New Call Letters For AM 1150 - And Then Some?

[DToTheJ]

Sister CC station KTLK-FM is Minneapolis is going to the AM band, switching frequencies (and bands) with KFAN.

At the very least, 1150 is going to shed its current call letters... or, perhaps, its current format? ???

 

[fybush]

Why? Both LA and Minneapolis are PPM markets. The calls don't matter. And they're certainly not going to change an entire format in LA just because the calls are needed somewhere else.

Love ya, Joe...but I swear, sometimes I think you're posting just to hear the sound of your own voice

 

[calguy]

Still weird to even hear those calls outside of Denver.

 

[michael hagerty]

Why? Both LA and Minneapolis are PPM markets. The calls don't matter. And they're certainly not going to change an entire format in LA just because the calls are needed somewhere else.

Love ya, Joe...but I swear, sometimes I think you're posting just to hear the sound of your own voice

Scott: I agree about the format and the irrelevance of call letters in PPM. But there's an FCC reg involved here. Both AMs can't legally be KTLK. One of them will have to come up with something else. I'm betting it will be Minneapolis that changes to something else, while keeping the K-Talk branding.

 

[fybush]

Yes, obviously you can't have two KTLK(AM)s, nor two KFAN-FMs. Minneapolis isn't even using "K-Talk" as its branding now (it's "News Talk 100.3 FM," and will become "News Talk Twin Cities" when it moves), so no reason for them to feel compelled to bring the KTLK calls over to AM.

 

[w9wi]

Scott: I agree about the format and the irrelevance of call letters in PPM. But there's an FCC reg involved here. Both AMs can't legally be KTLK. One of them will have to come up with something else. I'm betting it will be Minneapolis that changes to something else, while keeping the K-Talk branding.

And just to be a bit nitpicky about the whole thing -- they *can* both be KTLK for 59 minutes & 57 seconds per hour, as long as one of them announces something else once an hour in the legal ID....

I'd say at least even money on no call changes whatsoever here. Minneapolis keeps KFAN on the license but changes the slogan to K-Talk.

Now that the ratings no longer require it, (in the largest markets) I wonder if we've more closely approached the day when the legal ID regulations are repealed?

 

[SDRadio]

Call letters serve no purpose to the common public. Except for cases as KFI, KABC, and other AM giants, most stations are known as "Jack, Power, Best, Magic, Kiss, Joe, et al." Even television -- sorry -- radio/with pictures are typically known by number than call letters. ABC 7, Fox 11, CBS 2 ....

This of course, being a moot as most stations are using their analog number instead of the digital one; but that's another thread.

Just waiting for Fybush 101 and the million dollar giveaway to hit the airwaves.

 

[fybush]

Just waiting for Fybush 101 and the million dollar giveaway to hit the airwaves.

As long as I can win the million dollars!

 

[joebtsflk1]

Calls that WON'T be consdered: KCUP, Los Angeles...your cup overflows with drivel-ickie at 1150.

BTW, KFAN AM in Mpls will need to grab the KFAN-FM calls off of a station in receivership in Johnson City TX. Wouldn't think that would take much in the way of greenback persuasion. The KFAN calls are very much at the center of the Mpls. station's identity, so it would seem like a must-do for the CC folks.

 

[davideduardo]

Now that the ratings no longer require it, (in the largest markets) I wonder if we've more closely approached the day when the legal ID regulations are repealed?

Even in the non-PPM markets, most diary mentions are not by call letter, with frequency being mentioned in something like 80% of the entries. Arbitron gives credit for frequency, slogan, talent names and... when mentioned, call letters.

 

[DougBroda]

Even in the non-PPM markets, most diary mentions are not by call letter, with frequency being mentioned in something like 80% of the entries. Arbitron gives credit for frequency, slogan, talent names and... when mentioned, call letters.

It varies station-by-station, and in my market at least, calls or variants thereof are popular referents for several stations. WGY and WGNA are commonly referred to by their calls amongst the public; probably WTRY as well (via link to its AM history). WAMC as well, on all of its 23 frequencies (at last count). WPYX and WFLY are known by shortened versions of calls + frequency (PYX 106, FLY 92). I don't think, OTOH, that many, save geeks like me, think of the calls for WEXT, WRVE, WGDJ, WKBE, WQAR, WZMR, WQSH or WKLI.

 

[davideduardo]

Even in the non-PPM markets, most diary mentions are not by call letter, with frequency being mentioned in something like 80% of the entries. Arbitron gives credit for frequency, slogan, talent names and... when mentioned, call letters.

It varies station-by-station, and in my market at least, calls or variants thereof are popular referents for several stations. WGY and WGNA are commonly referred to by their calls amongst the public; probably WTRY as well (via link to its AM history). WAMC as well, on all of its 23 frequencies (at last count). WPYX and WFLY are known by shortened versions of calls + frequency (PYX 106, FLY 92). I don't think, OTOH, that many, save geeks like me, think of the calls for WEXT, WRVE, WGDJ, WKBE, WQAR, WZMR, WQSH or WKLI.

Good point. Stations that use their calls as their "name" get more mentions, although frequency seems to win always.

OTOH, most Spanish language stations get essentially no call letter mentions as very few of them use the calls, other than at legal ID time (and then usually in English) so all mentions are frequency or name, with talent an occasional mention.

Stations with no history of using calls that have calls that are not "pronounceable" like the station name ("wish" for WWSH) get few if any call letter mentions.

 

[ronkaram]

Switching calls but not formats, I'm sure David remembers when the FCC forced NBC and Westinghouse to undo a station swap and KYW in Cleveland became WKYC. The slogan was then we've changed our name but were still the same.