whatilearned
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_signs_in_the_United_States?wprov=sfti1
TIL The FCC policy covering broadcasting stations limits them to call signs that start with a “K” or a “W”, with “K” call signs generally reserved for stations west of the Mississippi River, and “W” limited to stations east of the river.
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The first commercial radio station is KDKA in Pittsburgh. It’s the only one I know in the east starting with a K.
This is K-AOS.
You’re listening to [chaos] in Los Angeles…
Let’s go to the telephones now and take a request…
KDKA laughs at these shenanigans.
(Yes, I know it’s grandfathered in)
So is there a W-ANK? W-USS? K-ILL? What inadvertent words are skipped?
104 AM, FM and TV stations in the United States are assigned three-letter call signs. The AM stations usually date back to before April 1922, when four-letter call signs became the norm. The FM and TV stations are usually associated with one of those AM stations, like WGN-TV in Chicago which is associated with WGN AM radio, or WLS-TV in Chicago which is associated with WLS AM radio.
I am frankly more upset that “w” is the designation for the EAST. So close!