# Naming of US radio stations **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 22, 2012, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-us-radio-stations/641837 "2012-11-22T14:55:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-us-radio-stations/641837/1 "2012-11-22T14:55:54Z")
Something I’ve always wondered, why are US radio stations typically called a four letter acronym starting with ‘K’. And what does ‘K’ stand for? In the UK, radio stations are called all sorts of things, like ‘BBC London’, ‘Absolute 80s’, ‘Talksport’, ‘Capital FM’ or ‘Heart FM’. I.e. something which tells you something about the music style, subject or area covered. ---
**Author:** ![ed\_anger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbce88/32.png) [@ed\_anger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ed_anger)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-us-radio-stations/641837/2 "2012-11-22T15:03:55Z")
read this: [United States Callsign Policies](http://earlyradiohistory.us/recap.htm) basically American radio stations were originally named the same way telegraph stations and ships were. W is used for east of the Mississippi, K for west. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-us-radio-stations/641837/3 "2012-11-22T15:05:26Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Something I’ve always wondered, why are US radio stations typically called a four letter acronym starting with ‘K’. And what does ‘K’ stand for? A K West of the Mississippi, a W on the East, I don’t think it works out quite exactly that way, but it’s a good approximation. (Think WKRP in Cincinnati.) ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-us-radio-stations/641837/4 "2012-11-22T15:11:53Z")
it is call letter assigned to each station by the FCC. every radio transmitter that needs a license gets assigned a call letter, US can start with A (some),N,K,W (determined a century ago by international treaty). in the USA commercial broadcast station have call letters starting with W or K. the station will often ask for available letters that form something that can be pronounced for marketing purposes. ---
**Author:** ![ataraxy22](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ataraxy22/32/307_2.png) [@ataraxy22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ataraxy22)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-us-radio-stations/641837/5 "2012-11-22T15:12:17Z")
Except for KDKA in Pittsburgh. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-us-radio-stations/641837/6 "2012-11-22T15:15:11Z")
the exceptions to W east and K west occurs both because some stations were named before there was a convention and the line separating the W and K was changed after the convention was started. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-us-radio-stations/641837/7 "2012-11-22T15:17:46Z")
[Cecil Adams’s take on it](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2303/why-do-u-s-radio-call-letters-start-with-w-in-the-east-and-k-in-the-west-revisited) ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-us-radio-stations/641837/8 "2012-11-22T15:20:32Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Something I’ve always wondered, why are US radio stations typically called a four letter acronym starting with ‘K’. And what does ‘K’ stand for? > > In the UK, radio stations are called all sorts of things, like ‘BBC London’, ‘Absolute 80s’, ‘Talksport’, ‘Capital FM’ or ‘Heart FM’. I.e. something which tells you something about the music style, subject or area covered. UK stations have call sign as well ( most start with a V) they just don’t use them as brands or titles the way US stations do. Think of a call sign as an ISBN number; in the UK they give the channel a proper title and in the US they often just use the unique code for the channel. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-us-radio-stations/641837/9 "2012-11-22T15:23:26Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > A K West of the Mississippi, a W on the East, I don’t think it works out quite exactly that way, but it’s a good approximation. (Think WKRP in Cincinnati.) In particular, there are some K stations in the east that existed before the US decided to divide the K and W call signs allotted to it this way. For instance, [KDKA](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KDKA_%28AM%29), Pittsburgh. ITU Prefixes are an international standard: > **[ITU prefix](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITU_prefix)** > > The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) allocates call sign prefixes for radio and television stations of all types. They also form the basis for, but may not exactly match, aircraft registration identifiers. These prefixes are agreed upon internationally, and are a form of country code. A call sign can be any number of letters and numerals but each country must only use call signs that begin with the characters allocated for use in that country. > With regard to the second and/or third l... For instance, CKLW is a very powerful AM station that can be heard over a large section of the United States. The C is because it’s Canadian, broadcasting out of Windsor, Ontario. ETA: OK, a bunch of articles slipped in while I was answering. In particular, the link to Cecil’s detailed article on the divide. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-us-radio-stations/641837/10 "2012-11-22T15:23:35Z")
To elaborate, stations are required to identify themselves using the call letters periodically (IIRC once or twice an hour?). Most US stations do have descriptive names as well, but since they have to transmit the call letters anyways, it makes sense from a branding point of view to just combine the call letters and the descriptive name. So instead of wasting air time with a dry announcer saying “you are listening to KQWE 93.3 FM” or something you can make a slick spot saying “This is Classic Rockin’ KQWE 93.3 \” that both meets the government requirement and acts as an ad for your station. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-us-radio-stations/641837/11 "2012-11-22T15:53:49Z")
