FCC & Call Letter Changes

[JohnRadioFan]

Just curious. When a radio station decides to flip formats and change it's calls, is this information available to the general public prior to its' happening? I recall some buzz on this board when WWRR was about to become WKQL and we were aware of it weeks before it actualy happned. Not sure if this was just insider stuff or someone went to an FCC website etc. to check it out.

 

[ajhenderson]

> Just curious. When a radio station decides to flip formats
> and change it's calls, is this information available to the
> general public prior to its' happening? I recall some buzz
> on this board when WWRR was about to become WKQL and we were
> aware of it weeks before it actualy happned. Not sure if
> this was just insider stuff or someone went to an FCC
> website etc. to check it out.

The FCC does not monitor formats. Changing calls is a very simple procedure that takes 45 days notice on a simple form.

 

[JohnRadioFan]

The Devil's In The Details

This procedure is apprantly so simple I should have just figured it out myself....Say goodnight, Gracie.....

> The FCC does not monitor formats. Changing calls is a very
> simple procedure that takes 45 days notice on a simple form.
>

 

[TommyR]

Re: FCC & Call Letter Changes

I replied to this on the old board, but it did not carry over.Changing the call letters on paper is easy, but unless you're in a race to secure certain calls, it's a lot easier to have the new format on the air first. For example, Big 106.5 was WTLK for a while after switching from talk. They didn't really use WTLK or WBGB in the branding, so BFD. It worked.OTOH, Soft Rock 102.9 (with very recognizable WIVY call letters) was forced to unveil the new WMXQ calls, letting any rumors of a format change out of the bag. For a short time they identified themselves as "WIVY-WMXQ-Jacksonville," as if the competition didn't hear what was in the middle.