A
A#1
Guest
For instance, in Evansville. What are the call letters WIKY all about or WFMS in Indianapolis, for example? In general, all around the Hoosier state, what do the call signs stand for?
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Well, I suspect WIKY would stand for Indiana-Kentucky!
WFMS, Williams FM Service, the original owner before "the indian" and "clueless."
I never had this verified but someone tried to convince me that WJOB up in Hammond stood for "World Journal of Broadcasting" (sounds classy though).
A lot of call letters are obvious since they reflect city of license or an area's nickname (WIBC, WNAP). Some were randomly assigned by the old Federal Radio Commission or early FCC back in the day. Some are just inventions.
Google call letters history, there are several sites devoted to the topic.
WFMS, Williams FM Service, the original owner before "the indian" and "clueless."
I never had this verified but someone tried to convince me that WJOB up in Hammond stood for "World Journal of Broadcasting" (sounds classy though).
A lot of call letters are obvious since they reflect city of license or an area's nickname (WIBC, WNAP). Some were randomly assigned by the old Federal Radio Commission or early FCC back in the day. Some are just inventions.
Google call letters history, there are several sites devoted to the topic.
WCSI 1010 Columbus = We Cover Southern Indiana.
WENS 97.1 Shelbyville/Indy meant WE're Ninety Seven.
WTRE Greensburg honors the TREe growing from the Decatur County Courthouse.
WJCP 1460 North Vernon tips the hat to the local high school team Jennings County Panthers.
WZPL 99.5 Greenfield/Indy was originally Indy's "Apple"...guess WAPL wasn't available.
WTPI 107.9 Indy meant it was at the "ToP" of the dial in Indy.
WRZQ 107.3 Greensburg/Columbus was originally called Ritzy 107.3.
WJLR 91.5 Seymour's original owner's wife has the initials J L R .
WKWH Shelbyville 1520 (now WSVX) & Rushville 94.3 (now WIFE) were formerly owned by the local REMC...therefore Kilowatt Hour (KWH).
And of course, WLS 890 Chicago stood for World's Largest Store, but aside from covering more of Indiana that almost all Indiana stations, it has no Indiana connection.
WENS 97.1 Shelbyville/Indy meant WE're Ninety Seven.
WTRE Greensburg honors the TREe growing from the Decatur County Courthouse.
WJCP 1460 North Vernon tips the hat to the local high school team Jennings County Panthers.
WZPL 99.5 Greenfield/Indy was originally Indy's "Apple"...guess WAPL wasn't available.
WTPI 107.9 Indy meant it was at the "ToP" of the dial in Indy.
WRZQ 107.3 Greensburg/Columbus was originally called Ritzy 107.3.
WJLR 91.5 Seymour's original owner's wife has the initials J L R .
WKWH Shelbyville 1520 (now WSVX) & Rushville 94.3 (now WIFE) were formerly owned by the local REMC...therefore Kilowatt Hour (KWH).
And of course, WLS 890 Chicago stood for World's Largest Store, but aside from covering more of Indiana that almost all Indiana stations, it has no Indiana connection.
A#1 said:
Here are a few.....
WIKY-Indiana-KentuckY
WGBF-The original owner G. B. Finke Furniture Company
WJPS- J. Porter Smith The man who help put the station on the air
WEOA- Evansville On The Air
WSTO- STereO (WSTO was the first full time stereo FM station in Kentucky)
BobOnTheJob said:
The world's largest store was Sears. What did that have to do with Indiana?
A couple from Fort Wayne...
WGL was, depending on who you talk to, "With God's Love" or "What God Loves".
WOWO was (unofficially) "Wayne Offers Wonderful Opportunities"
A couple others from northern Indiana--
WRSW, Warsaw (self-explanatory)
The former WHLT, Huntington was originally located in the old Hotel LaFontaine...However, the joke around Huntington was that it stood for "Why Huntington Likes Television".
WGL was, depending on who you talk to, "With God's Love" or "What God Loves".
WOWO was (unofficially) "Wayne Offers Wonderful Opportunities"
A couple others from northern Indiana--
WRSW, Warsaw (self-explanatory)
The former WHLT, Huntington was originally located in the old Hotel LaFontaine...However, the joke around Huntington was that it stood for "Why Huntington Likes Television".
As stated in the post, nothing.MightyFrenchman said:
BobOnTheJob said:
Dick Biondi claimed the call letters stood for World's Lowest Salary. ;D
In WNDE the ND stood for Indy
WRWM stood for warm
WTLC tender loving care?
WNTS news talk sports
WFYI for your information
WICR Indiana Central Radio
WBDG Ben Davis Giants
WJEL J. Everett Light
WHHH Hoosier
WFBQ a variant of the original WFBM
WRZX & WYXB the first 3 letters are just used to set up the 4th; X103 B105
WBRI bible radio Indiana
WRWM stood for warm
WTLC tender loving care?
WNTS news talk sports
WFYI for your information
WICR Indiana Central Radio
WBDG Ben Davis Giants
WJEL J. Everett Light
WHHH Hoosier
WFBQ a variant of the original WFBM
WRZX & WYXB the first 3 letters are just used to set up the 4th; X103 B105
WBRI bible radio Indiana
A
A#1
Guest
Radio Rob, thanks for the info on the Evansville stations. You mentioned WSTO. I always had a hunch that STO stood for the original owners, the Steele family. Thanks for clearing that up. There are a bunch of other stations around Evansville that need clarifying. Any ideas, anyone?
