The New KCBS TOH Station ID

[djj]

If they cannot retreive the KCBS-FM callsign in Los Angeles, perhaps
they could do a "KNBR 680/1050" variant. Thus, only use the KFRC-FM
callsign for the T.O.H., just calling themselves "KCBS, AM and FM" the
rest of the time...

Or is that a stretch??

At any rate, that WILL be one LONG T.O.H. for the AM/FM and Hybrid
Digital stations...egad!
--jay

 

[8638]

I know my needle is stuck in this groove, but...

Move the KFRC call letters to 1550. Figure out a way to put the KFRC audio from the computer that is spawning it through to the transmitter in Belmont. Mix in some more '50s and '60s sounds. Every once in a while, pay tribute to your heritage by playing a few minutes of Dr. Don Rose, Mark McKay, Don Sainte-Johnn, John Mack Flanagan, et al., from classic airchecks. (There has to be an archive of them somewhere...)

As for the FM's call letters, I believe it was the wise philosopher known simply as "The Rock" who once so succinctly intoned "It doesn't matter what your name is!"

(When you read this, Mike Preston and Tim Jordan, simply roll your eyes, shake your heads and move on to the next post.)

The rest of you may relive the true glory days of one of radio's greatest stations -- without argument -- at www.Big610.com.

DJ

I have a MUCH better idea! Revive your version of "the Big 610" that you used to stream prior to the classic hits iteration of KFRC on 106.9. Offer it to the CBS suits for play on 106.9 HD-2. They probably won't pay you much, if anything, but your presentation really captured the essence of Boss radio.

 

[semoochie]

This should be legal: KCBS, KCBS-HD,KFRC-FM,KFRC-FM HD1 San Francisco.

 

[tophour]

This should be legal: KCBS, KCBS-HD,KFRC-FM,KFRC-FM HD1 San Francisco.

Not technically legal, but it would work for the FCC. Like I posted before, as long as they do anything, they'll be okay, but if they want to be completely in compliance, they'd have to go with...

"KCBS San Francisco, KCBS HD San Francisco, KFRC-FM San Francisco,
KFRC HD1 San Francisco."

But they won't.

 

[KBOS1965]

KICU 43

I'm amazed that anybody remembers that KICU/KSAN saga. I'm pretty sure that KSAN/32 was dark when they moved all the equipment to Visalia to set up KICU/43. All of the equipment had the KSAN logo on it. It was all out of date stuff left over from the 1950's. I think it was later that they put KSAN back on the air, rebroadcasting the KICU signal. I was just telling someone about that crazy setup the other day, and I told them it wasn't even up to the standards of a "shoestring" operation.

 

[BossRadioDJ]

If they cannot retreive the KCBS-FM callsign in Los Angeles, perhaps they could do a "KNBR 680/1050" variant. Thus, only use the KFRC-FM callsign for the T.O.H., just calling themselves "KCBS, AM and FM" the rest of the time...

Jay, that's why you're a damned genius. I'm willing to guess that this is exactly what they'll do.

VO GUY (loud): "This is All News 106.9 FM and 740 AM, KCBS -- San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose."

Then, whisper-mumbled, "KFRC-FM, San Francisco."

 

[LKellerIII]

If they cannot retreive the KCBS-FM callsign in Los Angeles, perhaps they could do a "KNBR 680/1050" variant. Thus, only use the KFRC-FM callsign for the T.O.H., just calling themselves "KCBS, AM and FM" the rest of the time...

Jay, that's why you're a damned genius. I'm willing to guess that this is exactly what they'll do.

VO GUY (loud): "This is All News 106.9 FM and 740 AM, KCBS -- San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose."

Then, whisper-mumbled, "KFRC-FM, San Francisco."

Yeah, being a total geek, I love those whisper-mumbled IDs, and the ones announced at auto-dealer disclaimer speed. My favorite was the period in the late 90s when KYLD and KSAN switched frequencies. For a couple of months, Wild 94.9 was "KSAN, San Fancisco," and K-San 107.7 was "KYLD, San Mateo."

 

[radioguybroadcasting]

If they cannot retreive the KCBS-FM callsign in Los Angeles, perhaps they could do a "KNBR 680/1050" variant. Thus, only use the KFRC-FM callsign for the T.O.H., just calling themselves "KCBS, AM and FM" the rest of the time...

Jay, that's why you're a damned genius. I'm willing to guess that this is exactly what they'll do.

VO GUY (loud): "This is All News 106.9 FM and 740 AM, KCBS -- San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose."

Then, whisper-mumbled, "KFRC-FM, San Francisco."

Yeah, being a total geek, I love those whisper-mumbled IDs, and the ones announced at auto-dealer disclaimer speed. My favorite was the period in the late 90s when KYLD and KSAN switched frequencies. For a couple of months, Wild 94.9 was "KSAN, San Fancisco," and K-San 107.7 was "KYLD, San Mateo."

I heard an ID on a New Jersey Station once... it went something like..

"wkxwfmtrentonwkoeoceancity"

Here's the sound bite:
http://www.tophour.com/audio/Trenton NJ/fm1015_2003-11_wxkw-fm_jyanagi.mp3

 

[DavidKaye]

Re: KICU 43

I'm amazed that anybody remembers that KICU/KSAN saga.

Believe me, my head is full of useless junk. I should have a yard sale...

I'm pretty sure that KSAN/32 was dark when they moved all the equipment to Visalia to set up KICU/43. All of the equipment had the KSAN logo on it. It was all out of date stuff left over from the 1950's.

I'm sure you're exactly right that KSAN-TV was dark at that time. And from what I've heard about the Pattersons, that would have been typical of them. They sure knew how to milk a buck, but heck, in those days, owned one (let alone two) UHFs was a recipe for financial disaster.

The fact that they were able to run 32 long enough and often enough to keep the FCC from pulling the license was a major feat. They started 32 in 1958, when the only way to get UHF was to get a "strip converter" where a specific channel strip was physically installed in the rotary drum tuner. The other, less reliable, way was to buy a UHF converter which pulled in the signals and converted them to channel 3 or 4, but those devices were extremely unstable frequency-wise and never sold much. The Fresno/Bakersfield solution I'm told (all-UHF markets) was to refit the drums with UHF strips.

I think it was later that they put KSAN back on the air, rebroadcasting the KICU signal. I was just telling someone about that crazy setup the other day, and I told them it wasn't even up to the standards of a "shoestring" operation.

I was a fan of "Industry On Parade" actually.

 

[LKellerIII]

I heard an ID on a New Jersey Station once... it went something like..

"wkxwfmtrentonwkoeoceancity"

Here's the sound bite:
http://www.tophour.com/audio/Trenton NJ/fm1015_2003-11_wxkw-fm_jyanagi.mp3

Thanks for that one, David - it's hysterical....not only for the unintelligible TOH ID, but that extended news-sounder thing which seemed to be spliced together from about 4 different sounders from the 60s and 70s - including 20/20 News, and the one for American Contemporary News (ABC News for Top 40 stations).

 

[KBOS1965]

Re: KICU 43

The Fresno/Bakersfield solution I'm told (all-UHF markets) was to refit the drums with UHF strips.

I'll try not to belabor this point too much, since we're drifting pretty far off topic. At the time that KICU/43 came on the air, almost all the tv sets in the area had tuners that covered the entire UHF band. It was no longer necessary to get the tuner strips.

KICU was the only station in the region between Bakersfield and Fresno, and the signal reached as far as both of those cities, although the Bakersfield coverage was a little spotty in some areas (Visalia itself was served by the stations in both Fresno and Bakersfield). I can see why it was attractive to the Pattersons to locate there. The market looked a lot more hospitable to a UHF operation than San Francisco (although there was already a history of at least two independent UHF station failures down there).

Harry Pappas and his brothers were the first ones to have real success with an independent UHF in that market. KMPH/26 in Visalia/Tulare was the first station in the Pappas tv empire.

I could tell some great stories about KICU/43, but this probably isn't the place to do it.

 

[DavidKaye]

Re: KICU 43

I could tell some great stories about KICU/43, but this probably isn't the place to do it.

Oh please DO! Just start a new thread. Anything would be better than reading people wailing about the demise of KFRC.

 

[1069_KIFR]

Scroll down further to "Television States > California TV" and post KICU thread there!

 

[DaveBayArea]

This should be legal: KCBS, KCBS-HD,KFRC-FM,KFRC-FM HD1 San Francisco.

Not technically legal, but it would work for the FCC. Like I posted before, as long as they do anything, they'll be okay, but if they want to be completely in compliance, they'd have to go with...

"KCBS San Francisco, KCBS HD San Francisco, KFRC-FM San Francisco,
KFRC HD1 San Francisco."

But they won't.

I know that KPFA's ID has been "KPFA and KPFB, Berkeley - KFCF, Fresno" for a long time. That seems to be OK. Of course, they could also just call them "all news AM 74 and FM 106.9" for most of the hour and then split the signal to the transmitters like KFOG does with 104.5 and 97.7 at the top of the hour. But that probably makes too much sense.

Dave B.

 

[djj]

Jay, that's why you're a damned genius. I'm willing to guess that this is exactly what they'll do.

VO GUY (loud): "This is All News 106.9 FM and 740 AM, KCBS -- San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose."

Then, whisper-mumbled, "KFRC-FM, San Francisco."

LOL!
The ultimate of the whisper-mumbled legal I.D.'s was probably about 15 or so
years ago when, in an abortive attempt to get some of the KFBK 1530 (Sacramento)
audience, the AM 770 would I.D.: "(LOUD) K P L A, (mumble softly and fast) Riverbank-
(back to LOUD) SAC-RAMENT-TOE!"

Needless to say, that gnus format did not last long...and KPLA went back to religion.
Then again, 770's then-nighttime signal was not exactly strong...
--jay

 

[BossRadioDJ]

The ultimate of the whisper-mumbled legal I.D.'s was probably about 15 or so years ago when, in an abortive attempt to get some of the KFBK 1530 (Sacramento) audience, the AM 770 would I.D.: "(LOUD) K P L A, (mumble softly and fast) Riverbank- (back to LOUD) SAC-RAMENT-TOE!"

Oh, no, Jay -- the ultimate had to be KABL in the early 1960s.

The legend is that Gordon McLendon and Don Keyes wagered over who could best "swallow" the word "Oakland" in their TOH IDs ("This is KABL, K-A-B-L Oakland, on your San Francisco dial, in the air, everywhere ... from San Francisco").

Try it yourself at home. After saying the individual K-A-B-L call letters, instantly swallow "Oakland" (so to speak). Try it a few times until you're really good at it...

 

[oldiesfan6479]

Here's another in the bury the COL category...

"WWV Fort Collins- Denver."

Even the Feds would rather be associated with Denver
over Fort Collins.

Actually, I saw this some years ago as part of a WWV
top ten list (can't recall the site). The number one
item was "ninth caller wins an atomic clock!" ;D

 

[LKellerIII]

Or the bury the legal call letter category...in the late 90s, dramatic maging by the late great Don LaFontaine:

" Today's R and B, and Classic Soul"

Different voice, whispering: "kbggsanfrancisco"

Don: "Ninety-eight one, Kiss Eff Emm"

 

[Mediaace]

IMHO - If they are smart they be best off to TOH ID's both signals separately. That would limit the 3 hour ID and keep both stations legal in the process while avoiding confusion to new listeners at either frequency.

A similar situation happened 10 years ago in New Hampshire when a powerhouse 50,000 watt country station began a simulcast with a 100,000 watt signal on a mountain covering 5 states and reaching from Montreal to Cape Cod. They also had a translater and the station website also mentioned in there. Was quite hilarious when they ran that the first week.

Jay, that's why you're a damned genius. I'm willing to guess that this is exactly what they'll do.

VO GUY (loud): "This is All News 106.9 FM and 740 AM, KCBS -- San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose."

Then, whisper-mumbled, "KFRC-FM, San Francisco."

LOL!
The ultimate of the whisper-mumbled legal I.D.'s was probably about 15 or so
years ago when, in an abortive attempt to get some of the KFBK 1530 (Sacramento)
audience, the AM 770 would I.D.: "(LOUD) K P L A, (mumble softly and fast) Riverbank-
(back to LOUD) SAC-RAMENT-TOE!"

Needless to say, that gnus format did not last long...and KPLA went back to religion.
Then again, 770's then-nighttime signal was not exactly strong...
--jay

 

[radioguybroadcasting]

IMHO - If they are smart they be best off to TOH ID's both signals separately. That would limit the 3 hour ID and keep both stations legal in the process while avoiding confusion to new listeners at either frequency.

A similar situation happened 10 years ago in New Hampshire when a powerhouse 50,000 watt country station began a simulcast with a 100,000 watt signal on a mountain covering 5 states and reaching from Montreal to Cape Cod. They also had a translater and the station website also mentioned in there. Was quite hilarious when they ran that the first week.



A 3 hour ID?

And you're referring to WOKQ 97.5 Dover, WPKQ 103.7 Mt Washington and a translator in downtown Manchester.

They run seperate spot breaks and everything.. and everything has to be timed out perfectly!