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the call letter 'KEAR'
- Thread starter pliu1003
- Start date
> I am not sure if this is the correct place to post this
> but.....
>
> I was looking at the Family Radio website and it appears
> that they have many stations/translators with the call
> letter KEAR. Am I the only one who noticed this ? or is it a
> regular thing that occurs in radio business?
>
The translators are not actually known as KEAR. That's just how Family Radio listed it on their site so that normal listeners would easily find out what Family station they are listening to.
For example, Palm Springs' Family Radio affilate is actually K268AH, and should Legal ID this at the top of the hour. Other than that, someone listening to 101.5 K268AH will hear the exact same thing as someone listening to the new flagship station, 88.1 KEAR-FM in Sacramento.
There is only one 'real' station with the exact call letters of KEAR, which would be 610 KEAR in San Francisco.
> but.....
>
> I was looking at the Family Radio website and it appears
> that they have many stations/translators with the call
> letter KEAR. Am I the only one who noticed this ? or is it a
> regular thing that occurs in radio business?
>
The translators are not actually known as KEAR. That's just how Family Radio listed it on their site so that normal listeners would easily find out what Family station they are listening to.
For example, Palm Springs' Family Radio affilate is actually K268AH, and should Legal ID this at the top of the hour. Other than that, someone listening to 101.5 K268AH will hear the exact same thing as someone listening to the new flagship station, 88.1 KEAR-FM in Sacramento.
There is only one 'real' station with the exact call letters of KEAR, which would be 610 KEAR in San Francisco.
> I am not sure if this is the correct place to post this
> but.....
>
> I was looking at the Family Radio website and it appears
> that they have many stations/translators with the call
> letter KEAR. Am I the only one who noticed this ? or is it a
> regular thing that occurs in radio business?
>
They are using the KEAR call letters for 610 in San Francisco. My understanding is the KEAR-FM are now being used on Family Radio's Sacramento station. All other KEAR's you see are translators and actually only rebroadcast KEAR around the nation and the calls are different on each of them.
> but.....
>
> I was looking at the Family Radio website and it appears
> that they have many stations/translators with the call
> letter KEAR. Am I the only one who noticed this ? or is it a
> regular thing that occurs in radio business?
>
They are using the KEAR call letters for 610 in San Francisco. My understanding is the KEAR-FM are now being used on Family Radio's Sacramento station. All other KEAR's you see are translators and actually only rebroadcast KEAR around the nation and the calls are different on each of them.
K
KMRichards
Guest
> For example, Palm Springs' Family Radio affilate is actually
> K268AH, and should Legal ID this at the top of the hour.
Actually, translators are exempt from doing IDs.<P ID="signature">______________
</P>
> K268AH, and should Legal ID this at the top of the hour.
Actually, translators are exempt from doing IDs.<P ID="signature">______________
</P>
C
CKidd
Guest
> > For example, Palm Springs' Family Radio affilate is
> actually
> > K268AH, and should Legal ID this at the top of the hour.
>
> Actually, translators are exempt from doing IDs.
>
Chris Kidd replies:
Actually translators may be identifiled by morse code. Otherwise the primary station must identify it. If primary station idetification is choosen then the times for identification are odd. Something like 7:50 a.m. 12:50 p.m. and 4:50 p.m. You could check the rules for the exact times.
So translators are not free from idenfication, you would just not hear it in morse code.
That translator, K268AH is an example of a non-commerical translator in the commerical band. This translator may not take a feed from a satellite. It must be able to receive an off air signal from one of Family's FM stations. See related post.
CK
> actually
> > K268AH, and should Legal ID this at the top of the hour.
>
> Actually, translators are exempt from doing IDs.
>
Chris Kidd replies:
Actually translators may be identifiled by morse code. Otherwise the primary station must identify it. If primary station idetification is choosen then the times for identification are odd. Something like 7:50 a.m. 12:50 p.m. and 4:50 p.m. You could check the rules for the exact times.
So translators are not free from idenfication, you would just not hear it in morse code.
That translator, K268AH is an example of a non-commerical translator in the commerical band. This translator may not take a feed from a satellite. It must be able to receive an off air signal from one of Family's FM stations. See related post.
CK
Re: Translator IDs
The 3 times for the primary station to ID a translator are between 7 and 9 a.m., 12:55 and 1:05 p.m. and between 4 and 6 p.m.
Most translators now use Frequency Shift Key (FSK) identification. An FSK shifts the operating frequency slightly in morse code, which is not audible to the listener but can be detected by monitoring equipment used by the FCC. As the rules say, "the carrier shift shall be not less than 5kHz nor greater than 25kHz.
The bottom line is listeners to most translators never hear the translator itself identified except for the frequency being mentioned informally by the primary station.
