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LICENSE PLATES WITH A RADIO IDENTITY

E

Early Byrd

Years ago, Boston radio legend Arnie Ginsburg had the Massachusetts license plate 'R 1510' standing for "Radio 1510", which, of course, was the station he made his name on, WMEX.

I am surprised that in my many years of travel throughout Masschusetts and New England that I have not spotted more "vanity" plates that sport the call letters, frequencies, branding/slogans, etc. of stations, especially long established ones.

Has anyone, for example, ever seen a license plate "WBZ", or for that matter, "WBZ 103" or any other variation of such? The same question could be asked of any or all of the stations that have had the same call letters for any length of time. It would have thought that perhaps station owners, managers, or key personnel would have requested a plate from the Registry of Motor Vehicles long ago, so that every now and then you might spot one when driving. I would think that even if you had no connection to a station through ownership or employment, and found out that a plate that had your favorite station's call letters was not already taken, you could get that plate for your own vehicle.

How about it, what radio station identity plates have you seen out there?
 
I had "990 WBZ" on my car in the mid-90s, and it was not a vanity plate. Working in the WBZ newsroom had its benefits - the then-PR guy at the Registry very kindly gave us a heads-up when the regular alphabetical series of plates was about to get to "WBZ." I'd have loved "103 WBZ," but I was told it was already taken. Extra points if you know why "990" was my next choice. ;D

I know of at least one Boston station owner who's also a very serious plate collector with several vanity plates for his stations...you out there, JIBGUY?
 
Scott Fybush said:
I had "990 WBZ" on my car in the mid-90s, and it was not a vanity plate. Working in the WBZ newsroom had its benefits - the then-PR guy at the Registry very kindly gave us a heads-up when the regular alphabetical series of plates was about to get to "WBZ." I'd have loved "103 WBZ," but I was told it was already taken. Extra points if you know why "990" was my next choice. ;D

I know of at least one Boston station owner who's also a very serious plate collector with several vanity plates for his stations...you out there, JIBGUY?
Click to expand...

EASY my friend! 990 was the original frequency of WBZ Radio pre-NARBA (1941). Here's a bonus question..... What station took over the 990 frequency in the Boston area some 5 years later, that is still on the air but on a new frequency and with a different set of call-letters? Any takers?
 
Scott, I hope you kept that random plate with the original 'BZ frequency, as seen in the Chronicles of NARBA. <::ducks::>

Peter, this is only a guess, but perhaps present-day WCAP?  (Anyone but WALE!)

I don't see many radio vanity plates anymore - can't remember the last one.  Maybe that's another sign of the post-deregulatory change in attitudes (and faces) at the top, from broadcasters to beancounters -- they just don't care; the plate never occured to them, and anyway it's an added expense.  OK, maybe one for the van.  If we get a new van.

As for Jibguy (I call him MISTER Jibbs! <::ducks::>), he's an all too rare exception.  I wouldn't be surprised if he had more plates (valid ones!) than vehicles.
 
Schuyler said:
Scott, I hope you kept that random plate with the original 'BZ frequency, as seen in the Chronicles of NARBA. <::ducks::>

Peter, this is only a guess, but perhaps present-day WCAP? (Anyone but WALE!)

I don't see many radio vanity plates anymore - can't remember the last one. Maybe that's another sign of the post-deregulatory change in attitudes (and faces) at the top, from broadcasters to beancounters -- they just don't care; the plate never occured to them, and anyway it's an added expense. OK, maybe one for the van. If we get a new van.

As for Jibguy (I call him MISTER Jibbs! <::ducks::>), he's an all too rare exception. I wouldn't be surprised if he had more plates (valid ones!) than vehicles.
Click to expand...

Hi Schuyer. As for 990, no... it wasn't WCAP. It was WBET in Brockton, MA, owned by The Brockton Enterprise-Times Newspaper. WBET came to the air on Thanksgiving Day, 1946 on 990 kc/s with 250 watts non-directional power (daytime-only). The first program was the Brockton High School Thanksgiving football game. WBET-FM (97.7 Mc/s) came to the air in 1948 with 800 watts ERP. (simulcasting WBET/990). Eventually, WBET bought the silent WBKA/1450 and WBKA-FM/107.1 in 1951. In 1952, WBET moved to 1460 using WBKA's original 1450 license and went full-time with 1000 watts N-DA day, 1000 watts DA-night. WBKA-FM's license was cancelled, as was the 990 license. When all of the dust settled, WBET/1460 and WBET-FM/97.7 were their appointed spots on the dial for many years. Today, WBET is now WXBR and WBET-FM (formerly WCAV, WBOT and WILD-FM) is now WKAF (//WAAF). Both stations are separately owned by different companies.
 
Scott Fybush said:
I had "990 WBZ" on my car in the mid-90s, and it was not a vanity plate. Working in the WBZ newsroom had its benefits - the then-PR guy at the Registry very kindly gave us a heads-up when the regular alphabetical series of plates was about to get to "WBZ."
Click to expand...

A few weeks ago, I was behind a car bearing a non-vanity, standard Texas plate:

549-KSD

I guess he was listening to left channel on K-H stereo. :)

And...I'm still hoping to find the car that was next in line...
 
I had a more generic one..still have them hanging at home... WKRPFM
 
you can't get them re-issued to you Erika?

Or is it now that you have traded the Jeep for a mini van it's not the same!

(how's the little one?)
 
For about a year I had HW-VBF hangin' off my metallic olive green Pinto station wagon, but after being TTFOed from the "Electronic Mama," I turned them in and tried not to look back ! It didn't do much good, though. Ah, what can ya do ?
 
Back over the summer on 93 South in Boston I was behind a Ford pickup that the the "103 WBZ" plate. I tried (unsuccessfully) to get a picture with my cell phone.
 
I had one related to AAF on my motorcycle when I was there.

Gave me an excuse to write off everything related to it.

Was slightly awkward when working for BCN though. Thankfully it was Winter :)
 
Scott Fybush said:
I know of at least one Boston station owner who's also a very serious plate collector with several vanity plates for his stations...you out there, JIBGUY?
Click to expand...

Yup, I'm here. I used to have 'WJIB-1' in the 1990's. Too many people waved 'hi' in challenging traffic in and around Cambridge, almost causing accidents. So now I just let the 730 and 740 bumper stickers on my car do the talking.
 
Yesterday, I saw Maine vanity plate ' FM AM' at the Bath Middle School parking lot. (yes, Scott, I'll be sending you the photo). Also saw Mass plates 'WCRBMC' and 'WCVBTV' at the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame Luncheon a couple months ago.
 
The MIT alumnus who is the former president of the trustee board for WMBR (and is still a member of the board) had WMBR 881 or something similar. I haven't happened to see his vehicle for a while, but he probably still has it.
 
MRBIboredop said:
you can't get them re-issued to you Erika?

Or is it now that you have traded the Jeep for a mini van it's not the same!

(how's the little one?)
Click to expand...


hmmm...mass plates...excise tax...big price for personalized plates...i think i'll wait and stretch my florida air force plates as long as possible ;) ...and the jeep may be going bye bye..not a vehicle where one is able to fit a car seat in and remove a small body out of a 2-door...
 
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