MW
No. Is the simple answer.
The call sign is issued by the FCC normally, and isn't chosen. The ones with the CBS etc are usually owned and operated and not affiliates, but elsewhere you have WUSA which are the CBS Affiliate in Washington.
Affiliates are local stations that take one network's programming and some funding from them, not disimilar to ITV regions but they cover a smaller market and area than them.
Affiliation can change and I think most importantly, the callsigns don't mean squat really!
WPIX are an NY station affiliated by the CW on Channel 11.
For a similar name from a similar idea, BRMB in the UK stood for 'Birmingham Broadcasting'
What does the callsigns mean, eg KNBC, WNBC, WCBS, WABC? last three letters ID the network, what does the first.mean? Also are affiliate stations much like the independent ITV Regions, along with some owned by the main network?
No. Is the simple answer.
The call sign is issued by the FCC normally, and isn't chosen. The ones with the CBS etc are usually owned and operated and not affiliates, but elsewhere you have WUSA which are the CBS Affiliate in Washington.
Affiliates are local stations that take one network's programming and some funding from them, not disimilar to ITV regions but they cover a smaller market and area than them.
Affiliation can change and I think most importantly, the callsigns don't mean squat really!
WPIX are an NY station affiliated by the CW on Channel 11.
For a similar name from a similar idea, BRMB in the UK stood for 'Birmingham Broadcasting'
MI
Radio callsigns are a different matter however. Some are deliberate, some are backronyms:
WDRC 102.9 FM (aka Big D 103) is named after Doolittle Radio Company, its original owners.
WFAN 660 is a sports channel dedicated to the Fans
WACO-FM serves the town of Waco, Texas.
Have a read. It's fascinating.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callsigns_in_North_America#K_and_W
Broadly speaking, K is West of the Mississippi river, W is East of the Mississipi river.
WDRC 102.9 FM (aka Big D 103) is named after Doolittle Radio Company, its original owners.
WFAN 660 is a sports channel dedicated to the Fans
WACO-FM serves the town of Waco, Texas.
Have a read. It's fascinating.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callsigns_in_North_America#K_and_W
what does the first.mean?
Broadly speaking, K is West of the Mississippi river, W is East of the Mississipi river.
IS
The one with the same names as the network are the flagship stations in New York and Los Angeles. All 6 are owned by their respective networks and are based in their respective HQ's/studios in those cities - for example WNBC is based in 30 Rockefeller Plaza. With CBS/NBC/ABC their network feeds for the east and west originate at those stations too.
Incidently WPBS is a PBS station but isn't their flagship and WFOX is a radio station not connected with Fox.
They're very different. Firstly they aren't regions, nor was the US carved up into areas which were then given to TV companies. Unlike the UK there are areas with no or very few TV stations covering them, the big cities will be more interesting and profitable places to set up a TV station so the gaps between often get missed.
All US TV stations are local, covering a city or area known as a 'market'. Some are owned by a network but most aren't. Stations are either affiliated to a network or are independent and do their own thing. There's no regulation as to which networks are available in each market but you don't get 2 in the same (except via overspill). This means that you might have a CBS and ABC station but no NBC, and sometimes they'll switch affiliations overnight normally because one's been taken over.
A lot of moving around happened when the UPN and WB networks merged to become 'The CW', meaning that lots of markets suddenly would have had two stations with the same network. Some, for instance those owned a subsidiary of Fox went to Fox's My Network, others were left without any network affiliation.
What does the callsigns mean, eg KNBC, WNBC, WCBS, WABC? last three letters ID the network, what does the first.mean?
The one with the same names as the network are the flagship stations in New York and Los Angeles. All 6 are owned by their respective networks and are based in their respective HQ's/studios in those cities - for example WNBC is based in 30 Rockefeller Plaza. With CBS/NBC/ABC their network feeds for the east and west originate at those stations too.
Incidently WPBS is a PBS station but isn't their flagship and WFOX is a radio station not connected with Fox.
Quote:
Also are affiliate stations much like the independent ITV Regions, along with some owned by the main network?
They're very different. Firstly they aren't regions, nor was the US carved up into areas which were then given to TV companies. Unlike the UK there are areas with no or very few TV stations covering them, the big cities will be more interesting and profitable places to set up a TV station so the gaps between often get missed.
All US TV stations are local, covering a city or area known as a 'market'. Some are owned by a network but most aren't. Stations are either affiliated to a network or are independent and do their own thing. There's no regulation as to which networks are available in each market but you don't get 2 in the same (except via overspill). This means that you might have a CBS and ABC station but no NBC, and sometimes they'll switch affiliations overnight normally because one's been taken over.
A lot of moving around happened when the UPN and WB networks merged to become 'The CW', meaning that lots of markets suddenly would have had two stations with the same network. Some, for instance those owned a subsidiary of Fox went to Fox's My Network, others were left without any network affiliation.