The full translator ID rules are in 47 C.F.R., 74.1283.
http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_04/47cfrv4_04.html
>> a non-commerical translator in the commerical band. This translator may not take a feed from a satellite. It must be able to receive an off air signal <<
This rule has been relaxed somewhat. A translator in the commercial band must be fed "terrestrially" but this can now include re-broadcasting a non-comm satellator. Theoretically, a 96.7 translator in, let's say, Weaverville can now receive it's programming from a 91.5 satellator in Redding. This practice is not widespread, but Calvary Chapel of Twin Falls is one who does this on a few facilites.
The 3 times for the primary station to ID a translator are between 7 and 9 a.m., 12:55 and 1:05 p.m. and between 4 and 6 p.m.
Most translators now use Frequency Shift Key (FSK) identification. An FSK shifts the operating frequency slightly in morse code, which is not audible to the listener but can be detected by monitoring equipment used by the FCC. As the rules say, "the carrier shift shall be not less than 5kHz nor greater than 25kHz.
The bottom line is listeners to most translators never hear the translator itself identified except for the frequency being mentioned informally by the primary station.
The full translator ID rules are in 47 C.F.R., 74.1283.
http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_04/47cfrv4_04.html
>> a non-commerical translator in the commerical band. This translator may not take a feed from a satellite. It must be able to receive an off air signal <<
This rule has been relaxed somewhat. A translator in the commercial band must be fed "terrestrially" but this can now include re-broadcasting a non-comm satellator. Theoretically, a 96.7 translator in, let's say, Weaverville can now receive it's programming from a 91.5 satellator in Redding. This practice is not widespread, but Calvary Chapel of Twin Falls is one who does this on a few facilites.
Re: Translator IDs
> The bottom line is listeners to most translators never hear
> the translator itself identified except for the frequency
> being mentioned informally by the primary station.
I'm still a fan of WTOP/Washington's hourly legal ID, which always includes W282BA/Leesburg, VA...its translator on 104.3 FM there.
As far as the relaxed rules re: non-NCE band NCE translators - this would explain why Family Radio feeds some of these off of nearby full power FM stations in markets out of Northern California.
For example:
<a target="_blank" href=http://www.familyradio.com/english/connect/broadcast/location-freq.html>http://www.familyradio.com/english/connect/broadcast/location-freq.html</a>
At the very top of this list, they use WBFR/89.5 in the Birmingham, AL market to feed an FM translator at 104.1 in Mountain Brook, AL. WBFR presumably gets its feed from KEAR/88.1 Sacramento (until last week, from KEAR/San Francisco). Or rather, from the satellite feed nominally rebroadcasting it.
-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>
> The bottom line is listeners to most translators never hear
> the translator itself identified except for the frequency
> being mentioned informally by the primary station.
I'm still a fan of WTOP/Washington's hourly legal ID, which always includes W282BA/Leesburg, VA...its translator on 104.3 FM there.
As far as the relaxed rules re: non-NCE band NCE translators - this would explain why Family Radio feeds some of these off of nearby full power FM stations in markets out of Northern California.
For example:
<a target="_blank" href=http://www.familyradio.com/english/connect/broadcast/location-freq.html>http://www.familyradio.com/english/connect/broadcast/location-freq.html</a>
At the very top of this list, they use WBFR/89.5 in the Birmingham, AL market to feed an FM translator at 104.1 in Mountain Brook, AL. WBFR presumably gets its feed from KEAR/88.1 Sacramento (until last week, from KEAR/San Francisco). Or rather, from the satellite feed nominally rebroadcasting it.
-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>
K
KMRichards
Guest
Re: Translator IDs
> The 3 times for the primary station to ID a translator are
> between 7 and 9 a.m., 12:55 and 1:05 p.m. and between 4 and
> 6 p.m.
>
> Most translators now use Frequency Shift Key (FSK)
> identification. An FSK shifts the operating frequency
> slightly in morse code, which is not audible to the listener
> but can be detected by monitoring equipment used by the FCC.
> As the rules say, "the carrier shift shall be not less than
> 5kHz nor greater than 25kHz.
This was what I was clumsily trying to refer to when I made my statement about translators not having to ID.
I was attempting to communicate that there wasn't a requirement to (a) ID the translator every hour or (b) have the ID audible to listeners.
Thanks to all who expanded on my poorly worded statement.<P ID="signature">______________
</P>
> The 3 times for the primary station to ID a translator are
> between 7 and 9 a.m., 12:55 and 1:05 p.m. and between 4 and
> 6 p.m.
>
> Most translators now use Frequency Shift Key (FSK)
> identification. An FSK shifts the operating frequency
> slightly in morse code, which is not audible to the listener
> but can be detected by monitoring equipment used by the FCC.
> As the rules say, "the carrier shift shall be not less than
> 5kHz nor greater than 25kHz.
This was what I was clumsily trying to refer to when I made my statement about translators not having to ID.
I was attempting to communicate that there wasn't a requirement to (a) ID the translator every hour or (b) have the ID audible to listeners.
Thanks to all who expanded on my poorly worded statement.<P ID="signature">______________
</P>
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