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I was hoping to claim WHIM but radio-locator had other plans
Total posts : 45366WHIM AM may be taken, but it looks like WHIM-FM is available. Didn’t check radio locator, just Google.
TIB
Total posts : 45366Mine is WMRK(just sounded good).
A search shows a small station in Alabama has the same letters but I’m in Canada and I don’t think anyone in this country knows about this or cares.
Mark
Total posts : 45366Call Letter.
It’s official, as put forward by Tim… our audition/production channel at 89.9 is now WHIM-FM. We did it on a whim.
WMRK does make sense for an owner named Mark. The way I see it is that “MRK” stands for “Mark.”
In the U.S. the prefix “W” denotes “east of the Mississippi”. Canada does not have a Mississippi, so “W” in Canada may or may not have a meaning.
Total posts : 45366Even if a call is available for my area is it illegal to use a call such as WLEG or WDJT? I thought it was illegal to use a call sign that may be confused with a licensed station.
Total posts : 45366Quoted from FCC rule Part 73.3550:
(l) Users of nonlicensed, low-power devices operating under part 15 of this chapter may use whatever identification is currently desired, so long as propriety is observed and no confusion results with a station for which the FCC issues a license.
In plain language, identify your station as you will so long as it is not confused with an existing licensed station.
Now the confusion as I see it is do you need to worry about a station not received in your area? If no one can hear the other station in your area it’s not going to confuse anyone and that meets the intent of the rule as stated.
The only question that remains is what do they infer by “propriety”? Dictionary.com says:
1. the quality or state of being appropriate or fitting
2. conformity to the prevailing standard of behaviour, speech, etc
3. (pl) the proprieties, the standards of behaviour considered correct by polite society
By that definition, propriety itself has nothing to do with ownership. To say you can’t use an ID already assigned doesn’t fit.
Total posts : 45366It is good that you brought that up TheLegacy.
Every once in awhile it’s a good idea to review this rule in particular because, even though it pertains to part 15 radio, it is located in a different section of the rules:
Part 73 – Radio Broadcast Services
73.3550 – Requests for new or modified call sign assignments.
(1) Users of nonlicensed, low power devices operating under part 15 of this chapter may use whatever identification is currently desired, so long as propriety is observed and no confusion results with a station for which the FCC issues a license.
An example of a call letter that might be confused with a licensed station would be… “This is WGN AM 780 in Chicago.”
The right way to do it is use an identification, even if it uses K or W with 3 or 4 call letters, which cannot be confused because it is not assigned to a licensed station.
MORE — I just read the entry by MRAM made just ahead of this one, and he adds details that I completely agree with and I think our postings support each other.
Total posts : 45366http://licensing.fcc.gov/prod/callsign/main.html
For all your callsign needs.
Total posts : 45366MRAM is not found in the FCC database. Guess I’m OK!
Total posts : 45366How do you use that I’m not sure how I think you have to register don’t you? All I want is a Free call like WLEG or WDJT. I’ll have to Google it.
Total posts : 45366WLLA may be my choice. Stands for Long Live Album Rock. It won’t be confused with WLLA TV in Kalamazoo Michigan.
Total posts : 45366NO, there is no registration required for names used for part 15 radio stations.
The name, presumably, will be spoken on the air, and the FCC’s only concern in the rule quoted above is that unlicensed stations not falsely try to be mistaken for licensed stations.
In other words, don’t be an imposter.
My call letters (KDX) are registered, and I’ll tell you how I did it…
In my state, maybe yours, there is a registration process for doing business under a fictitious name… Fictitious Name Registration.
A “business” means either an individual or corporation doing business under a name other than its own legal name.
In the 1980s I wanted my media company to operate a cable FM station, at which time I registered the call letters KDX. As it worked out, the local cable company never provided cable FM, but I re-purposed the call letters as an internet streaming and part 15 radio station.
Since I am no longer a business I only maintain the Fictitious Name Registration as a token of authority, but it is not a legal requirement.
Total posts : 45366I too have my call letters “KEBS Radio” registered with the state as my business name. It cost a few bucks and also required a notice published in the local paper twice. I have other businesses registered as well such as the “Roller Derby Radio Network” among others.
Now, of course, it’s possible a new station will come along and want to be KEBS-AM and depending if I decide they could be confused with me, I might have to change. But they’ll probably want to be buying the domain name from me then 🙂
TIB
Total posts : 45366No registration needed, just click on query and type in whatever callsign comes to mind. You may notice fun things like KDSX belonging to the coast guard, or false hits on facilities long gone. This is a pretty spot on resource of current active callsigns however.
Total posts : 45366Ok my new call sign is WAQM it stands for album Rock for the quartner mile. No one has it. Just Right.
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