What about the calls?

[jmtillery]

Did the search on Yahoo and only found the WSBB calls are used on a AM station in Florida

That is correct. The WSBB call letters have been associated with WSBB-AM 1230 New Smyrna Beach (Daytona Beach), Florida for years, having first appeared on AM 1230 in the 1950s.

 

[the golden boy]

But can't Cox still use WSBB-FM? They may have to pay the Florida station for use of the calls, but there are many examples of AMs and FMs with the same calls but on different bands and ownership, like KHTS-FM San Diego (CC) and KHTS-AM Santa Clarita (north of Los Angeles). There's also WZRX-AM Jackson, MS and WZRX-FM in Ohio, though I'm not sure if the Ohio station is a CC station.

 

[radiolives]

If Cox gets the WSBB-FM calls will those go on 95.5 or B 98.5 ? I can see WSB-FM calls going to 95.5 so that way they can ID as WSB Atlanta WSB-FM Doraville. I believe that would be correct.

 

[TheRealOtherNeil]

Why not swap them? B98.5 can still be called that with the calls WBTS. (caller10 just fell out of his chair) Then 95.5 can be WSB-FM thus WSB AM-FM.

Why didn't they just call the FM the "Nooze Bi-yat"?

 

[jabba17]

I can understand parking heritage calls in another market to keep them from being used, as Entercom did for New Orleans' WSMB, which got placed in Memphis for a while.

But the small town stations picking up popular calls is a mystery to me. In Alabama, Birmingham heritage calls WVOK wound up on a hot AC station in Anniston, and the WSGN calls wound up on a public radio repeater in Gadsden. Weird.

If a major company wants to "park" calls for future use because the calls have value, then wouldn't a small market operator grabbing up heritage calls as an investment property he might be able to sell in the future make sense? Look at how many people register website names in case someone wants to buy them.

I'm sure that there has been a convo between Rupert Murdoch and Anne Cox Chambers that didn't deal with political differences but rather with the old calls for 97.1 (http://coxradio.com/markets/stamford.html ) and some sum of Rupert's money.

 

[jabba17]

But can't Cox still use WSBB-FM? They may have to pay the Florida station for use of the calls, but there are many examples of AMs and FMs with the same calls but on different bands and ownership, like KHTS-FM San Diego (CC) and KHTS-AM Santa Clarita (north of Los Angeles). There's also WZRX-AM Jackson, MS and WZRX-FM in Ohio, though I'm not sure if the Ohio station is a CC station.

I don't think CC had to pay the owner of WWVA (AM) in WV for the use of those calls for 105.7. I think all CC had to do was slap on a -FM suffix. Similarly, I don't think Time Warner had to pay CC for use of the WPCH calls (currently used by CC in Gray) for what we used to call Channel 17.

 

[DToTheJ]

I can see WSB-FM calls going to 95.5 so that way they can ID as WSB Atlanta WSB-FM Doraville. I believe that would be correct.

That might get Cox to realign their legal ID of the simulcast, as in: "(fast talking v/o) WSB-FM Doraville, (normal speed v/o) WSB, AM and FM, Atlanta." Unless they're going to throw in their HD channel stats and completely muck things up...

 

[secondchoice]

I don't think CC had to pay the owner of WWVA (AM) in WV for the use of those calls for 105.7. I think all CC had to do was slap on a -FM suffix.

WWVA is a “Capstar” station which IIRC is one of CC’s companies. If you look at the very bottom of the WWVA AM homepage you will see the swirl “C” trademark of CC. By the way there was some talk recently of CC moving the 1170 signal into Cleveland OH. I do not know if CC is going to do it now. They are rebuilding WWVA AM’s 3 tower antenna farm. All three free standing towers were snapped off during a “microburst” several weeks ago.

 

[jabba17]

That might get Cox to realign their legal ID of the simulcast, as in: "(fast talking v/o) WSB-FM Doraville, (normal speed v/o) WSB, AM and FM, Atlanta." Unless they're going to throw in their HD channel stats and completely muck things up...

