID. A legal ID requires call letters and city of license (together). Some stations have gotten their wrists slapped for deviating: WWJ, The Detroit News. WCFL, The Voice of Labor, it's 10 o'clock, Chicago. Wins, can not be used in a legal ID, just W-I-N-S.
Click to expand...
It is legal to put the frequency and / or the owner or the station network in between the calls and the COL. "WWJ, the Detroit News, Detroit" would have been legal when the paper was so owned.

"(1) Official station identification shall consist of the station's call letters immediately followed by the community or communities specified in its license as the station's location; Provided, That the name of the licensee, the station's frequency, the station's channel number, as stated on the station's license, and/or the station's network affiliation may be inserted between the call letters and station location."
 
DavidEduardo said:
It is legal to put the frequency and / or the owner or the station network in between the calls and the COL. "WWJ, the Detroit News, Detroit" would have been legal when the paper was so owned.

"(1) Official station identification shall consist of the station's call letters immediately followed by the community or communities specified in its license as the station's location; Provided, That the name of the licensee, the station's frequency, the station's channel number, as stated on the station's license, and/or the station's network affiliation may be inserted between the call letters and station location."
Click to expand...
Actually, it wasn't. After a letter from the FCC, they started saying "WWJ, Detroit, the Detroit News station" or "This is the Detroit News station, WWJ, Detroit."
 
Jean Luc said:
Actually, it wasn't. After a letter from the FCC, they started saying "WWJ, Detroit, the Detroit News station" or "This is the Detroit News station, WWJ, Detroit."
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The issue there is correctly stating the name of the licensee, not modifying it. But using the licensee name is legal.
 
wadio said:
Are you sure about that? Wikipedia says it's true but they're not always right. Seems like the simulcast began much more recently ... like maybe last year.
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No, at this point the WINS simulcast has been ongoing for two and a half years. Late October 2022. (Forgive me for not looking up the exact date, but it's somewhere around 10/26/22.)

BTW, to Gregg, who wrote in #1, "KCBS says 740 sometimes", most of the time they just mention the calls, but when they do say a positioner, it is always "All News 106.9 and AM 740, KCBS" and has been so for over a decade.
 
Kemosabe said:
That's interesting. The station had branded itself as KNX 1070 Newsradio for decades.
Click to expand...

It's a subtle difference.

"Ten Ten Wins" is three syllables that starts with the number. It's THE brand's whole identity and is super memorable -- like 7-11 convenience stores, a name that originally reflected their operating hours. The brand identity became so firmly ingrained in consumers' consciousness that there was no need to change it when the store hours improved,

"KNX 1070 Newsradio" is a lengthy 11 syllables. "KNX News" is four syllables, catchier and more memorable. The brand doesn't need the number. It's better without it.
 
wadio said:
Are you sure about that? Wikipedia says it's true but they're not always right. Seems like the simulcast began much more recently ... like maybe last year.
Click to expand...


There's always primary sources available:
News item from Lance dated October 10, 2022, shortly before the flip:
radioinsight.com

Audacy To Launch 92.3 WINS-FM New York

Audacy has announced it will flip "Alt 92.3" WNYL New York to a simulcast of News 1010 WINS on Thursday,
radioinsight.com radioinsight.com
 
WBBM virtually never mentions 780. It's "Newsradio 105.9 WBBM". Of course 105.9 is WCFS, which they do legally ID once an hour. (The actual WBBM-FM is B96.)
 
For some of these all-news stations, the AM does add some value as the AM listening area is larger than the FM. WINS is somewhat of an exception. 1010 isn't a bad signal but there are few areas where the AM comes in where the FM does not. I'm surprised they are still simulcasting. As others have mentioned 1010 WINS is the brand, not the dial position at this point.

Audacy could probably make some money with another format or renting it out.
 
michael hagerty said:
The difference is that New Yorkers call WINS "Ten-Ten Wins". That's the brand.
Click to expand...
That's definitely true. The call letters, WINS, flow right off the tongue. If Audacy wanted, there is nothing stopping them from using "10-10 WINS" as the brand if they dumped the AM signal and went solely on 92.3.
 
KYW (Philly) dropped mentioning 1060 AM frequency within a year of simulcasting on FM but they kept 1060 in their logo and imaging in addition to 103.9 (FM). However they just adopted a new logo for their 60th anniversary of the all news format so neither 1060 nor 103.9 are part of their logo this year.

I can understand because as much as I loved their top of the hour jingle with 1060 in it, any new listeners are probably coming the FM band or streaming and not from the AM band.
 
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