More Evansville-Area stations. (Most are my suppositions and have no official source)
WBNL - BooNviLle
WEJK - Evansville JacK
WKVN - They've got to be running out of call letter combinations to spell "K-Love" by now...
WMSK - Morganfield/Sturgis Kentucky
WSON - henderSON
WSTO - ???
WDKS - The "KS" stood for Kiss. The D was probably trying to find any available call sign that could stand for "Kiss"
WBNL - BooNviLle
WEJK - Evansville JacK
WKVN - They've got to be running out of call letter combinations to spell "K-Love" by now...
WMSK - Morganfield/Sturgis Kentucky
WSON - henderSON
WSTO - ???
WDKS - The "KS" stood for Kiss. The D was probably trying to find any available call sign that could stand for "Kiss"
WGBF - Greg Shaeffer told callers it stood for "We Got Big Feet."
WROZ - Rozie the riveter
WEVV Evansville
WCNB - Connersville News Broadcasting
WTHI Terre Hut Indiana
WTLC - In light of Black History month we'll stick with the previous description but there are more.
WLW - What do they mean? Croseley is credited for having a Southern Indiana hunting lodge now the Croseley Fish and Wildlife area.
WTTS- WTTV-FM then WTTS
WFLQ - French Lick (Home of French Liquors no joke)
WGRE - Greencastle
WQTY - Cutie
WISU - Indiana State University
WMRI - Marion
WNAP - Naptown
WREB - "Bill Shirk's The Rebel with a better set of calls (WGGR)"
WGGR was supposed to be "The Bear but became Greater Greenwood Country when WAJC picked up WGRL"
WSLM - Salem
WGLD - Gold
WSVX - Shelbyville (WSVL was used then lost to another city)
WABT - Rabbit
WHUZ - Hoosier
WAOV - Alice of Old Vincennes
WROZ - Rozie the riveter
WEVV Evansville
WCNB - Connersville News Broadcasting
WTHI Terre Hut Indiana
WTLC - In light of Black History month we'll stick with the previous description but there are more.
WLW - What do they mean? Croseley is credited for having a Southern Indiana hunting lodge now the Croseley Fish and Wildlife area.
WTTS- WTTV-FM then WTTS
WFLQ - French Lick (Home of French Liquors no joke)
WGRE - Greencastle
WQTY - Cutie
WISU - Indiana State University
WMRI - Marion
WNAP - Naptown
WREB - "Bill Shirk's The Rebel with a better set of calls (WGGR)"
WGGR was supposed to be "The Bear but became Greater Greenwood Country when WAJC picked up WGRL"
WSLM - Salem
WGLD - Gold
WSVX - Shelbyville (WSVL was used then lost to another city)
WABT - Rabbit
WHUZ - Hoosier
WAOV - Alice of Old Vincennes
BobOnTheJob said:
You're right. Sorry. Let me blame it on several years of being a DJ sitting just a few feet from a toasty AM transmitter, both in southern Illinois and in Indianapolis.
WTHI - Terre Haute Indiana
WVTS - West Vigo Transcription Service
WGN - World's Greatest Newspaper
WXIR - The X and the I were letters used in the fish symbol by Christians during persecution of the church under Nero.
WVTS - West Vigo Transcription Service
WGN - World's Greatest Newspaper
WXIR - The X and the I were letters used in the fish symbol by Christians during persecution of the church under Nero.
A#1 said:
Actually, the original call letters stood for that, WVJS-FM for V.J. Steele.
A few others....
WVHI-Valley Hi Broadcasting (the owners of 105.3 back in the day) The format and calls moved to 1330 in 1982.
WOMI-West Owensboro Mental Institution...actually Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer, the original owner.
WBKR-is either Big Kentucky Radio or Big Kountry Radio, I've heard both.
WABX-a set of calls used by a rock station in Detroit.
WKDQ-Unless someone can add more, they were chosen for the "Q". Plus the "K" and "D" add to the coolness.
WGAB-"Gab" as in talk radio.
WPSR-I believe stands for Public School Radio.
TV
WFIE-We're First In Evansville
WEHT-Evansville/Henderson Television
WTVW-Just a cool set of calls that emphasized "TV"
WNIN-for Nine
WAZE-A variation of the LPTV calls that originated the station W52AZ but was identified on the air as WAZ-TV.
WKOH-Owensboro/Henderson
WEEM (Pendleton) = Two variations: With the Efforts of Ernest Miller or W Ernest E. Miller
Ernest E. Miller was the principal who started the radio program when Pendleton Heights consolidated.
Ernest E. Miller was the principal who started the radio program when Pendleton Heights consolidated.
R
Robb_Reel
Guest
TomT said:
Actually, WKBV was originally licensed to Brookville.
William Know requested WKBV for William Knox BrookVille.
Most of the explanations listed were really derived FROM the call letters after they were assigned rather than those call letters being requested to reflect these nifty little slogans.
radiorob2.0 said:
Yes, there's more.
There was a brief moment when there was serious consideration to change the then WSON-FM to WHGL. The first set of "Q" letters were assigned to a station in the DC area (or somewhere in the east) and WKDQ, which was the third or fourth choice, was one of the available combinations. While they would later add the coolness rationalization (a.k.a. folklore) for the K and or D, the truth was that was no blueprint for a K or a D, it was purely happenstance.
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