Last edited by Inspector Sands on 2 October 2012 1:34am
IS
There have been a few attempts to ape US call signs here.
There was a WABC, which stood for W olverhampton A nd B lack C ountry. In the early days of DAB there was a WLON in London
Yes and other countries have them too, although most of the world, including the UK, don't use them except for amateur radio: http://www.dxing.com/callsign.htm
For a similar name from a similar idea, BRMB in the UK stood for 'Birmingham Broadcasting'
There have been a few attempts to ape US call signs here.
There was a WABC, which stood for W olverhampton A nd B lack C ountry. In the early days of DAB there was a WLON in London
Surprised its not been mentioned but K and W are letters assigned to broadcast stations by the ITU.
Yes and other countries have them too, although most of the world, including the UK, don't use them except for amateur radio: http://www.dxing.com/callsign.htm
TJ
One interpretation of the history of US call-signs has
A
(dot dash) used by the Army and
N
(dash dot) used by the Navy.
M
(dash dash) was used by Marconi. The stations were for two-way morse communication and tended to have three-letter call-signs. Civilian stations in the US were identified by adding a dash to
A
and
N
, making
W
and
K
.
By 1910 the whole system had become horribly confused, so a conference was held in London to formally allocate call-sign prefixes. The US retained W, K and N, but shared A with Germany which subsequently used D . Britain was allocated G (domestic) and V (dominions and dependencies), France F and Russia R .
By 1910 the whole system had become horribly confused, so a conference was held in London to formally allocate call-sign prefixes. The US retained W, K and N, but shared A with Germany which subsequently used D . Britain was allocated G (domestic) and V (dominions and dependencies), France F and Russia R .
OV
The FCC do allow affiliates to choose their callsign provided it is available and appropriate.
UK stations are also assigned international callsigns, however they are of course not publically used. The UK has G, M, VP-VQ, VS, ZB-ZJ, ZN-ZO, ZQ and the number 2 (well known from 2LO and its sister stations in the early days of broadcast radio).
UK stations are also assigned international callsigns, however they are of course not publically used. The UK has G, M, VP-VQ, VS, ZB-ZJ, ZN-ZO, ZQ and the number 2 (well known from 2LO and its sister stations in the early days of broadcast radio).
JB
And we thought Tumble Tower's codes were confusing.
One interpretation of the history of US call-signs has
A
(dot dash) used by the Army and
N
(dash dot) used by the Navy.
M
(dash dash) was used by Marconi. The stations were for two-way morse communication and tended to have three-letter call-signs. Civilian stations in the US were identified by adding a dash to
A
and
N
, making
W
and
K
.
By 1910 the whole system had become horribly confused, so a conference was held in London to formally allocate call-sign prefixes. The US retained W, K and N, but shared A with Germany which subsequently used D . Britain was allocated G (domestic) and V (dominions and dependencies), France F and Russia R .
By 1910 the whole system had become horribly confused, so a conference was held in London to formally allocate call-sign prefixes. The US retained W, K and N, but shared A with Germany which subsequently used D . Britain was allocated G (domestic) and V (dominions and dependencies), France F and Russia R .
And we thought Tumble Tower's codes were confusing.
IS
I've never understood how the early Australian stations ended up as 2's as well - 2UE, 2ME, 2GB are all stations in Sydney.
Amateur radio licensees still have call signs, they have to give them out at the start of transmissions. Somewhere I have seen a test card for the first ITV test transmissions - on it is it's call sign
The FCC do allow affiliates to choose their callsign provided it is available and appropriate.
UK stations are also assigned international callsigns, however they are of course not publically used. The UK has G, M, VP-VQ, VS, ZB-ZJ, ZN-ZO, ZQ and the number 2 (well known from 2LO and its sister stations in the early days of broadcast radio).
UK stations are also assigned international callsigns, however they are of course not publically used. The UK has G, M, VP-VQ, VS, ZB-ZJ, ZN-ZO, ZQ and the number 2 (well known from 2LO and its sister stations in the early days of broadcast radio).
I've never understood how the early Australian stations ended up as 2's as well - 2UE, 2ME, 2GB are all stations in Sydney.
Amateur radio licensees still have call signs, they have to give them out at the start of transmissions. Somewhere I have seen a test card for the first ITV test transmissions - on it is it's call sign
RE
That's not an internationally assigned call its the Australian regulators assigned for the New South Wales state, so all radio stations in NSW start with 2.
There's one here: http://txlib.mb21.co.uk/main.php?g2_itemId=760
I've never understood how the early Australian stations ended up as 2's as well - 2UE, 2ME, 2GB are all stations in Sydney.
That's not an internationally assigned call its the Australian regulators assigned for the New South Wales state, so all radio stations in NSW start with 2.
Amateur radio licensees still have call signs, they have to give them out at the start of transmissions. Somewhere I have seen a test card for the first ITV test transmissions - on it is it's call sign
There's one here: http://txlib.mb21.co.uk/main.php?g2_itemId=760