Heelychat, the forum for heelys, the shoes with wheels - View topic

Joined: 15 Jun 2008 Posts: 1391 Location: UK

I was wondering why Radio stations in the US seem to usually have a name that is merely four letters, usually starting with a W? And what does the W stand for?

Here they have names like "Trent FM" for one broadcasting near the River Trent etc.

Every radio station has a call sign, which is either 3 or 4 letters. Stations with a Wxxx are usually east of the Mississippi River, and stations to the west usually are identified as Kxxx.

There are lots of exceptions to that, such as the CBS TV/Radio station in Philadelphia which is KYW. Also, the letters are frequently random, but not always... WCAU in Philadelphia seems random, but WFRE and WFMD are both based in Frederick, MD and don't seem random.

Those aren't the station names, just the call signs... that's how the FCC identifies radio stations. Most radio stations in Canada start with C, likely because most of the Canadian population lives in southern Canada and that makes the Canadian stations stand out from the US stations.

Station names, or nicknames more accurately, are sometimes based on those letters like WMGK or WMJQ being called 'Magic'. But a local station in Frederick is Key 103, and their call sign is WAFY.

The FCC (Federal Communicaions Commission) website might have more information, but the info here is just based on broadcasting classes I had in high school and college.

-Steve

Joined: 09 Jan 2008 Posts: 191 Location: Texas

i just know my fav station is KISS FM

there is a tv channel called DHC

i have never watched it tho

"Magic 102.7" "Y100 100.1" "Calle 98.3"

Nope.....ive never actually heard of a station thats 4 letters or starts with a W....

Joined: 09 Jan 2008 Posts: 191 Location: Texas

106.1 kiss fm, 97.9 tha beat, 96.3 kscs, 102.1 tha bear

Joined: 28 Dec 2006 Posts: 532 Location: Philly, PA

Q102, WOGL Philadelphia, B101

iS this like sirius or local radio stations?

Joined: 15 Jun 2008 Posts: 1391 Location: UK

Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Posts: 469 Location: Ol' Virginny

Even though they may go by an informal name (my fav local is 96X), they all have official call signs (96X is WROX). So all your fav local stations no matter what they call themselves have a W or K designation.

i was asking all the other people posting their local radio stations and i dont get what mcro answered, sure as heck not for my county... like i said i have never heard of any W radio stations until now when some of you are posting them, maybe brits have some M radio stations you never heard about.

Seth... Q102 or Sunny 107 are nicknames. Each of those stations has a callsign assigned by the FCC. When they pause for station identification, the Wxxx (Q102 in Philadelphia is WIOQ) is stated as a matter of federal law.

I looked it up... Y100 Miami is WHYI.

Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Posts: 469 Location: Ol' Virginny

If you want to get COMPLETELY turned around on the subject, read this.

ME, in response to your question, we are talking about local radio broadcasts. Sirius is a subscribtion (same with XM) in which you pay a monthly fee and get higher quality radio broadcast with less commercials and tuned to the music of your fancy. You like Led Zepplin, Jimi Hendrix, Lynard Skynard, there's a station for that. You like listening to R&B without getting the gangsta rap mixed in, there's a station for that. With higher quality and less commercials, it makes for a nice car drive to work and back every day. They also make home tuners and now you can go to their website, create a user name bound with your account and listen to it on the internet.

Now in response to this topic, KILO 94.3 providing pure rock to Colorado Springs and Pueblo for 28 years.

......wow and i guessed the M thing for the UK because they have everything backwards.