WWBZ

[Bob Nelson]

I don't know if there was a lawsuit involved but when WVBF 105.7 flipped to
country they got the calls WCLB as in The Country Club. After awhile it
became WKLB (and they moved to several other frequencies--96.9, 99.5,
102.5...and it was said the change was to avoid confusion with WCRB
(ironically enough the two stations would flip frequencies in 2006) and
maybe even WCVB-TV

Again probably no actual lawsuit, but Wikipedia's entry for WKLB says
"Confusion
with other radio stations <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WKLB-FM#>,
including 102.5's past occupant <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WKLB-FM#> WCRB
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WCRB>, and a TV station
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WCVB-TV> lead to WCLB changing its calls to
WKLB-FM in 1995. "


On Thu, May 29, 2014 at 4:35 PM, A Joseph Ross <joe@attorneyross.com> wrote:

> On 5/29/2014 2:09 AM, Glenn Spatola wrote:
>
>  I am truly amazed that they were allowed to use the WWBZ call letters in
>> an area where WBZ is well known, and where its signal easily reaches!
>>  That's bound to confuse some listeners.
>>
>
> As I understand it, the FCC will give you whatever call letters you ask
> for, so long as it's available.  They don't get into any other issues, with
> the possible exception of obvious obscenity such as WF-K or some such.  If
> one station's call letters are too close to another's and might cause
> confusion, it's up to the aggrieved station to bring a lawsuit for unfair
> competition, etc.  Last one I remember hearing of was back in the 1990s,
> when WBCN (hard rock) sued WBCS (country).  I believe the court dismissed
> the suit, saying that there was little risk that anyone might confuse a
> country station with a hard rock station.
>
> Which suggests that if someone were to put a classical music station on
> the air and call it WCRV, and WCRB were to sue, the result might be
> different.
>
> --
> A. Joseph Ross, J.D.| 92 State Street| Suite 700 | Boston, MA 02109-2004
> 617.367.0468|Fx:617.507.7856| http://www.attorneyross.com
>
>