Can a full power station have the same calls as a four letter low power station?

[HoustonListener]

In Houston, Channel 39 is going to change its call letters next month from KHCW to KIAH (IAH being the airport code for Houston's Intercontinental Airport). They are expanding their newscasts and trying to focus more on being a local content creating station than just a CW station. They were KHWB before the WB went out. Before that they were KHTV---for Houston Television for many many years.
News reports suggest that KHTV calls were not available because they are being used by a home shopping station in California...but this is a low powered station KHTV-LP.


Would a lower power station using KHTV-LP as the call letters prevent a full power station from using KHTV as the calls? I would prefer KHTV to take back its heritage call letters than to reflect the airport code...



Also, the FCC database shows that KHTV-LP is licensed to "Inland Empire" California. I know that the Riverside/SanBernadino/Ontario area is known as the "Inland Empire" but how is the the place of license? Mapquest doesn't show a place named "Inland Empire." I don't think a Dallas station could be licensed to "Metroplex, Texas" or a Chicago area station to "Chicagoland" or a NYC area station to "Tristate Area" or LA station to "Southland, California"


Also. this shows that Hosuton Channel 39, a Tribune station, does not have great faith in the CW as a brand in changing from KHCW to KIAH.

 

[stationi]

Re: Can a full power station have the same calls as a four letter low power stat

Would a lower power station using KHTV-LP as the call letters prevent a full power station from using KHTV as the calls?

Yes, the low-power owner can prevent the Houston station from using KHTV without their permission. The low-power station owns that call sign. However, if the low-power granted permission to the full-power then they can both share the same call sign.

 

[mjlarochelle]

There used to be a WGRZ-LP radio station in Florida, in addition to WGRZ-TV in Buffalo. WGRZ-LP is now WGRV-LP, better known as The Groove.

Also, although not a low-power station, WPBS-TV in Watertown, NY shares calls with a radio station in Georgia.

 

[jal41]

In fact, many stations, like WMGM-TV in Atlantic City, use a their callsign for one of their translators (WMGM-LP).

This seems quite odd that a full-power and a low-power (both the same type of service - although different classifications) can.

 

[Morgan Wick]

Also. this shows that Hosuton Channel 39, a Tribune station, does not have great faith in the CW as a brand in changing from KHCW to KIAH.

The report I read at B&C said this move was made by the station, not Tribune corporate, and doesn't necessarily even reflect the station's opinion of the CW as a brand for anything except news.

 

[FightingIrish]

Re: Can a full power station have the same calls as a four letter low power stat

Would a lower power station using KHTV-LP as the call letters prevent a full power station from using KHTV as the calls?

Yes, the low-power owner can prevent the Houston station from using KHTV without their permission. The low-power station owns that call sign. However, if the low-power granted permission to the full-power then they can both share the same call sign.

Exactly. The same goes for radio stations that own a set of call letters. Whatever entity owns them has the rights to them. That's why you sometimes see some owners parking well-known call letters on some stations after a format change, as was the case of WNEW, which was moved down to Florida, no doubt to keep any other stations in New York from snagging them.

Sometimes, an owner may allow a station on another band (or a full or low-power TV outlet) to use the calls, with permission. For example, there's a triple A FM station in Texas with the KFAN-FM calls, but they gave permission for the all-sports AM station in Minneapolis to use the call letters as well. Both are owned by separate entities.

Speaking of the Twin Cities, Clear Channel owns an FM station there with the KTLK-FM calls, as well as an AM station in L.A. called KTLK.

 

[w9wi]

Re: Can a full power station have the same calls as a four letter low power stat

Also, the FCC database shows that KHTV-LP is licensed to "Inland Empire" California. I know that the Riverside/SanBernadino/Ontario area is known as the "Inland Empire" but how is the the place of license? Mapquest doesn't show a place named "Inland Empire." I don't think a Dallas station could be licensed to "Metroplex, Texas" or a Chicago area station to "Chicagoland" or a NYC area station to "Tristate Area" or LA station to "Southland, California"

The rules are different for -LP TV stations.

Back when they all were just relays of full-power stations, I think it was acknowledged there would be a need for service to areas that weren't defined communities.

 

[Markxxx]

Re: Can a full power station have the same calls as a four letter low power stat

The application lists the community of license as "Inland Empire." Sometimes stations are able to get away because no one at the FCC catches the error.

KTGG (1540 AM) is in Michigan and it's claimed it got the call sign because someone at the FCC mixed up Michigan with Minnesota or Missiouri.

 

[Poledo]

Don't exactly know how to look it up, but isn't there a TV station with call letters Wxxx-TV and repeaters on Wxxx-LP and Wxxx-CA?

 

[dhett]

Don't exactly know how to look it up, but isn't there a TV station with call letters Wxxx-TV and repeaters on Wxxx-LP and Wxxx-CA?

I don't know about a Wxxx station, but KDTP used to do that. KDTP 11 Holbrook AZ, KDTP-CA 48 Phoenix AZ and KDTP-LP 58 Phoenix AZ. That changed last February, when Daystar removed the -CA designation from the channel 48 license. That station is now KDPH-LP.

 

[bk77]

On a similar note....lets say for example I own a LPTV in North Carolina. I want to call my station on the air "WTAE" or even "KPHO" , not talking about the legal ID, I just want to call my station that on the air. Could THE WTAE in Pittsburgh or KPHO in Phoenix have say in the matter?

I would imagine they would if I had my LPTV in Pittsburgh or Phoenix but in North Carolina?

 

[Poledo]

On a similar note....lets say for example I own a LPTV in North Carolina. I want to call my station on the air "WTAE" or even "KPHO" , not talking about the legal ID, I just want to call my station that on the air. Could THE WTAE in Pittsburgh or KPHO in Phoenix have say in the matter?

I would imagine they would if I had my LPTV in Pittsburgh or Phoenix but in North Carolina?

Well, that almost happens here in Pensacola, FL. Our local LPTV wanted to use some "legacy" call letters for his TV station but apparently the AM station using them up north wanted $20,000 to let him use them. So he incorporated his station as Watson Broadcasting Of Pensacola and started IDing as WBOP, while still using the old style Letter/Number translator calls in the legal ID. Eventually he adopted the calls of WBQP-LP, but the way he prints it on the screen, it isn't all that obvious that the Q isn't an O.