[BC] Legal ID Question

[Phil Alexander]

On 26 Aug 2006 at 9:16, Larry Fuss wrote:

> I understand the literal reading of the rules, but like I said,
> I've never seen anybody fined for that, nor do I think the FCC
> would fine anybody for that.  A station on 1560 is, after all,
> an "AM".

Agreed, but the point is the legal meaning of the rule as it
it now written. I do recall when (in the days of Part 3) it
was specifically legal to make an "AM/FM" ID before the time
when the FCC began to discourage simulcasting with the IIRC
50/50 rule which said stations in the top 50 markets could not
simulcast more than 50% of their programming.

> What bothers me are the stations who don't even come close
> to a legal ID, like the Las Vegas example I cited previously.

What bothers me is the FCC doesn't do more about it rather than
picking on stuff in the public file that almost no one (except
during elections) ever reads.

> Then there was an ABC station in Atlanta, that when simulcast,
> ID'ed as "WKXH, WKHX-FM Marietta Atlanta."  The AM was licensed
> to Atlanta and the FM to Marietta, so the AM was never legally
> ID'ed.

This gets tricky. There is a way to do it under the "satellite"
station rule - "This is WKXH Atlanta and WKXH-FM Marietta/Atlanta."
That could be delivered on both channels and would be a legal ID
for both stations if the FM was acting as a satellite (simulcast)
of the AM. Otherwise, if one station is not a "satellite" they
both run afoul of the "On Channel" rule - 73.1201(c)(1).

> Then there was the CC news-talk station in Atlanta that was once
> simulcast on AM/FM.  The ID said "AM 640 and FM 105.7, WGST Atlanta/Canton."
> Since the AM was licensed to Atlanta and the FM to Canton, neither
> one was properly ID'ed.
> 
> There are also AM/FM simulcasts, where each station has different
> call-letters, that ID as "WXYZ/WBCD Possum Flats."  For bonus points,
> what's wrong with that?

It is a close call and probably would never draw a fine, BUT doesn't
quite meet the requirements of 73.1201(b)(1) which appears to require
repeating the COL with each call.

> It's just simple Radio 101, but there are few people around that
> understand that anymore.  The bean counters and the used car salesmen
> have taken over broadcasting.

Sad, but true. They call that an industry "maturing" in fiscal circles.

---------------------------------------------
Phil Alexander, CSRE, AMD
Broadcast Engineering Services and Technology 
(a Div. of Advanced Parts Corporation) 
Ph. (317) 335-2065   FAX (317) 335-9037





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