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Call letters for internet radio stations?

N

nerleman

Hi, All:

I'm considering launching an internet radio station sometime soon and I was wondering if internet broadcasters can buy call letters from the FCC as terrestrial radio stations do.

Yes, I know this sounds like going to a lot of unnecessary effort but I do have a reason for wanting to know.

Anyone out there got any info to offer?

Thanks!
 
Just buy you a snazzy domain name that captures the essence and gist of your station so your manymany listeners will easily remember where to tune in on the net.

Don't let the FCC get involved until you have to. ;D
 
nerleman said:
Hi, All:

I'm considering launching an internet radio station sometime soon and I was wondering if internet broadcasters can buy call letters from the FCC as terrestrial radio stations do.


Thanks!
Click to expand...


Judging by this statement, I think perhaps you are confused about how the process works. We, as broadcasters, don't "buy call letters", per se. They are simply identifiers for our broadcast facilities. To receive a call sign from the FCC would indicate that you had a licensed broadcast facility, which you don't. As owners of broadcast facilities, we can generally change our call signs to something else that is available and fits the rules, but we get call letters only because we own broadcast facilities. Make sense?

I like the last poster's idea...get a real catchy domain name...one that'll grab the attention of potential listeners and tell them what you are all about. You'll have a LOT more room to be creative that way than with just four letters.
 
Yeah, I've already bought the web domain that I wanted.

The reason I was asking about call letters is that I may possibly have access to an old package of jingles used by the big AM top 40 station in my hometown back in the 70s. I checked the FCC's website and the station's old call letters aren't in use now. So it occurred to me to see if I could stake my claim on them. That way I can use those old jingles and not have to edit out the call letters. But if not, no biggie.

Anyone here know where I could get some good imaging done locally...and for cheap? I'm an individual with a very infinitesimal amount of disposable cash.
 
Nerleman, have you received permission from the jingle company to use those old jingles?

If not, you could be in for some legal challenges. Stations, for the most part, never really owned the jingles-but paid the producing company to use them for a certain period of time.
 
Good point, Sherlock. I recently had jingles produced for two of my stations. They were done by Tony Griffin Productions in Dallas (and, incidentally, I couldn't be happier...these folks did a TOP NOTCH job). Anyway, I do not technically "own" them. My initial fee covered a license for the jingles for a finite amount of time. I'll have to renew my rights to these jingles at the end of this term. It is my understanding that almost all jingle-makers work this way.

My advice would be to check with the company that produced the jingles. It's ALWAYS better to ask for permission than forgiveness.

As for the call letters, the FCC won't issue call letters unless you actually own a broadcast facility.
 
I'm just using old out of service calls for my net station and it's part 15 locations... WWRO, WAZK, and WHVK
 
Right on about the jingles. The production company could own your house if you don't get permission. There might be a buy-out deal available.

That would be the only reason for using calls! Hell, even most radio stations don't use them except for a legal ID.
 
Speaking of call letters...I got into a rather brisk argument with somebody a while back about them. I'm pretty old-fashioned. My stations have call letters and a frequency, and that's identification enough for me. When you hear imagining on one of my stations, you'll hear frequency and calls. Simple as that. We might use a catch-phrase like "today's hottest hits" or "your Tri-state oldies station" occasionally, but predominantly you'll hear calls and frequency. I personally believe it's better to burn these two things into a listener's memories. My stations may not be Hot AC or Oldies forever. But guess what my listeners write in those stupid diaries? That's right...calls and frequency. And since we can't submit slogans or personalities anymore, it's all the better that my listeners are already used to the two things which DO count. The person arguing with me called me "an idiot" because I don't call my stations something like "Star 1490" or "Oldies 1230". Then again, I own radio stations and he flips burgers.
 
Of course with the advent of electronic measurement -- recall, top of mind awareness and call letters become far less important. That little electronic box will tell the rating companies exactly what a person listened to and how long they listened.

It's a whole new ballgame! Programmers will no longer be able to program to the diary methodology. Instead, they will need to focus on delivering programming that listeners really want to hear.

Add that new wrinkle to the pressure of delivering revenue and life becomes even more interesting for big corporate General Managers and Program Directors.
 
Are you suggesting electronic measurement will help bring back radio as it used to be - something fun and entertaining to listen to - not some over produced juke box? What a novel idea, programming to attract listeners rather than to get diary entries!
 
I guess that depends on the meaning of "used to be". Arbitron came into it's own, replacing Hooper's telephone interviews, in the late 60s and early 70s.

It wasn't long after that that PDs started programming to ARB's methodology...music sweeps across quarter hours, ___ songs in a row and even "stretching" time checks to make listeners think they were actually listening longer and into the next quarter hour. In theory, these were all moves to improve the important "time spent listening".

Heavy repetition of call letters was to build "top of mind awareness", so if asked either in a telephone interview or when filling our a diary, you would put down the station's call letters you were aware of, even if you didn't acutally listen during a given time frame.

It seems before ARB (Arbitron), there was indeed more emphasis on exciting, entertaining radio and less science involved.

Who knows? Maybe radio will be more entertaining if the "beancounters' will allow.
 
If sales people learn how to sell without ratings it would be more entertaining. PDs might still be doing sweeps across quarter hours, and we might still say the calls a lot, but I do believe we might do things differently if we didn't have to rely on Arbitron's quarter hours.
 
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