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Radio Station Call Letter Origins
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? ?
? Radio Station Call Letter Origins ?
? First Release: 20 May 1989 ?
? ?
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by Bob Nelson
Dallas, Texas
Compuserve: 72647,3332
BPFORUM
Genie: BNELSON5
Thrax BBS: (214) 709-5127
This initial release of Radio Call Letter Origins is certainly not meant
to be a comprehensive study of the derivation of every call sign ever
granted or currently in use. With over 11,000 broadcasters now on the
air, such an analysis would be quite time consuming. Additionally, the
majority of call letters signify absolutely nothing of any real historical
consequence. Many current call signs are used to identify a station's
current promotional position such as variations on "Power," and evidenced
by Los Angeles' KPWR or Little Rock's KIPR. Likewise, certain memorable
letters like "Q" and "X" are often used to reinforce a station's on-air
logo, viz., KTXQ for Q-102 in Dallas and WXGT for 92-X in Columbus, OH.
Consequently, since this is a "beta" version of what will hopefully expand
into a more thorough document, I have limited the field to about 100
callsigns. In all cases, to the best of my knowledge, the call letters are still
currently being used on the AM band in the city of license shown in the
list. (Note: This does not preclude several of the call letters being
used on FM as well, eg., WGAR(AM) and WGAR-FM in Cleveland). Furthermore,
I have tried to deal primarily with call letters that have some intrinsic
historical heritage. This means I have attempted (for this release) to
avoid those call letters that have had a slogan "forced" upon them, such
as Pittsburgh's WJAS which once featured a listener contest yielding the
awkward, "World's Jolliest Aerial Station." Perhaps in updates of this
study, we can deal with these slogans in a more in-depth manner.
.
(ORIGIN-Page 2)
Much of what you see here is based upon the knowledge of associates
currently in the broadcast industry or those who have moved on to the
academic field,
including:
Dr. Robert M. Ogles, Professor: Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Roy Humpfrey, Chief Operator: WLTJ, Pittsburgh
Hoyt Carter, Operations Manager: WNAH, Nashville
Hal King, Director of Operations: Metro Traffic Control, Dallas
Randy Dietterich, Chief Operator: WAMO AM/FM, Pittsburgh
Dr. Herbert Howard, Assistant Dean-Graduate Studies
College of Communications
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
A couple of publications have been valuable, including Tom Kneitel's
"Radio Station Treasury" published by CRB Research and some choice
periodicals from the National Radio Club.
I'm hoping that I can add your name to those acknowledged above. With
your help, this list can grow. If you are aware of the meaning lurking
behind call letters in your region (or perhaps other parts of the
country), please contact me via CompuServe, GEnie or the PC Pursuitable
Thrax BBS in Dallas. Additionally, since much of this data is based
upon oral history (and in some cases, hearsay), don't hesitate to point
out errors! In the next edition, we'll include more stations and perhaps
branch out into call letters that no longer exist in their original city
of license, such as the legendary WCFL, once in Chicago, or those call
letters that have migrated to a different band in the same city, like
WIS(AM) ("Wonderful Iodine State") once at 560 kHz in Columbia, SC and
now on Channel 10 television there.
Note: The list is arranged alphabetically in order of call letters.
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? ?
? Calls: Call Letters (All are AM unless otherwise noted) ?
? City of License: Current City of License as of this document's date ?
? *: Origin of Call Letters ?
? O-Ownership Related (Initials or Name of Original Licensee) ?
? L-Location Related (Pertaining to Geographic Feature, Region or City) ?
? S-Slogan (Promotional Phrase, usually reflecting Licensee) ?
? Explanation/Notes: Highlights Relationship to Call Letters ?
? For instance, WCFL (once in Chicago) would be ?
? highlighted as: C)hicago F)ederation of L)abor ?
? to clarify "CFL" in the callsign. ?
? [Brackets indicate additional ?
? historic facts dealing with the ?
? call letters]. ?
? ?
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(ORIGIN-Page 3)
Calls City of License * Explanation/Notes
???? ?????????????? ? ??????????????????
