David,After giving the city of license, a station can put any additional markets on the ID. WXRV Andover-Springfield is just as legal, even if they do not cover the second or additional market that is named.
None. It's not being done. It was just given as an absurd example of what COULD be done. Andover-Milwaukee-San Diego would also be legal, but will never be done. It might be cool, though, for a Kansas station to use "KXXX Atchison-Topeka-Santa Fe!"David,
WHY is this allowed?! What would be the purpose?
That's curious. You'd think the "Andover, MA" (and are you saying "Em Ay" or "Mah"?) would eliminate the Springsteen station from consideration and lead you to the Andover station that uses that branding, wouldn't you? I mean, a user who asks for "The River" could just as easily be looking for Joni Mitchell or Garth Brooks, right?If I say "Alexa play The River Andover MA " I get E Street Radio.
WKSS-FM Hartford-Meriden.A couple rare semi-local examples:
700 WPVQ Orange-Athol, MA
95.7 WKSS Hartford-Meriden, CT
OK, so maybe it's not done, and was an exaggeration, but DavidE did say it was legal. Am I the only one bothered by this?None. It's not being done. It was just given as an absurd example of what COULD be done. Andover-Milwaukee-San Diego would also be legal, but will never be done. It might be cool, though, for a Kansas station to use "KXXX Atchison-Topeka-Santa Fe!"
There is no reason. The rule says what an ID can say and how to say it, but it does not restrict a station from naming other communities after the city of license. Many suburban licensed stations add the bigger city right after the licensed on, because that is what is important. Stations that are in multi-city markets may do several main cities, like Riverside-San Bernardino or Dallas-Fort Worth.WHY is this allowed?! What would be the purpose?
The number one station in Boston is licensed to Framingham. The ID has always been WROR Framingham Boston. Legal requirement is WROR Framingham. Now it is WROR WROR HD1 Framingham. After Framingham you can say anything.There is no reason. The rule says what an ID can say and how to say it, but it does not restrict a station from naming other communities after the city of license. Many suburban licensed stations add the bigger city right after the licensed on, because that is what is important. Stations that are in multi-city markets may do several main cities, like Riverside-San Bernardino or Dallas-Fort Worth.
I'm not a translator expert, but I believe they can ID with data and not audio, and the ID does not have to be every single hour. Hopefully someone with greater knowledge can chime in... or give a link to the appropriate rule.The number one station in Boston is licensed to Framingham. The ID has always been WROR Framingham Boston. Legal requirement is WROR Framingham. Now it is WROR WROR HD1 Framingham. After Framingham you can say anything.
WMEX is WMEX Quincy. They add the Boston and their jingles say WMEX Boston, which is perfectly legal as long as the top of the hour is WMEX Quincy. They continue to illegally id their translator as W266DQ 101.5 FM Weymouth. Has to be call letters and city of license. They never Id when they run the METV FM feed. If it is on, that is illegal.
Based on the knowledge I've soaked up here, I believe you are absolutely right on translator IDs. I asked about the half dozen Connecticut translators of WMNR Monroe, only two of which ever make it into the legal ID. The response I got was that inaudible data bursts were identifying W220CE Middlefield, the 8-watt translator I listened to for classical music, and that was OK with the FCC.I'm not a translator expert, but I believe they can ID with data and not audio, and the ID does not have to be every single hour. Hopefully someone with greater knowledge can chime in... or give a link to the appropriate rule.
And, WROR is still ID’ing the HD1, though their HD has been shut off for at least a few months now. It has been broadcasting analog only. I guess that shows that HD is not necessary for good ratings!The number one station in Boston is licensed to Framingham. The ID has always been WROR Framingham Boston. Legal requirement is WROR Framingham. Now it is WROR WROR HD1 Framingham. After Framingham you can say anything.
WMEX is WMEX Quincy. They add the Boston and their jingles say WMEX Boston, which is perfectly legal as long as the top of the hour is WMEX Quincy. They continue to illegally id their translator as W266DQ 101.5 FM Weymouth. Has to be call letters and city of license. They never Id when they run the METV FM feed. If it is on, that is illegal.
I did a little more research on translator identification. The rules are a bit unusual. There are two legal ways to ID. The first way is the identification shall be made during each day: once between 7am and 9am, once between 12:55pm and 1:05pm and once between 4pm and 6pm. Why only a ten minute window at 1pm is strange. The second way is to transmit the call sign in international morse code at least once an hour. The requirement still is call sign and city of license. WMEX is not legally IDing their translator.I'm not a translator expert, but I believe they can ID with data and not audio, and the ID does not have to be every single hour. Hopefully someone with greater knowledge can chime in... or give a link to the appropriate rule.
I've never heard audible Morse code for the Middlefield translator (or Hartford's W220CH when listening in range of that one) at ANY time. Maybe it's being time-compressed into a brief crackle or inserted during the loudest passages of the music being played. Or, as I was led to believe here in years past, subaudible data bursts satisfy the requirement.I did a little more research on translator identification, instead of speculating. The rules are a bit unusual. There are two legal ways to ID. The first way is the identification shall be made during each day: once between 7am and 9am, once between 12:55pm and 1:05pm and once between 4pm and 6pm. Why only a ten minute window at 1pm is strange. The second way is to transmit the call sign in international morse code at least once an hour. The requirement still is call sign and city of license. WMEX is not legally IDing their translator.
I don't think a "translator" can have studios of their own for program origination. They are supposed to be "repeaters".
In common-carrier microwave relays, a repeater received a signal from one direction and transmitted it out another direction, albeit with a change of frequency, or what is referred to in signal theory as "frequency translation".
I wouldn't think there is a lot of fighting for Class D licenses in the middle of nowhere AK...