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Can 103.9 get the KYW-FM calls?
- Thread starter nd2023
- Start date
Per FCC rules, yes since they have the parent KYW calls on 1060. Per their contract with CBS from the acquisition, they will have to eventually turn over the rights to all the CBS TV O&O calls pending of course a relicensing or a new agreement after a set period of time.
Why are east coast stations generally “W” while west coast stations are “K” ? Is this a requirement or just some kind of unwritten rule? And if it is a requirement, why is 1060 KYW?
Federal law. Here's a good place to start. There are links to the laws and the exceptions:
But there are others like KQV in Pittsburgh and a number that moved from one side of "the river" to another:
But there are others like KQV in Pittsburgh and a number that moved from one side of "the river" to another:
102.1 Sardis Mississippi, a good hour or more east of the river was originally KBUD when it went on the air and was locally owned/operated. It's now Kloves WKFF
Eventually all the former CBS radio stations that share call signs with CBS TV stations will probably have to give them up. WCBS, KCBS, WBBM, etc. But that's many years in the future. For now, why not have it be KYW AM and FM?
As for K call signs in the East, until around 2000, there were only four: KDKA Pittsburgh, KQV Pittsburgh, KYW Philadelphia and KFIZ Fond du Lac, WI. In recent years, several more stations in the East have gotten K call signs, a few due to mistakes and a few because they moved from the West.
We don't count stations in markets that straddle the Mississippi River, such as St. Louis and Memphis. Or the two states that straddle the river, Louisiana and Minnesota. For instance, in the Duluth market, there are several K call signs, hundreds of miles east of the headwaters of the Mississippi River, even two in Superior, Wisconsin. But they don't count because Duluth is in Minnesota and the K-W rule is not followed in that state.
As for K call signs in the East, until around 2000, there were only four: KDKA Pittsburgh, KQV Pittsburgh, KYW Philadelphia and KFIZ Fond du Lac, WI. In recent years, several more stations in the East have gotten K call signs, a few due to mistakes and a few because they moved from the West.
We don't count stations in markets that straddle the Mississippi River, such as St. Louis and Memphis. Or the two states that straddle the river, Louisiana and Minnesota. For instance, in the Duluth market, there are several K call signs, hundreds of miles east of the headwaters of the Mississippi River, even two in Superior, Wisconsin. But they don't count because Duluth is in Minnesota and the K-W rule is not followed in that state.
It’ll be interesting when Audacy has to give up the WCBS calls. The call letters are basically the brand name of the AM and FM. Maybe they could rename them to Audacy News Radio 880 and 101.1 Audacy FM.
The chances a company called "Audacy" still exists in 2037 are pretty slim.
I sincerely hope that's a joke.
I don’t know the specifics, so please correct me if I’m wrong here- do the Audacy stations have to give up their branding as well, or just the call letters? Since call letters are mostly just mushed into TOH ID’s nowadays, could the stations legally become, say, WCES-AM and KIW-AM, while retaining the “WCBS” and “KYW” branding?
It would likely depend on the full terms of the contract, no? The headline may be giving up the call letters, but we all know contracts are seldom quite so simple.
The branding was part of the agreement, not just the callsign.
In regards to KYW, CBS gave Entercom gave them the right to use the KYW calls/branding (among other callsigns that did not include "CBS", like WBBM and WWJ) "in perpetuity", meaning that they will not have to change the calls/branding of the station.
Obviously the terms and conditions of the agreement will govern this. And as others have pointed out on other threads Audacy or whatever entity owns KYW (and other stations) can always try snd lease the name/call letters from CBS for a time period beyond when their rights to use the call letters end under the agreement.
This is not directed at you Larry, but as this conversation has come up before multiple times, the terms of the brand licensing agreement are all laid out in the CBS Radio/Entercom SEC merger documents, which are publicly available.
Is "WCES"(AM) available?
Whatever New York's 880 AM (which was WABC as recently as 1946) becomes, the world is no more likely to end than it did when the National League adopted the designated hitter.
That said, there must be a few Washingtonians who pine for the days when the capital had TV stations called WMAL and WTOP.
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