KBOI Boise, ID L Boi)se, Idaho
KFBC Cheyenne, WY O F)rontier B)roadcasting C)ompany
KFH Wichita, KS S K)ansas's F)inest H)hotel
[Original Owner: Hotel Lassen]
KFWB Los Angeles, CA O W)arner B)rothers Broadcasting
KID Idaho Falls, ID L Id)aho Falls, Idaho
KING Seattle, WA L King) County, Washington
KLAC Los Angeles, CA L L)os A)ngeles, C)alifornia
KMA Shenadoah, IA O Ma)y Seed and Nursery Company
KMMJ Grand Island, NE O The M). M). J)ohnson Co.
[Original City: Clay Center, NE]
KOAC Corvallis, OR O O)regon A)gricultural C)ollege
KOIL Omaha, NE O Mona Motor Oil) Co.
KOWH Omaha, NE O O)maha W)orld-H)erald
[Newspaper Ownership]
KPMC Bakersfiled, CA O P)ioneer M)ercantile C)ompany
KPOF Denver, CO O P)illar O)f F)ire Ministries
KPRC Houston, TX O P)ost R)adio C)ompany
[Newspaper Ownership: Houston POST]
KRLD Dallas, TX O R)adio L)abs of D)allas
KRMD Shreveport, LA O R)obert M). D)ean
KSAC Manhattan, KS O K)ansas S)tate A)gricultural C)ollege
KSD St. Louis, MO O S)t. Louis Post-D)ispatch
[Newspaper Ownership]
KSL Salt Lake City, UT L S)alt L)ake City, Utah
KSTP St. Paul, MN L St). P)aul, Minnesota
KTRH Houston, TX O T)he R)ice H)otel
KWFT Wichita Falls, TX L W)ichita F)alls, T)exas
KWKH Shreveport, LA O W). K). H)enderson
WACO Waco, TX L Waco), Texas
WAPI Birmingham, AL O A)labama P)olytechnic I)nstitute
[Original City: Auburn, AL]
WBAL Baltimore, MD L Bal)timore, Maryland
WBCM Bay City, MI L B)ay C)ity, M)ichigan
WBEN Buffalo, NY O B)uffalo E)vening N)ews
[Newspaper Ownership]
WBNS Columbus, OH O W)olfe B)ank N)ewspaper and S)hoes
[Newspaper Ownership:
Columbus Dispatch]
WBOW Terre Haute, IN S B)anks O)f W)abash River
WCCO Minneapolis, MN O W)ashburn C)rosby Milling Co)mpany
[Makers of Gold Medal Flour]
WCKY Cincinnati, OH L C)ovington, K)entuckY)
[Original City of License, still
location of transmitter]
WCOA Pensacola, FL S W)onderful C)ity O)f A)dvantages
WDEL Wilmington, DE L Wilmington, Del)aware
WDGY Minneapolis, MN O D)octor G)eorge Y)oung
WDNC Durham, NC L D)urham, N)orth C)arolina
WDOD Chattanooga, TN O D)ynamo O)f D)ixie
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(ORIGIN-Page 4)
WDRC Hartford, CT O D)oolittle R)adio C)ompany
WEDC Chicago, IL O E)mil D)enemark C)ompany
WEEI Boston, MA O E)dison E)lectic I)lluminating Co.
WEVD New York, NY O E)ugene V). D)ebs
[Reknown Socialist and Labor Activist]
WFBG Altoona, PA O W)illiam F). G)able Co.
WFLA Tampa, FL L Tampa, Fl)oridA)
WFMJ Youngstown, OH O W)illiam F). M)aag, J)unior
WGAR Cleveland, OH O G). A). R)ichards
WGBF Evansville, IN O G). B). F)inke Furniture Co.
