Licensed to non-actual locations

[Scott Fybush]

Doug Drown wrote:
> This brings up another question in my mind, having to do with broadcasting
> stations that are ID'd in one community yet are actually located in a
> different municipality altogether.  I'll use two examples:  WTAG and WGY.
> The former used to have its studios in Worcester; they're now in Paxton.
> The latter used to have its studios in Schenectady; they were later in
> Niskayuna, then Colonie (which is in a different county), now they're back
> in Niskayuna.  And yet the two stations are still ID'd as WTAG Worcester and
> WGY Schenectady, respectively.  Is this permitted only because they're
> grandfathered?    -Doug

"Community of license" has become a tricky concept since the rules 
changed in the 80s.

Until the rules changed, stations had to maintain a main studio in their 
community of license (or, alternately, at their transmitter site) at 
which the majority of their programming originated.

Today, the only things a station has to do for its city of license are 
to provide a city-grade signal over it (and not even all of it, always) 
and to provide a phone number that's toll-free from that city.

The actual main studio can be anywhere within 25 miles, or within the 
city-grade contour of any station licensed to that community, whichever 
is larger.

s