CBS BLOWING UP 'FRESH' TO SIMULCAST WBBM-AM NEWS

[oldiesfan6479]

Even if CBS moved the WBBM-FM call letters to 105.9, it would still have to be ID'ed separately: "WBBM Chicago,
WBBM-FM Elmwood Park/Chicago," not "WBBM AM & FM Chicago."

Even if both COLs were Chicago, IDing as "WBBM AM & FM Chicago" is not really legal,
as "AM" is not part of WBBM's callsign. (I know, a number of simulcast stations do it
that way and get away with it, but... :)

 

[Rusty Muck]

The question now is when will the WBBM-FM calls go to 105.9?

They won't. Why would they? Last year in Atlanta COX added an FM simulcast of WSB 750, but COX already had a WSB-FM in Atlanta so they made the new simulcast WSBB. The branding changed from NewsTalk 750 to NewsTalk WSB. In San Francisco KCBS got an FM simulcast at 106.9 FM and CBS kept 106.9 as KFRC since KCBS-FM are the call letters of JACK-FM in LA.

I think they will since they already own the FM call letters. They'll move something to 96.3 with a "B" in it. The WBBM brand is too important for news IMO.

But the WBBM brand has also been deeply tied to the CHR format, albeit less so with the "B" brand, but still.

Since Merlin is apparently scrapping the calls (and I doubt Emmis will park them elsewhere), why not have CBS steal the WKQX calls and put them on 105.9?

;D

 

[radioman148]

With PPM... call letters are a thing of the past. Doesn't matter what they are unless you want to use them for on air imaging. A quick ID of the FM's current calls will suffice. IF the AM station ever went away and something different was happening on that frequency, only then would it be really necessary to change the FM's call letters.

I also doubt very seriously that KCBS-FM is moving to San Francisco anytime soon. Just my opinion.

Yeah but don't you think that the "WBBM Newsradio" brand is more important here then "Newsradio 780" would be for the simulcast?
Just asking?

 

[acesup]

With PPM... call letters are a thing of the past. Doesn't matter what they are unless you want to use them for on air imaging. A quick ID of the FM's current calls will suffice. IF the AM station ever went away and something different was happening on that frequency, only then would it be really necessary to change the FM's call letters.

It'll be a long ID regardless of the call letters, since the COLs of the AM and FM are different. Even if CBS moved the WBBM-FM call letters to 105.9, it would still have to be ID'ed separately: "WBBM Chicago, WBBM-FM Elmwood Park/Chicago," not "WBBM AM & FM Chicago."

Move WBBM to 105.9 and slap WBBW on 96.3 the LID on B-96 could be rushed. Further, WBBM-FM is licensed to Chicago, not Elmwood Park.

Here is a sample from 2009: http://www.tophour.com/audio/Chicago IL/fm0963_2009-06_wbbm-fm_gwollman.mp3

You missed the point of that comment - it's not the WBBM-FM calls that would have to be identified. If that were the case, you would be correct. But, it's the facility (105.9) that has to be identified. Hence, Elmwood Park.

 

[Rusty Muck]

With PPM... call letters are a thing of the past. Doesn't matter what they are unless you want to use them for on air imaging. A quick ID of the FM's current calls will suffice. IF the AM station ever went away and something different was happening on that frequency, only then would it be really necessary to change the FM's call letters.

It'll be a long ID regardless of the call letters, since the COLs of the AM and FM are different. Even if CBS moved the WBBM-FM call letters to 105.9, it would still have to be ID'ed separately: "WBBM Chicago, WBBM-FM Elmwood Park/Chicago," not "WBBM AM & FM Chicago."

Move WBBM to 105.9 and slap WBBW on 96.3 the LID on B-96 could be rushed. Further, WBBM-FM is licensed to Chicago, not Elmwood Park.

Here is a sample from 2009: http://www.tophour.com/audio/Chicago IL/fm0963_2009-06_wbbm-fm_gwollman.mp3

You missed the point of that comment - it's not the WBBM-FM calls that would have to be identified. If that were the case, you would be correct. But, it's the facility (105.9) that has to be identified. Hence, Elmwood Park.

One other point: basic practice among CBS Radio stations also has them also identifying the HD signals of their analog simulcasts. Even with AM stations. So WBBM's TOH ID would have to be "WBBM and WBBM-HD Chicago, WCFS and WCFS-HD1, Elmwood Park/Chicago."

There's no way that such a TOH ID would ever be elegant, even if they did think of moving the WBBM-FM calls over to 105.9. Ergo, why it's not necessary.

 

[BarryATL]

In Atlanta when WSB AM 750 added the FM they split the top of the hour ID. When listening to the FM signal a very rapid voice IDs the station "WSBB Doraville". When listing to the AM signal the same rapid voice delivers "WSB Atlanta". The voice then slows down and delivers the normal very long imaging "AM 750 and NOW 95.5 FM News/Talk WSB". Who cares about the ID... just pray they do not screw with the imaging. Even Cox's own newspaper The Atlanta Journal-Constitution makes fun of "AM 750 and NOW 95.5 FM News/Talk WSB". We hear it over and over and over and over.