WGH Newport News, VA S W)orld's G)reatest H)arbor
WGL Ft. Wayne, IN S W)orld's G)reatest L)oudspeaker
[Original Ownner: Magnavox]
WGN Chicago, IL S W)orld's G)reatest N)ewspaper
[Newspaper Ownserhip: Chicago Tribune]
WGST Atlanta, GA O G)eorgia S)chool of T)echnology
WGY Schenectady, NY O G)eneral Electric, SchenectadY)
WIBC Indianapolis, IN O I)ndiana B)roadcasting C)ompany
WIBG Philadelphia, PA S I) B)elieve in G)od
[Original Owner: St. Paul's Church]
WILL Urbana, IL L University of Ill)inois
WIOD Miami, FL S W)onderful I)sle of D)reams
WJAC Johnstown, PA O J)ohnstown A)utomotive C)ompany
WJLB Detriot, MI O J)ohn L). B)ooth Broadcasting Co.
WJR Detriot, MI O J)ewett R)adio & Phonograph Co.
WKAT Miami Beach, FL O Frank L. Kat)zentine
WKRC Cincinnati, OH O K)odel R)adio C)ompany
WKZO Kalamazoo, MI L K)alamaz)o)o, Michigan
WLAC Nashville, TN O L)ife A)and C)asualty Insurance Co.
WLDS Jacksonville, IL S L)incoln D)ouglas S)tation
[Tribute to Illinois Statesmen]
WLS Chicago, IL S W)orld's L)argest S)tore
[Original Owner: Sears-Roebuck]
WMAL Washington, DC O M). A). L)eese Co.
WMBD Peoria, IL S W)orld's M)ost B)eautiful D)rive
[Original City: Peoria Heights, known
for it's scenic boulevard]
WMBI Chicago, IL O M)oody B)ible I)nstitute
WMC Memphis, TN O M)emphis C)ommercial-Appeal
[Newspaper Ownership]
WMCA New York, NY O Hotel McA)lpine
WNOE New Orleans, LA O James A. Noe)
WNYC New York, NY L N)ew Y)ork C)ity
WOC Davenport, IA S W)orld O)f C)hiropractic
[Palmer School of Chiropractics]
WOSU Columbus, OH O O)hio S)tate U)niversity
WOW Omaha, NE O W)oodmen O)f the W)orld Insurance Co.
WPAD Paducah, KY L Pad)ucah, Kentucky
WPAT Paterson, NJ L Pat)erson, NJ
WPRO Providence, RI L Pro)vidence, Rhode Island
WPTF Raleigh, NC S W)e P)rotect T)he F)amily
[Owner: Durham Life Insuarnce]
WRC Washington, DC O R)adio C)orporation of America
[Original Owner: RCA]
WREC Memphis, TN O W)ooten R)adio and E)lectric C)ompany
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(ORIGIN-Page 5)
WRKO Boston, MA O RKO)-General Broadcasting
WRUF Gainesville, FL O R)adio: U)niversity of F)lorida
WRVA Richmond, VA L R)ichmond V)irginiA)
WSBC Chicago, IL O W)orld S)torage B)attery C)ompany
WSBT South Bend, IN O S)outh B)end T)ribune
WSJS Winston-Salem, NC O W)inston-S)alem J)ournal S)tation
[Newspaper Ownership]
WSLI Jackson, MS O S)tandard L)ife I)nsurance Co.
WSM Nashville, TN S W)e S)hield M)illions
[Original Owner: National Life
and Accident Insurance]
WSMB New Orleans, LA O S)aenger Amusement-M)aison B)lanche
WSOC Charlotte, NC S S)ounds O)f C)harlotte
WSPA Spartanburg, SC L Spa)rtanburg, South Carolina
WSUI Iowa City, IA O S)tate U)niversity of I)owa
WSVA Harrisonburg, VA L S)henandoah Valley of V)irginiA)
WTIC Hartford, CT O T)raveler's I)nsurance C)ompany
WTMJ Milwaukee, WI O T)he M)ilwaukee J)ournal
[Newspaper Ownership]
WWNC Asheville, NC L W)estern N)orth C)arolina
WWRL New York, NY O W)oodside R)adio L)abs
[Original City: Woodside, LI, NY]
WWSW Pittsburgh, PA O W)illiam S). W)alker
WWVA Wheeling, WV L W)heeling W)est V)irginiA)
I hope you found this document to be of interest and that you'll
take some time to provide input---suggestions, additions, corrections.
Thank You!
Bob Nelson
20 May 1989
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