Call letters and their future, or the lack thereof
> At one time low power stations used to have their channel
> number in their call sign. Like W23CA. Then the low power
> stations were allowed to use the suffox LP, IF they desired.
> Then the FCC later added -CA for Class A.
>
> Even now we have had Class A stations with a scheme like
> W34CK. (this has since changed)
I think the callsign scheme is up to the station owner, but with the LPFMs now using the "-LP" suffix, I thought the FCC doesn't issue those for LPTV stations anymore.
> Americans have a love affair with their call signs most of
> the rest of the world doesn't, although this has faded in
> the last two decades.
More-so with AM radio, not so much with FM and almost not at all (with some exceptions) with TV. And even AM is getting away from call letters to a greater extent, especially with ESPN Radio affiliates such as WMVP Chicago or KMVP Phoenix. They're always referred to as "ESPN 1000" and "ESPN 860" respectively. It's probably getting close to a 50-50 split on AM between using assigned call letters and names/brands/networks as a station's identifier.
> Most stations now pick one of their call letters and ID as
> such, like B96 (96.3FM)
To continue using Chicago stations as examples, people call their stations "WGN", "ESPN 1000", "B96", or "Q101". not "720", "1000", "96.3", or "101.1" respectively, when referring to them. They say "I'm listening to the Bears on WBBM," not "I'm listening to the Bears on 780" (or even "Newsradio 780"). Also, sports fans in Chicago listen to "The Score" regardless if its dial position is/was 820, 1160, or 670, and Radio Disney is Radio Disney regardless of its dial position. But, whether using call letters or slogans/brands, people always refer to radio stations by those terms, not by frequency.
And let's not even get into the failed system of FM channel numbers, where, for example, 97.9 is Channel 250. It never caught on with the public, and is only used in the FCC table of allocations and to assign FM translator callsigns today (W250XX on 97.9, for example). I remember seeing older ('50s) FM radios with those numbers on the dial below the actual frequency, but that went over like a lead baloon.
But when it comes to TV, they say "I like the news on Channel 7." It never mattered if Channel 7's call letters were WENR-TV, WBKB, or WLS-TV - or even if they use the "ABC-7" branding or the "Eyewitness News" monicker of years past. It's just Channel 7.
> In Chicago WCIU-TV channel 26 branded was first to brand
> itself as "The U." Then they opened a low power stations
> (now) WWME-CA, which they brand as ME-TV. Now instead of
> saying what program is next, they say catch "The King Of
> Queens" on "the U" or "The Jeffersons" on ME-TV. That's ME
> or U...
I've been away from Chicago for several years so I'm not that familiar with ME-TV other than what I've read on these boards. Channel 23 was an ethnic station when I lived there and all it did was screw up my reception of WIFR in Rockford when I wanted to watch a late football game that Channel 2 didn't carry. :-D Do folks there really call it "ME-TV" or just "Channel 23?"
