Re: "frequency shorthand"

[mwaters@wesleyan.edu (Martin J. Waters)]

>There was mention today on LTAR about how some AM
>stations started to use their full kHz frequencies
>when identifying themselves on-air;
<snip>
>Trivial, yes, but any comments?

        It's the same thing for both AM and FM stations--clarifying the
dial location for people who have digital radios. AM stations adding "AM"
to their on-air identifier began after FM really took off. FM stations had
done that for a long time, whether they wanted to not, because FM is part
of the call letters, in most or all cases (I forget exactly how it goes). I
think that as the AM band was eclipsed at about the speed of light as the
dominant band by FM, AM stations found that people needed
clarification/help/reminder that there are two bands of broadcast radio and
that the station they were listening to was on AM, so they could find it
again.
        In fact, one of the earliest instances of an AM station changing
its reference to its own frequency that I recall is WBZ. Sometime
relatively early in the game -- it seems like it may have been the very
early '70s -- it dropped "Radio 1-0-3 and became "Radio 10-30." I can only
guess that was done at least partly because 103 also is an FM frequency.
Back then, in fact, I believe WEEI-FM/now WODS gave its dial location as
just plain 103 at least some of the time. I guess that situation would be a
concern in particular for AM stations between 880 and 1080.
        And, finally, remember, out there in radioland is the same general
public in which some huge majority cannot use their VCRs to tape a program
and play it back later (just about all I ever use it for) because they
cannot figure out how to work the controls. So, some portion of that group
is going to have trouble figuring out how to tune in a radio station.
They'll look for "105" WVBF on their digital FM, see that they cannot tune
to 105.0, and give up <g>. The question is, out in Detroit, is someone
still trying to tune their FM radio down to 76.0 to get WJR <big g>.
        When I talk to non-geek friends I am constantly reminded that
people often don't know the call letters or even the frequencies or
positioner slogans of the stations they listen to. They know their favorite
station as pre-set three on the car radio, I guess. BTW, these
conversations really have to make you wonder about the accuracy of taking
radio ratings by diary. But that's another thread . . .

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