No station ID''s from WLW during Reds' game.

[wjf82]

Listening to the Reds' game and WLW isn't doing their normal station ID's at the top and bottom of the hour. It's just silence until the Reds' announcers start talking again.

 

[microbob]

They better fix that automation system before they get slapped by the FCC. That's if they even notice. I wonder if they could get fined? 700 does mention their call letters more than any station in Cincinnati any other time of the day and night.

 

[alans613]

Mentioning your call letters once an hour is a basic law that they've obviously violated.

 

[storrs19]

Sadly I think CheapChannel is making the final steps in turning WLW into another automated waste of airspace (ala WHAS in Louisville). A few years ago WLW still had a local weather sounder for severe weather alerts and a live meteorologist would come on with the announcement. Now its like all other stations, the computer voiced NOAA broadcast.

What's really a hoot down here in Louisville is when you get NOAA weather alerts for a county 70 miles west of here on an AM station that at night you're lucky if you can pick it up 5 miles away. Isn't automation wonderful?

Thankfully WGN in Chicago still airs live intelligent local programming (I always like to listen to them on Saturday night around 10pm EST or so). They had a great show on last night about the era of MTV when it was Music Television (1981-1992) that sure beat the pants off the syndicated automated garbage on other AM stations I found. But then WGN isn't owned by CheapChannel or Cumulus

 

[MTHBSTR]

WLW and all "the other stations", as you say, run the NOAA computer voice because that's what comes across the EAS. They don't have any control over it. If they didn't run it, they would be in violation. They still have the local weather sounder, beacuse I heard it that same night you all claim there were no legal IDs. That's a violation the FCC doesn't care about. EAS is something they DO care about.

If you guys are so concerned about legal IDs, maybe you'd be interested to know that the Fox hasn't done a "legal" ID since Cumulus bought them. Their call letters are WOFX-FM, but they don't add the suffix for some reason. They just say WOFX Cincinnati.

And, who really cares?

 

[alans613]

WLW and all "the other stations", as you say, run the NOAA computer voice because that's what comes across the EAS. They don't have any control over it. If they didn't run it, they would be in violation. They still have the local weather sounder, beacuse I heard it that same night you all claim there were no legal IDs. That's a violation the FCC doesn't care about. EAS is something they DO care about.

If you guys are so concerned about legal IDs, maybe you'd be interested to know that the Fox hasn't done a "legal" ID since Cumulus bought them. Their call letters are WOFX-FM, but they don't add the suffix for some reason. They just say WOFX Cincinnati.

And, who really cares?

Why do some stations have to add the -FM suffix and some don't? One example is Z-93/Fly 92.9, which has never used the -FM after their call sign.

 

[fybush]

Why do some stations have to add the -FM suffix and some don't? One example is Z-93/Fly 92.9, which has never used the -FM after their call sign.

If there is another station in another service using the same base callsign without a suffix, then the corresponding FM station has to be "WXXX-FM." This usually applies to AM stations, which never take a suffix (WOFX-FM has to be "WOFX-FM" because there's a WOFX on AM 980 in Troy NY), but can also apply in rare cases to a suffix-free TV station with a "-FM" sister.

Otherwise, the use or lack of use of a suffix in the official calls is entirely at the station's option. There is no "WEBN" on AM, so 102.7 could choose to be either "WEBN" (which it is) or "WEBN-FM." And if 980 in Troy were to change calls to something else, 92.5 in Cincinnati could change its calls to "WOFX," or it could remain "WOFX-FM."

In practice, I have never seen the FCC enforce the use of the suffix on the air, regardless of what the letter of the regulations may state. I have heard plenty of "-FM" stations ID without the suffix, and plenty of non-suffix FMs ID as "WXXX-FM."

 

[alans613]

Thanks for explaining that Scott. Much appreciated!!! Thank you.