• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Is their a Komeback on the way?

I agree, but don't see why KOME can't make a comeback on an HD-2 Channel, Live 105's HD-2 is classic alternative, so how hard would it be to call it KOME 105.3 HD-2, after all I think CBS still owns the rights to KOME.
 
A person or corporation can't really "own the rights" to call letters, which are regulated by the FCC. CBS apparently realized the potential value of the KOME calls, and transferred them to some low power small market AM station they owned for awhile. But according to Wikipedia (for what that's worth), the calls are now available.
 
travisl5678 said:
I agree, but don't see why KOME can't make a comeback on an HD-2 Channel, Live 105's HD-2 is classic alternative, so how hard would it be to call it KOME 105.3 HD-2, after all I think CBS still owns the rights to KOME.
Click to expand...
But the website mentions a "Local CEO" and NOT CBS planning the Komeback.
 
Companies can't claim call letters, but most of the big operators claim the rights to the intellectual property surrounding the "brand." This includes formats, printed material, web materials, and web addresses. Without all of those things, the call letters can't be used to revive a past successful station brand, even if someone is granted them.
 
For example, the call letters "KYA" can be picked up by any station owner from the FCC. (Okay, technically they could ... if the FCC still issued three-letter calls, but you get my point.)

However, the term "KYA Radio" is a federally registered trademark, and the intellectual property associated with it (including logos, format elements, imaging, etc.) is copyrighted by ... well, the person who obtained the trademark and copyright to them.

The same applies to KOME.
 
BossRadioDJ said:
For example, the call letters "KYA" can be picked up by any station owner from the FCC. (Okay, technically they could ... if the FCC still issued three-letter calls, but you get my point.)

However, the term "KYA Radio" is a federally registered trademark, and the intellectual property associated with it (including logos, format elements, imaging, etc.) is copyrighted by ... well, the person who obtained the trademark and copyright to them.

The same applies to KOME.
Click to expand...

Yes, I realize that. I was just splitting hairs. But there are ways around all of that. If the KOME calls are available, and are granted to some new owner by the FCC, I believe that new owner could not be legally prevented from creating branding that was similar. For example, if a rock nostalgia website had already registered kome.com, you could register your site as komeradio.com or 98.5kome.com or whatever your frequency was.

For example, some station in Saratoga County New York got to Star1013.com first, so KIOI here in the Bay Area is Star1013fm.com. Apparently Clear Channel doesn't have the copyright on the "Star" brand for radio. I believe it does have the rights to the "Kiss-FM" brand, though some older (non-CC) Kiss-FM branded stations are grandfathered in.

It would be the same with logos and branding - you'd create a different looking logo, and a different brand.
 
BossRadioDJ said:
However, the term "KYA Radio" is a federally registered trademark, and the intellectual property associated with it (including logos, format elements, imaging, etc.) is copyrighted by ... well, the person who obtained the trademark and copyright to them.
Click to expand...

Well, the KYA Radio trademark is owned by...uh...you. But did you actually buy the copyright for the logos, imaging and other stuff from the previous owners? This is interesting, since previous owners usually like to hang onto that kind of stuff.

In re the KYA Radio trademark, that actually surprises me that the trademark is worth enough to bother to register it and protect it from abuse.
 
KYA Radio is, in fact, a federally registered trademark (look it up), and the leftovers from KYA under King Broadcasting and its successors were picked up by me during a period when another person (whose name need not be mentioned) claimed that he had contacted the previous trademark and copyright owners and had legally acquired the licensing rights.

Turns out he hadn't and didn't.

So I did.
 
I looked up KYA on the trademark search and KYA Radio is owned by you, does that mean we have to pay you to say KYA Radio? :)
Also there is an abandoned trademark on KYA Radio 1, which is licinesed to someone in Firebaugh(I'm guessing the owner of KYAF 94.5)
There is anthor abandoned trademark on KYA, owned by King Broadcasting and canceled in 1995.
Back to KOME, their is an abandoned trademark on It, owned by Audio House Inc. on Winchester Blvd in SJ
Also It dosen't look like anyone owns the rights to KABL, CBS has the rights to KFRC, and KFRC owns the rights to "your life, your music"
 
Clear Channel owns the rights to KABL. They let the state copyright expire a few years ago, but not the federal one. Even if not, they believe they own the intellectual property surrounding this brand, and I doubt you or any individual has the money to fight them about it.
 
KABL's intellectual property is copyrighted by Clear Channel and was (and still is) licensed to the museum for use online. The license includes use of their jingles and the kablradio.com domain (which, you will note, is registered to Clear Channel but resolves to our Classic KABL website). We pay the princely sum of $10 a year for the rights.

I looked up KYA on the trademark search and KYA Radio is owned by you, does that mean we have to pay you to say KYA Radio?
Click to expand...

Every time you say it, the sound of a cash register goes off on my computer!

Actually, say it all you want. Just don't use it on a commercial radio station.

The attempt at trademarking "KYA Radio 1" was stopped for a variety of reasons, the biggest of which was our legal counsel's contention that registering it would be the same as registering "Coca Cola 1," "Microsoft Windows 1," "Rolls-Royce 1" or any other established trade- or service mark. I am in possession of a letter from counsel at USPTO agreeing that this is the case, hence...

The question remains as to how much equity there is in these brand names. The only two "Oldies" brand names with any cachet in the Bay Area are, probably, KFRC and KYA. The question is, as the years wear on, how much brand equity remains in those evergreen call letters (and KOME, KSAN, etc.) and whether anyone cares any more.
 
By the way, as opposed to KYA Radio, the rights to KABL can be recalled by Clear Channel on a moment's notice -- literally -- should they decide to revive the station or license it to someone else.

If CC decided to put KABL back on 960, for example, or license it to Pappas Radio for 860, for example, they would simply have to notify me and our license is voided.

I wouldn't even get my ten bucks back...
 
I am wondering, what about KYAA-1200? Do they pay you for the use of KYA? Or do they even mention KYA on the air? I can't pick up their station so I am not even sure if they mention those magic calls of KYA?
 
Madmansam said:
I am wondering, what about KYAA-1200? Do they pay you for the use of KYA? Or do they even mention KYA on the air? I can't pick up their station so I am not even sure if they mention those magic calls of KYA?
Click to expand...

Two things are at play here: first, Jim Vossen is a good guy and, second, you can't extract blood from a turnip.

(In English: if they ain't got no money to begin with, suing 'em ain't gonna make me a dime. Jim and I have discussed this already, in advance of him flipping KYAA to Oldies. We're good, but I still retain my rights.)
 
All of this just goes to show and therefore proves that you all have way too much time on your hands! (Me too I'm sure lol...) You all should be talking about how crazy a former talk show host must be feeling now that he has been without a mic for such a long time! Dang the bells must be ringing in his ears! BTW It would be great to have the KOME spot back on our radio's again! Anyone wanting to revive these stations need only grease the proper palms and the deed would be done in any of the examples given so far! It's always just about money and in this economy the price would be very easy to come to agreement on too! Now all anyone needs is a station to take over and that isn't going to be that easy even with things as bad as they are. That is unless your a religious broadcaster. Family Radio FM 98.5 anyone? These group owners will not sell to anyone that will give them any competition other than a religious broadcaster. You all know the drill here in the bay area! Just kindly recall what happened to the BIG 610, or to 1260 AM. Case Closed! KYA Radio rights for Ten Dollars? Do I hear a $1000.00? Let the bidding begin! lol lol..
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom