The WKRP call letters are for sale. Will they live on the air in Cincinnati?
A small, low-power FM station in Raleigh, N.C., is auctioning off its iconic WKRP call letters to TV, AM and FM stations.
www.wvxu.org
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The WKRP call letters are for sale. Will they live on the air in Cincinnati?
- Thread starter robmadden1
- Start date
www.wvxu.org
WKRP is awfully close to WKRC. Of course it's a PPM market and as long as the PPM is the correct station it really doesn't matter. The TV show did last 4 seasons but it's been over 40 years.
IMHO The call letters being "Iconic" is a stretch since except for the FCC and "branding" call letters don't mean much to the average person. MTM might let you use parts of the intro music for a cool sounding jingle.
IMHO The call letters being "Iconic" is a stretch since except for the FCC and "branding" call letters don't mean much to the average person. MTM might let you use parts of the intro music for a cool sounding jingle.
If these calls were just available to apply for, then it might be fun to have them. But I wouldn't pay to license them from someone else. Honestly, most young people I know under the age of 30 have no idea that this show ever existed.
If 101.9 in Raleigh doesn't want to be WKRP anymore, they could just change to something else and the call letters would be open to anyone else that wants to use them. The article doesn't say how they acquired the name WKRP or if they had to buy it. If they had to pay for it, it's understandable that they would want to get their money back. It doesn't seem that the price could be that high as hardly anyone would recognize WKRP as it's been over 40 years since the show was on.
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K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
For anyone who is interested in this, we have been discussing it for close to two weeks already in this thread:
He's not giving them up in Raleigh... As that LPFM is the only current licensee with the WKRP calls (any suffix), they control the destiny of the call letters. He's not selling the call letters, he's simply using their equity to raise money by more or less auctioning off the right for a station on any other service (AM, FM, TV, LPTV) to get his permission to apply to use those call letters.
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K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
That is because those call letters were available when the construction permit was issued, so they requested them and the FCC assigned them. Except for situations like these, where a current holder of call letters accepts payment from another station in a different service to use them, or (as was mentioned in the other thread) a station offers the existing holder of calls money to surrender them, you don't "buy" call letters.
Kiesewetter says a deal has been made with a local station for the WKRP calls. Will it be one of the LP stations looking for publicity or would an actual money-making station try it? My guess is an LP. Your thoughts?
How about a rebranding of "The Oasis" to WKRP, with the WKRP calls landing on 97.7 or 106.7. Maybe WDJO might be taking the calls.
You can't have 2 stations of the same class (LPFM) with the same call letters. WKRP in Raleigh keep the call letters. If here ws an AM or FM (ot LPFM) or TV station that wanted them, WKRP LP in Raleigh would give them permission for a fee. They have that right because the FCC granted tthose call letters to that LPFM. By the way, the call leters have to stay east of the Mississippi River, the dividing line between Call Letters starting with W.
True, but according to Kiesewetter's story, the Raleigh station plans to shut down after the transfer.
WKRP call letters coming to Cincinnati — but where?
Owners of low-power WKRP-LPFM in Raleigh, N.C., have an agreement with a Cincinnati broadcaster to use the famous call letters in Greater Cincinnati.
www.wvxu.org
I can't help but think how much fun it would be to do the WKRP imaging, liners, promos. Audio clips from the show between songs, and the TV theme song could be part of the station ID.
Just don't name your overnight VT'ed DJ Moss Steiger. He was killed off in the series sequel " The New WKRP in Cincinnati". This made way for the return of Dr.Johnny Fever, who became the new overnight host.
Just don't name your overnight VT'ed DJ Moss Steiger. He was killed off in the series sequel " The New WKRP in Cincinnati". This made way for the return of Dr.Johnny Fever, who became the new overnight host.
And if you TRULY want to be WKRP in Cincinnati and use that jingle, the two LPs with Cincinnati as city of license are 95.7 WVQC and 105.5 WCXX. But then you have to drop an "LP" between calls and COL
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
I am guessing that you missed the fact that the WKRP calls are already on a LPFM, and therefore cannot be on another in the same service.
In fact, to make your point clearer to all, the station auctioning off the cross-service rights to the calls is WKRP-LP:
I didn't miss it and the article states that the Raleigh LP will cease operations. And, I already said this above.
If the Raleigh station were to cease operations and surrender the license before they agree to share the call sign, wouldn't the WKRP call sign then be available for any station to request, regardless of service? If the Raleigh station remains licensed for now and agrees to share the call sign, seems as though there wouldn't be a way to assign WKRP-LP to another LPFM as it would still be an active call sign for that service..unless there is some means the calls could be transferred to another LPFM in the process (without the WKRP call sign being returned to the "vat" where any station could request it).
KM,
That is NOT correct.
The station in Raleigh has control of the calls and can license them to any other suffix. As long as he grants permission there can be WKRP, WKRP-FM, WKRP-LP, WKRP-TV, WKRP-LD etc...
Looks like Lance has an idea which station, based on his Radio Insight story. Can't wait for the reveal.
The reason I am doubtful that's it's an LPFM...most are financially strapped, surviving on underwriting and donations. And to somehow come up with the licensing fee for this?
I agree with the above that it's WDJO. Despite the current legacy calls, it would give them a boost and notoriety to be WKRP - Cincinnati's Oldies Station.
I agree with the above that it's WDJO. Despite the current legacy calls, it would give them a boost and notoriety to be WKRP - Cincinnati's Oldies Station.