Re: Made-up callsigns

["Dan Strassberg" <dan.strassberg@att.net>]

Agreed, WMAQ is a perfect example of a sequentially assigned call to which a
meaning was later assigned. Although not sequentially assigned, WRPI--when I
was an undergraduate, the (ahem) campus-limited (on good days),
carrier-current AM of my alma mater--over 40 years ago became 91.5 WRPI-FM
(for as long as the carrier-current station survived) and then (with the
demise of the carrier-current operation) WRPI (FM). With 10 kW from a 700'
tower (albeit with an HAAT much less than 700'), WRPI is a major signal in
New York's Capital District and environs. Even in its days as an unlicensed
campus-limited carrier-current "station," WRPI, along with many other such
AMs, was granted its calls by the FCC. The FCC had been prompted to register
these stations' calls by the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System, a loose
confederation of campus-limited college stations.

However, returning to WMAQ, based on the number of threads I've seen over
the years related to this particular call sign, we (radio geeks) apparently
_must_ ask questions (about the WMAQ calls). And some of us apparently must
supply answers ad infinitum ;>)


--
Dan Strassberg, dan.strassberg@att.net
617-558-4205, eFax 707-215-6367


----- Original Message -----
From: Donna Halper <dlh@donnahalper.com>
To: <boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 24, 2002 2:23 PM
Subject: Re: Made-up callsigns


> And it was written--
> > > In Chicago, WGN in Chicago stands for "World's Greatest Newspaper"
(the
> > > Chicago Tribune Co. owns it), the former WMAQ, (an all-news station)
stood
> > > for "We Must Ask Questions".
>
> NOT TRUE.  Myth alert!  As I stated in a previous post, this is an example
> of a sequentially assigned call to which a meaning was  attached later
> on.  There is absolutely no evidence that WMAQ stood for anything when it
> was assigned (WMAB, WMAC, WMAD, etc).
>
>