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Bob,
Thanks very much for both your confirmation and explanation. I did not realize one station could use the call letters of another as if it were a slogan!
I've not had a chance to listen for the real ID yet, but will soon.
Again, thanks,
Curt
-------Original Message-------
Date: 06/30/04 11:46:00
Subject: Re: [IRCA] Confused about Mickey Mouse ;-) station ID...
> I am located in southeast Florida - between and 20 miles either way
from
> West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale. That puts me some 175 miles from
> 50/50Kw powerhouse WFLF, Pine Hills (Orlando), FL, the only station on
that
> frequency in the state. With my new antenna system I get a pretty
good
> signal from WFLF before the afternoon thunderstorms kick in with
lightning
> crashes.
>
> My confusion is, I swear they are identifying as WFLA vs WFLF. I've
heard
> the announcement many times, but don't understand, since WFLA has been
the
> call sign of a Tampa station for quite some time.
>
> I am even farther - 192 miles - from the real WFLA, 970 @ 25/11Kw in
Tampa,
> which loses the competition with a 10 mile distant 5/1 KW WHSR 980
Pompano
> Beach. As a result I can't hear Tampa to know what call sign they are
using
>
>
> Can anyone in the Orlando area confirm what I think I am hearing, or
in the
> Tampa area tell what they use as a call sign?
>
> Both stations are owned by Clear Channel. Tampa WFLA shows as
Citicasters
> Licenses but that is apparently Clear Channel too. I am thinking they
have
> swapped call signs. Still, swapping station ID's should be reflected
in the
> FCC database, shouldn't it?
>
> Thanks for your indulgence and comments,
> W. Curt Deegan
> Boca Raton, FL
Hi Curt,
There is nothing wrong with your hearing. The 540 station is IDing once
per hour, at about xx:59:50 as "WFLF Pine Hills - Orlando", as they are
required to do. The rest of the time they use "WFLA" as an "ID" but
which
actually is a "service mark". They are permitted to do this under
current
FCC policy. When I was last in Tallahassee, the 1270 station there was
doing the same thing, and I think there are some other Clear
Channel-owned
stations in Florida also doing this.
The 970 in Tampa is the one station legally using WFLA as a *call sign*
and
of course they ID as such all of the time. There has NOT been a call
swap.
Listen *carefully* to the 540 signal about 10 seconds before the top
of hour
and you should hear the WFLF ID but they don't emphasize it at all. It's
pretty much the same thing that lets FM's ID as "Z-100" or "the Dove"
etc.
Why not call-in and say you are listening to "WFLF" and see if you can
get into an argument, with them saying you have the callsign wrong.
In other words ... "Arrghh"
Bob
Tampa
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