WWBZ

[Ron Bello]

Confusion was not the issue
Fairbanks wanted WCLB for their FM just outside West Palm Beach, FL




On Fri, May 30, 2014 at 6:03 AM, Bob Nelson <raccoonradio@gmail.com> wrote:

> 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
> >
> >
>