Interesting, thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-us-radio-stations/641837/12 "2012-11-22T17:41:23Z")
There are some other things that are going to be confusing for many foreigners about U.S. radio stations. There are at least four things that you need to know about a given radio station if you want to understand it. First, there are the call letters, starting with W east of the Mississippi and K west of the Mississippi (and C in Canada, incidentally, although I’m not sure how much Canadian radio is otherwise like American radio). Second, there’s the nickname for the station, which often includes part of the call letter, the city or region where it’s broadcast from, and the type of programming it does. Some stations don’t have a nickname. Third, there’s the format for the station, which tells what kind of things it does: > **[Radio format](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_format)** > > A radio format or programming format (not to be confused with broadcast programming) describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. The radio format emerged mainly in the United States in the 1950s, at a time when radio was compelled to develop new and exclusive ways to programming by competition with television. The formula has since spread as a reference for commercial radio programming worldwide. > A radio format aims to reach a more or less specific audience according to a certa... Fourth, there’s the network the station is associated with (although some stations aren’t associated with a network): > **[List of United States radio networks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_radio_networks)** > > The following is a list of commercial radio broadcasters and radio networks in the United States. Sometimes the network owns some or all of the stations which belong to it, but sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes the station’s programs come mostly from the network, but sometimes there will be nothing except perhaps some small amount of news from the network. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-us-radio-stations/641837/13 "2012-11-22T18:14:22Z")
Yes, oftentimes part of the call sign or the frequency is developed as a ‘brand’. For example, CILQ 107.1 FM in Toronto calls itself Q107, The Mighty Q, or Toronto’s Classic Rock. CFNY 102.1 FM calls itself Edge 102. Canadian radio is a lot like US radio in this respect. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-us-radio-stations/641837/14 "2012-11-22T18:52:14Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Yes, oftentimes part of the call sign or the frequency is developed as a ‘brand’. For example, CILQ 107.1 FM in Toronto calls itself Q107, The Mighty Q, or Toronto’s Classic Rock. CFNY 102.1 FM calls itself Edge 102. Canadian radio is a lot like US radio in this respect. Don’t forget CISS a.k.a. Kiss FM and CKIS a.k.a. KiSS 92.5. ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-us-radio-stations/641837/15 "2012-11-22T18:53:50Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > A K West of the Mississippi, a W on the East, I don’t think it works out quite exactly that way, but it’s a good approximation. (Think WKRP in Cincinnati.) Cincinnati is ~400 miles east of the Mississippi. Perhaps you were thinking of KDKA in Pittsburgh as a counter example? And WKRP is fictional, for what it’s worth. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-us-radio-stations/641837/16 "2012-11-23T05:08:12Z")
> [@GreasyJack](#): > > To elaborate, stations are required to identify themselves using the call letters periodically (IIRC once or twice an hour?). Once an hour, at or near the top of the hour, with their call letters, immediately followed by the name of the municipality where they are licensed. As you note, they may add other things to that (nickname, frequency, tagline, etc.), but the call letters and city are the requirements. > **[Station identification | Radio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Station_identification#Radio)** > > On radio, the top-of-hour ID must contain the full, legal call sign (including any relevant suffixes, particularly "FM") as assigned by the FCC, followed immediately by the station's community of license. The call letters must be spoken individually; even if the call letters are pronounced as a word for branding purposes (such as WHAM in Rochester, New York, which is spoken as "Wham"), the legal ID must still spell out the individual letters. An example of a proper spoken radio station identific... ---
**Author:** ![TheBori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ee7513/32.png) [@TheBori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBori)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-us-radio-stations/641837/17 "2012-11-24T21:15:34Z")
> [@ataraxy22](#): > > Except for KDKA in Pittsburgh. and KYW in Philadelphia. Bonus points for using only 3 letters. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-us-radio-stations/641837/18 "2012-11-24T21:22:49Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Yes, oftentimes part of the call sign or the frequency is developed as a ‘brand’. For example, CILQ 107.1 FM in Toronto calls itself Q107, The Mighty Q, or Toronto’s Classic Rock. CFNY 102.1 FM calls itself Edge 102. Canadian radio is a lot like US radio in this respect. Or KOME in San Francisco. “Don’t touch that dial, you’ve got KOME on it!” ---
**Author:** ![Jamicat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c67d28/32.png) [@Jamicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamicat)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-us-radio-stations/641837/19 "2012-11-24T21:34:06Z")
WKRC Cincinnati… [WKRC (AM) - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WKRC_%28AM%29) ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-us-radio-stations/641837/20 "2012-11-24T21:39:19Z")
Any bonus points for mentioning “clear channel” stations? Such as KOMX in St. Louis, the Mighty Mox. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-of-us-radio-stations/641837.md?page=2)