# Radio call letters that have local significance **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 4, 2007, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-call-letters-that-have-local-significance/428799 "2007-12-04T17:54:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-call-letters-that-have-local-significance/428799/1 "2007-12-04T17:54:25Z")
What radio call letters spell out words (and not just acronyms or abbreviations) that have a direct relationship to where the station is located? For example, 96.5 KOIT makes sense in SF, which has Coit Tower. Similarly, 104.5 KFOG is a good way to allude to the fog that’s a pervasive part of life in the City here. What other examples can you think of? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-call-letters-that-have-local-significance/428799/2 "2007-12-04T17:58:28Z")
Would you want call letters that resemble the city name, like WKZO in Kalamazoo MI and WMAD in Madison WI? ---
**Author:** ![ArizonaTeach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@ArizonaTeach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArizonaTeach)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-call-letters-that-have-local-significance/428799/3 "2007-12-04T18:07:40Z")
Well, we have KPHX here in Phoenix… ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-call-letters-that-have-local-significance/428799/4 "2007-12-04T18:09:08Z")
Washington, DC’s [WASH-FM](http://www.wash-fm.com/main.html) How about a TV station? Washington, DC’s [WUSA](http://www.wusa9.com/), which is owned by Gannett, the publisher of USA Today. There’s also [WDCA](http://www.wdca.com/), which includes the FAA code for National Airport. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-call-letters-that-have-local-significance/428799/5 "2007-12-04T18:13:36Z")
WFBR is an AM station in Baltimore, MD whose call letters stand for First Baltimore Radio, or so I was told years ago. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-call-letters-that-have-local-significance/428799/6 "2007-12-04T18:18:32Z")
Another SF station, presumable an homage to the cable cars is KABL. Chicago’s WLUP alludes to the Loop. WLS - the World’s Largest Store and WGN, the World’s Greatest Newspaper also have local significance there. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-call-letters-that-have-local-significance/428799/7 "2007-12-04T18:22:59Z")
KORN in Mitchell, SD, home of the [Corn Palace](http://www.cornpalace.org/newpages/palace.html). ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-call-letters-that-have-local-significance/428799/8 "2007-12-04T18:26:57Z")
I’m a bit suprised that WARP is unassigned. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-call-letters-that-have-local-significance/428799/9 "2007-12-04T18:29:50Z")
The OP says no acronyms or abbreviations. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-call-letters-that-have-local-significance/428799/10 "2007-12-04T18:33:25Z")
[WACO](http://www.waco100.com/main.html) in Waco, TX. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-call-letters-that-have-local-significance/428799/11 "2007-12-04T18:39:25Z")
WINE in Brookfield, CT, presumably in reference to the area’s wineries. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-call-letters-that-have-local-significance/428799/12 "2007-12-04T18:45:33Z")
WHAT in Philadelphia, PA, perhaps referring to the [John B. Stetson Company](http://www.stetsonhat.com/) being founded there? ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-call-letters-that-have-local-significance/428799/13 "2007-12-04T18:55:57Z")
CHAM in Hamilton, Ontario. It used to be a great rock station on 1280 that fell on hard times in the late '70s, was sold, and moved in the early '80s to 820 AM, where it became a country station. It is now a mostly automated country oldies-but-goodies station. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-call-letters-that-have-local-significance/428799/14 "2007-12-04T19:13:29Z")
There used to be a WYAT in New Orleans, referring to a popular local expression: “Where y’at?” ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-call-letters-that-have-local-significance/428799/15 "2007-12-04T19:27:26Z")
[KING](http://www.king.org/) in Seattle, King County, Washington. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-call-letters-that-have-local-significance/428799/16 "2007-12-04T19:36:43Z")
WFSU-FM in Tallahassee, FL. Owned and operated by Florida State University. There are probably dozens of stations named after their university owners. ---
**Author:** ![anamnesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@anamnesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anamnesis)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-call-letters-that-have-local-significance/428799/17 "2007-12-04T19:52:28Z")
Chicago’s Fox syndicate is WFLD. The ‘F’ has nothing to do with Fox, though … it was an abbreviation of Field, after founding owner Field Enterprises … a company formed by heirs of Marshall Field, the man responsible for Chicago’s signature department store. The station has changed hands a number of times since its establishment in 1966 and is quite removed from the Field family today though (not unlike the Marshall Fields stores themselves as of late). ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-call-letters-that-have-local-significance/428799/18 "2007-12-04T20:03:19Z")
[QUOTE=gotpasswords] Another SF station, presumable an homage to the cable cars is KABL. Chicago’s WLUP alludes to the Loop. [/QUOTE] I’d never even made the KABL connection but it makes sense. And KORN, WINE, WACO, and KING were what I was looking for (and even, I suppose, WYAT). I don’t think WHAT would count unless they refer to themselves as “W-Hat” as opposed to “What”. Thanks, and keep them coming! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-call-letters-that-have-local-significance/428799/19 "2007-12-04T20:20:13Z")
There’s WIND in Chicago - the windy city. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-call-letters-that-have-local-significance/428799/20 "2007-12-04T20:25:10Z")
KVHS in the SF East Bay. Run out of the Clayton Valley High School. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-call-letters-that-have-local-significance/428799.md?page=2)