That wouldn't be a legal legal ID.  You can't put anything between your calls and your city of license, unless "-FM" is part of your legal calls, then you must include the "-FM".  But you can put anything you want on either side of your legal ID, or if you are doing two or more legal IDs for a simul you can put anything you want between each of them.

For example, it would not be legal for Project to do a TOH ID of "WKLS-FM Atlanta", because there's no "-FM" in WKLS's legal calls.  Similarly, "WFSH Athens" isn't legal because "-FM" is part of their legal calls.  Putting "AM" in a legal ID is never legal (waiting for some smartaleck to refer to WAMJ  )

IIRC, the old WGST simul legal ID went like this: "WGST-FM Canton WGST Atlanta", with the WGST-FM part spoken fast and softer, and the WGST (AM) part leading into the TOH imaging.  In some cases if there was a big TOH splash, they put a fast and quiet "WGST-FM Canton" at the beginning and then did the big splash with "WGST Atlanta" worked in somewhere.

But didn't WGST at one time try a legal ID of "WGST Atlanta Canton"? That doesn't sound legal to me for the FM side.

 

[amos]

You can't put anything between your calls and your city of license

not exactly. you can include the licensee's name, frequency and/or channel number between the call letters and city of license. channel number isn't the tv channel, it's the fm channel number, 95.5 is channel 238. so WBTS, cox radio inc, channel 238, doraville would be legal.

(b) Content. (1) Official station identification shall consist of the station’s call letters immediately followed by the community or communities specified in its license as the station’s location: Provided, That the name of the licensee or the station’s frequency or channel number, or both, as stated on the station’s license may be inserted between the call letters and station location. No other insertion is permissible. (2) A station may include in its official station identification the name of any additional community or communities, but the community to which the station is licensed must be named first.

and of course so would WSB-ATLANTA, WBTS-DORAVILLE.

i can't see cox doing ANYTHING to 98.5, not even a simple call letter swap. WSB-FM is a heritage station in the market, and the brand is too important to mess with.

if it were mine, i'd change 95.5 to WWSB. (note, not wwsb-fm. just wwsb. it's available)
then a legal ID could be "wWSB-doraville-ATLANTA - - WSB-ATLANTA"

 

[radiolives]

Doesn't the AM calls have to be said before the FM calls? So that be WSB Atlanta, WWSB Doraville (with Doraville said fast of course), Atlanta

 

[amos]

well, i did some research on that on the FCC pages, and i can't find anywhere it states that the AM station ID has to be first.

maybe somebody will chime in on that.

(c) Channel—(1) General. Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph,
in making the identification announcement the call letters shall be given only on the channel, or channels in the case of a broadcaster that is multicasting more than a single channel,
identified thereby.

doesn't mention which has to be first.

an insteresting find on this same page:

http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2009/octqtr/pdf/47cfr73.1201.pdf

Provided, That the name of the licensee, the station’s frequency, the
station’s channel number, as stated on the station’s license, and/or the station’s
network affiliation may be inserted between the call letters and station
location.

i'd never heard that network affiliation part of the rule, i think it may be new.

 

[amos]

i also see now that the WWSB calls belong to WWSB television, in Sarasota Bradenton, FL.

i suppose they could get WWSB-FM but that would probably be even more confusing. and even then they'd have to get the owner of WWSB to allow it.

 

[bclark71.]

i also see now that the WWSB calls belong to WWSB television, in Sarasota Bradenton, FL.

i suppose they could get WWSB-FM but that would probably be even more confusing. and even then they'd have to get the owner of WWSB to allow it.

How about WSB-FM to 95.5 and WBNF (B Ninety-eight Five) to 98.5?

 

[amos]

How about WSB-FM to 95.5 and WBNF (B Ninety-eight Five) to 98.5?

of course all of us are only speculating. but i can't see them moving WSB-FM from 98.5. people on this board called WBTS a heritage station. 11 years is nothing compared to WSB-FM's heritage -- since 1948. (although they were on 104.5 in the beginning)

as David Eduardo said in another post, in a total simulcast only the calls of the primary station are important, as that's how it will show in arbitron's listing. so, keeping it WBTS wouldn't hurt a thing. i just thought wwsb was available, and would work. wwsb-fm would just confuse people.

maybe they'll buy WNOW from davidson media group in charlotte.