 

[w9wi]

One other point: basic practice among CBS Radio stations also has them also identifying the HD signals of their analog simulcasts. Even with AM stations.

It's not just CBS Radio practice, it's the law. The FCC requires that HD stations identify as such.

 

[beauduran]

One other point: basic practice among CBS Radio stations also has them also identifying the HD signals of their analog simulcasts. Even with AM stations.

It's not just CBS Radio practice, it's the law. The FCC requires that HD stations identify as such.

Not audibly. Unless something has changed in the last couple years, HD stations can ID visually on the read out of HD receivers. Speaking the ID is just a CBS policy that some others have adopted as well.

From http://lists.bostonradio.org/pipermail/boston-radio-interest/2008-June/016282.html

"Now, bear in mind that...for the moment...there's no such thing as an HD
Radio-capable tuner that does not have a visible display. So to comply
with 73.1201 a station does not need to *speak* "WXYZ-HD" as part of
their legal ID. They need only have the call letters with "HD"
displayed as part of the PAD/PSD on the HD broadcast (and that is
something that *all* HD tuners will do by default) because analog radio
listeners are not hearing a digital broadcast; only the HD listeners are.

This is also true for HD multicast channels; they need only include it
in the PAD/PSD, which makes it a lot easier to carry certain programming
since you don't need to worry about legal ID insertion to the audio stream."

 

[Drucifer]

What about KRLD? 'K-R-L-D and K-R-L-D--H-D 1 DALLAS...FORT WORTH'

 

[Rusty Muck]

One other point: basic practice among CBS Radio stations also has them also identifying the HD signals of their analog simulcasts. Even with AM stations.

It's not just CBS Radio practice, it's the law. The FCC requires that HD stations identify as such.

Not audibly. Unless something has changed in the last couple years, HD stations can ID visually on the read out of HD receivers. Speaking the ID is just a CBS policy that some others have adopted as well.

From http://lists.bostonradio.org/pipermail/boston-radio-interest/2008-June/016282.html

"Now, bear in mind that...for the moment...there's no such thing as an HD
Radio-capable tuner that does not have a visible display. So to comply
with 73.1201 a station does not need to *speak* "WXYZ-HD" as part of
their legal ID. They need only have the call letters with "HD"
displayed as part of the PAD/PSD on the HD broadcast (and that is
something that *all* HD tuners will do by default) because analog radio
listeners are not hearing a digital broadcast; only the HD listeners are.

This is also true for HD multicast channels; they need only include it
in the PAD/PSD, which makes it a lot easier to carry certain programming
since you don't need to worry about legal ID insertion to the audio stream."

Indeed, Clear Channel stations like, for example, WHLO/640 Akron, have for their TOH ID: "640 WHLO Akron/Canton, (106.9) WRQK-FM HD-2 Canton and (98.1) WKDD HD-2 Munroe Falls."

Note that the primary station is NOT double-identified as, "640 WHLO and WHLO-HD, Akron/Canton, et al."

Very significant distinction.

 

[MarcB]

What annoys me is when an AM station IDs as "Call Letters HD-1 COL". Since there is no multi-cast HD channels with AM like there is with FM, it makes no sense to ID this way. The Radio Disney station in Hartford, Connecticut used to ID this way until Disney took it silent in September 2010.

"AM 1550 WDZK HD-1 Bloomfield/Hartford".

The new owners of the station Blount Communications (who own 6 or 7 other religious stations in New England) don't believe in HD. The new legal ID is "Life Changing Radio AM 1550 WSDK Bloomfield/Hartford."


CBS:

AM 1080: WTIC, WTIC-HD Hartford.

 

[JohnnyOhJohnny]

When will the on air personalities be let go from Fresh? Will they get to say goodbye?

 

[radioaircheck]

Does anyone really care if they say goodbye?

 

[1sttimecaller]

MarcB - Pretty sure that's required. All of the AM stations in HD in Northeast Ohio do it as well.

 

[radioman148]

Does anyone really care if they say goodbye?

Who would hear them other than their families?

 

[Rusty Muck]

When will the on air personalities be let go from Fresh? Will they get to say goodbye?

One of them - Jen Toohey - has a good day job in Cleveland, as morning show co-host for CBS' adult CHR "Q104" WQAL/104.1... she simply VTed her evening slot for Fresh.

 

[JohnnyOhJohnny]

All this time I thought she was live

 

[radioman148]

When will the on air personalities be let go from Fresh? Will they get to say goodbye?

One of them - Jen Toohey - has a good day job in Cleveland, as morning show co-host for CBS' adult CHR "Q104" WQAL/104.1... she simply VTed her evening slot for Fresh.

Good for her!

 

[Dr Wayne]

The Switch happens after 8 AM this morning on 105.9

 

[radioman148]

You're right. I thought the switch would be earlier, but at 7:20AM 105.9 is still playing music.