ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º º º Radio Station Call Letter Origins º º First Release: 20 May 1989 º º º ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ 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. ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ K E Y ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ ³ ³ Calls: Call Letters (All are AM unless otherwise noted) ³ ³ City of License: Current City of License as of this document's date ³ ³ *: Origin of Call Letters ³ ³ O-Ownership Related (Initials or Name of Original Licensee) ³ ³ L-Location Related (Pertaining to Geographic Feature, Region or City) ³ ³ S-Slogan (Promotional Phrase, usually reflecting Licensee) ³ ³ Explanation/Notes: Highlights Relationship to Call Letters ³ ³ For instance, WCFL (once in Chicago) would be ³ ³ highlighted as: C)hicago F)ederation of L)abor ³ ³ to clarify "CFL" in the callsign. ³ ³ [Brackets indicate additional ³ ³ historic facts dealing with the ³ ³ call letters]. ³ ³ ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ . (ORIGIN-Page 3) Calls City of License * Explanation/Notes ÄÄÄÄ ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ Ä ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ 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 . (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 . (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