Do Legal IDs Matter Anymore?

[gr8oldies]

Whether that was a violation depended on Canadian rules, though, not the FCC.

No one has ever been able to tell me what the Canadian legal ID requirements are, if any, including former CKLW staffers. "CKLW The Motor City" was the top-of-the-hour pseudo-ID jingle for much of their top 40 era. Paul Drew said in an interview that if he could find an auto plant in Windsor, Windsor could be the Motor City (in reality, Windsor was and is the Rose City).

 

[michael hagerty]

No one has ever been able to tell me what the Canadian legal ID requirements are, if any, including former CKLW staffers. "CKLW The Motor City" was the top-of-the-hour pseudo-ID jingle for much of their top 40 era. Paul Drew said in an interview that if he could find an auto plant in Windsor, Windsor could be the Motor City (in reality, Windsor was and is the Rose City).

Mexico’s requirement was not top of the hour. Maybe Canada’s isn’t either (I can’t find an answer online).

During the Wolfman Jack years at XERB the ID en Espanol would air well away from the top. And for a lot of that time, what sounded like an ID to American ears said “XERB. The Big X over Los Angeles.“—-135 miles from the transmitter.

 

[AlanB]

My understanding of a correct "Legal ID" would mean that KRLD and its HD signals have not legally ID'd in over a decade.
Tell me if I am incorrect in my understand that the legal ID should be "KRLD Dallas. KRLD-HD Dallas. KRLD-FM HD2 Dallas. KLVU-FM HD2 Dallas. KJKK-FM HD2 Dallas."

What they are currently using is "Newsradio 1080 is KRLD-AM and HD, KRLD-FM HD2, KJKK-FM HD2, and KLUV-FM HD2 Dallas/Fort Worth."

 

[AlanB]

No one has ever been able to tell me what the Canadian legal ID requirements are, if any, including former CKLW staffers. "CKLW The Motor City" was the top-of-the-hour pseudo-ID jingle for much of their top 40 era. Paul Drew said in an interview that if he could find an auto plant in Windsor, Windsor could be the Motor City (in reality, Windsor was and is the Rose City).

IIRC, the CTRC does not have a legal ID requirement for radio. I do know that one of the stations that used to target Detroit ID'd at the top of the hour as "CIMX Windsor/Detroit."

 

[michael hagerty]

My understanding of a correct "Legal ID" would mean that KRLD and its HD signals have not legally ID'd in over a decade.
Tell me if I am incorrect in my understand that the legal ID should be "KRLD Dallas. KRLD-HD Dallas. KRLD-FM HD2 Dallas. KLVU-FM HD2 Dallas. KJKK-FM HD2 Dallas."

What they are currently using is "Newsradio 1080 is KRLD-AM and HD, KRLD-FM HD2, KJKK-FM HD2, and KLUV-FM HD2 Dallas/Fort Worth."

No, they don’t need to do “Dallas” each time. If all the stations have the same city of license, that can be given once at the end of the list of call letters. What they’re doing is correct, and as long as Dallas is mentioned, following that with “Fort Worth” is fine.

 

[michael hagerty]

It's basically what Audacy does with KCBS. "KCBS-AM. KFRC-FM and HD-1, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose."

 

[Mark Roberts]

They can identify with an encoded legal ID just a couple of times a day. An audible ID is not required.

Those who actually are involved with translators can likely further describe this.

I know. I'm expressing a wish which is unlikely ever to be realized.

 

[Mark Roberts]

It's basically what Audacy does with KCBS. "KCBS-AM. KFRC-FM and HD-1, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose."

When KCBS(AM) was running HD, it became "KCBS AM and HD. KFRC-FM and HD-1...." - from the very start of the simulcast, October 27, 2008 at 8 am.

 

[ksradiogeek]

I think stations should be required to register their slogan and format with the FCC and update it within 10 days of a format change. That would make it much easier to identify stations than requiring call letters at the top of the hour. There are third party databases that include such information, and stations can update those but are not required to do so.

So let’s be more tedious and unnecessary? Sounds like a plan!

 

[gr8oldies]

So let’s be more tedious? Sounds like a plan!

Absolutely no need for that

 

[ksradiogeek]

IIRC, the CTRC does not have a legal ID requirement for radio. I do know that one of the stations that used to target Detroit ID'd at the top of the hour as "CIMX Windsor/Detroit."

The CRTC requires an ID, but they’re not as stringent like the FCC is. Some don’t ID altogether, but the commish doesn’t crack down on it heavily. (Also, they’re not as particular when it comes to spelling it out letter by letter.) TV IDs are optional.

 

[davideduardo]

I think stations should be required to register their slogan and format with the FCC and update it within 10 days of a format change. That would make it much easier to identify stations than requiring call letters at the top of the hour. There are third party databases that include such information, and stations can update those but are not required to do so.

That reminds me of when I wanted to call one of my stations by its call letters "HCSP" instead of a name. I was told that doing that was not permitted for local service station and that I had to pick a name! |

 

[gr8oldies]

Mexico’s requirement was not top of the hour. Maybe Canada’s isn’t either (I can’t find an answer online).

During the Wolfman Jack years at XERB the ID en Espanol would air well away from the top. And for a lot of that time, what sounded like an ID to American ears said “XERB. The Big X over Los Angeles.“—-135 miles from the transmitter.

Seems I remember reading of one of the cross-border stations (maybe even XERB) having to ID twice an hour, and they were doing it out of 20 and 50 breaks. Isn't there still a Mexican National Anthem requirement?

 

[ksradiogeek]

Seems I remember reading of one of the cross-border stations (maybe even XERB) having to ID twice an hour, and they were doing it out of 20 and 50 breaks. Isn't there still a Mexican National Anthem requirement?

Yep, Mexican National Anthem is required at Midnight at 6 a.m. each day.

 

[michael hagerty]

When KCBS(AM) was running HD, it became "KCBS AM and HD. KFRC-FM and HD-1...." - from the very start of the simulcast, October 27, 2008 at 8 am.

Yeah. They dumped the HD on AM years ago—-2016? 2017?

 

[Mark Roberts]

Yeah. They dumped the HD on AM years ago—-2016? 2017?

It may have been even sooner. KTCT dumped it later; KGO didn't have it for very long; and I was told that the KNBR antenna system would not pass enough bandwidth to make an HD signal possible there.

 

[Mark Roberts]

It may have been even sooner. KTCT dumped it later; KGO didn't have it for very long; and I was told that the KNBR antenna system would not pass enough bandwidth to make an HD signal possible there.

Looking through some archives, I found that KCBS dropped HD permanently in January 2016 and removed mention of AM HD at that time. It had been on and off for some of the previous year, too.

 

[Deleted User]

WEEI FM Lawrence is a legal ID, So Is WEEI FM Lawrence Boston. WEEI FM Boston is not.

And the kicker is, like many other stations, their stick is somewhere else like say Peabody!

Where is @SomeRadioGuy with his legal ID from a few years and stations ago that had like 50 towns in it?

 

[semoochie]

Whether that was a violation depended on Canadian rules, though, not the FCC.

I'm sure it wasn't!

 

[davideduardo]

It may have been even sooner. KTCT dumped it later; KGO didn't have it for very long; and I was told that the KNBR antenna system would not pass enough bandwidth to make an HD signal possible there.

KNBR is non-directional, with a single tower. It would be rather unusual for such a facility to not have quite good bandwidth.