What do the letters in a Radio Stations & TV name stand for?? Who picks the letters???

Question

Why is the first letter always "W"??

WPWR, WMAQ, WVON and so on.

Answer 1

Most of them don't "stand' for anything. Although some were chosen for various reasons . Today, the applicant for a license can ask for any 4-letter combination that is not already taken, depending on its location, as long as it is not obscene or indecent. It is assigned by the Federal Commmunications Commission.

In the late 1920's and early 30's, the nations of the world developed the "call letters" or "call signs" to identify broadcasters, so listeners would be able to identify who they were listening to. By international convention, the USA stations were identified by the first letters W and K (a few old stations could have both no matter where they were located; but in the 1930's, the US established W stations on the East Coast and K on the West Coast (divided roughly at the Mississippi River. )Some older stations were "grandfathered in ", if they had call letters from the 20's, such as KDKA in Pittsburgh. Very old stations had 3-letters, such as WOR in New York, KFI in Los Angeles and KGO in San Francisco, KOA in Denver, KOB in Albuquerque etc. Originally, stations could ask for call letters, so some were chosen for the initials of the owners, or some other reason. Some were humorous, such as KABL in San Francisco, which had the Cable cars, or WHO , or WWVA for Wheeling, West Virginia, or KRON , which was owned by the Chronicle newspaper in San Francisco. There was an old station in Chicago, WEBH , since it broadcast from the Edgewater Beach Hotel. There is a KAML in San Francisco, with its mascot, a camel. And, of course, KISS !

Sometimes, Networks had stations that they gave their corporate initials (KNBC, or KCBS, or KABC, or WNBC, WCBS, etc..

Incidentally, stations broadcasting in Canada have 4 letters beginning with C . And Mexico has stations beginning with X .

Answer 2

Station Call Letters

Answer 3

Call Letters Radio

Answer 4

The FCC and with just a few exceptions the W is east of the Mississippi river, and K for the West
A new radio station can request the call sign but the FCC is who Licenses and monitors the broadcast in the US.

First is was ships and shore, the W was for the Atlantic and Great Lakes
And the K was the Pacific

I remember going to the local library were there was an old book with all the Am radio station in the U.S. In the back of the book I found an ad to order an updated copy.
I think it was the first book I personally ordered in the mail.
There was even a station with KROB in Robsville tx.
I didn't know there was a town with my first name.
Here is more info.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_sign
http://www.fcc.gov/

Answer 5

Nothing. Some ad exec picks some letter that will market well or fit a theme that they are trying to convey. here in So. Cal we have k LVE, romantic music, kt LA, the Los Angel es station, k ROQ, rock music. etc etc....