AM 750 WSB Atlanta and NOW 95.5 WNOW doraville.

ha.

 

[jmtillery]

Doesn't the AM calls have to be said before the FM calls? So that be WSB Atlanta, WWSB Doraville (with Doraville said fast of course), Atlanta

No. The only requirement is a basic legal ID which is call letters followed by city of license. Anything else the licensee would like to insert before or after "call letters followed by city of license" is fine, so long as the basic legal ID - call letters followed by city of license is followed. In a simulcast arrangment, it doesn't matter which station is identified first so long as all stations in the mix are properly identified. By way of example: "WSB Atlanta - WBTS Doraville" is all that is required. Likewise the ID could also be "WBTS Doraville - WSB Atlanta" which is perfectly fine because it properly identifes both stations per FCC rules. The only exception to the call letters followed by city of license rule is the license can insert the licensee name between call letters and COL. Ex: WSB, Cox Radio, Inc., Atlanta and WBTS, Cox Radio, Inc., Doraville is acceptable as both are in compliance with FCC rules. No other insertion is permitted.

Lastly, the call letters WWSB belong to a TV station in Sarasota, Florida. However, since these are TV call letters, WBTS can apply for WWSB-FM, with the suffix "FM", provided WWSB-TV grants permission to Cox Radio to share the call letters.

 

[jmtillery]

i can't see them moving WSB-FM from 98.5.11 years is nothing compared to WSB-FM's heritage -- since 1948. (although they were on 104.5 in the beginning)

This is something I didn't know. During what years was WSB-FM on 104.5? And when did WSB-FM move to its present 98.5? Also, do you happen to know the power levels of WSB-FM when it was on 104.5 and its format at the time?

 

[davideduardo]

i'd never heard that network affiliation part of the rule, i think it may be new.

Not new, just not a radio rule. That is a TV rule. Radio does not have the same rule.

 

[jabba17]

Doesn't the AM calls have to be said before the FM calls? So that be WSB Atlanta, WWSB Doraville (with Doraville said fast of course), Atlanta

No, they're not even doing that today.  In fact, usually the FM calls are first--because they can sneak that in before the big TOH splash.  The current TOH ID goes something like this:

WBTS Doraville...AM 750 and now 95.5 FM Newstalk WSB Atlanta's News, Traffic, and Weather Station.  Depend On It.

The legal ID for the AM side is highlighted where it is snuck in the TOH splash.

This replaces the old sotto voce "WSB Atlanta WSRV HD-2 Gainesville" that they used to use before the TOH splash. I guess somewhere buried in the FCC regs is something saying you have to have the primary station ID first before an HD-2 simul legal ID.

Back in the day, Jacor had a quiet "WCHK Canton" right before WGST's TOH splash when they were LMAing 105.7 at the start of the WGST FM simul era.  That was before the aforementioned legally suspicious "WGST Atlanta Canton".

 

[jabba17]

Ex: WSB, Cox Radio, Inc., Atlanta and WBTS, Cox Radio, Inc., Doraville is acceptable as both are in compliance with FCC rules. No other insertion is permitted.

Lastly, the call letters WWSB belong to a TV station in Sarasota, Florida. However, since these are TV call letters, WBTS can apply for WWSB-FM, with the suffix "FM", provided WWSB-TV grants permission to Cox Radio to share the call letters.

Does the licensee have to be the actual licensee of record, for example, WKLS would have to use "Citicasters Licenses, Inc." and not "Clear Channel Communications, Inc."? This would affect Q100 as they would have to use "Susquehanna Radio Corp." instead of "Cumulus Media Partners LLC", right?

Also, who "owns" call letters when it comes down to cross-band usage? The oldest user of record?