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DXer Complains About The Abandonment Of Call Letters
It drives him crazy and must do the same for every DXer out there - radio stations that ignore rules requiring a legal top of the hour I.D., complete with call letters and location. Instead many stations - at least in the U.S. - use their branding ("Oldies 105" or "Country 98.7") as their only station identification.
That leaves DXers picking up the signal from a long way away in the dark. It's not only irritating, under FCC requirements, it's against the law.
"As a long time broadcast band long-distance “DX” listener, I find that the TOH Rule is perhaps the most violated of all the FCC’s rules," complains Carl Dabelstein, who listens in Minnesota.
I think Canadian stations are a lot better at this - the top of the hour is the only time you'll likely hear the call letters "CFRB" or "CFIQ" stated clearly. But I wonder how many in this country also ignore the rule, in favour of strengthening their brand I.D. and figuring most listeners don't care. (On that point, when was the last time you heard "CBLA" ever mentioned on 99.1 instead of just CBC Radio 1? I can't remember ever hearing it referred to as anything but CBC Toronto. If that.)
Letter: Use Your Call Letters!
- Saul
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Re: DXer Complains About The Abandonment Of Call Letters
The late Bruce Elving, also a Minnesota (who DXed from MN and NE, and published the FM Atlas directory of FM stationsand the FMMedia (I think that was the title) newsletter, lobbied CBC to include calls. CBC did put calls briefly in the RDS systems. But soon after abandoned that effort. They do break the radio network down into very small groups and list frequencies and locations near the hourtop (often, maybe not always, I'm not sure). They are sometimes notoriously difficult to ID. The RDS stems from (or generates) a PI code. Usually it's unique. Not always.
- Paul Jeffries
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One would think that if the CBC can get away with not using their legal IDs, then it should be okay for everyone else to do so as well.
PJ
ClassicHitsOnline.com...If you enjoy hearing the same 200 songs over and over again...listen to the other guys!
- MJ Vancouver
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Re: DXer Complains About The Abandonment Of Call Letters
Saul wrote:
The late Bruce Elving, also a Minnesota (who DXed from MN and NE, and published the FM Atlas directory of FM stationsand the FMMedia (I think that was the title) newsletter, lobbied CBC to include calls. CBC did put calls briefly in the RDS systems. But soon after abandoned that effort. They do break the radio network down into very small groups and list frequencies and locations near the hourtop (often, maybe not always, I'm not sure). They are sometimes notoriously difficult to ID. The RDS stems from (or generates) a PI code. Usually it's unique. Not always.
This must’ve been at least 25 years ago. I remember when my father got a new car in 2001 that included RDS on the radio receiver, it would read “CBCL” when tuning in 93.5 in London. But I don’t recall it lasting much more than a year.
- mace
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Re: DXer Complains About The Abandonment Of Call Letters
I listen to a great deal of American radio online. Every station I have heard does a legal top of the hour ID. However, it is fast when you add in all the HD's as well. When it comes to television, CITY and CHCH are the only two that show their call letters, but not much of an ID. It has been decades since I have seen the CBLT or CFTO calls. In the U.S the legal ID is briefly shown on the bottom of the screen as the program begins. At least this is the case with the Seattle stations. The Buffalo stations are mostly simsubbed in primetime.
- MJ Vancouver
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Re: DXer Complains About The Abandonment Of Call Letters
I listen to a great deal of American radio online. Every station I have heard does a legal top of the hour ID. However, it is fast when you add in all the HD's as well. When it comes to television, CITY and CHCH are the only two that show their call letters, but not much of an ID. It has been decades since I have seen the CBLT or CFTO calls. In the U.S the legal ID is briefly shown on the bottom of the screen as the program begins. At least this is the case with the Seattle stations. The Buffalo stations are mostly simsubbed in primetime.
I saw an ID yesterday on one of the Seattle stations, KCTS a few seconds into the PBS Newshour. Their ID was so faint you could barely read it, and someone visually impaired would likely not be able to read it. It was basically tiny transparent text.
- ED1
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Re: DXer Complains About The Abandonment Of Call Letters
On digital OTA TV stations here, they have been displaying their call signs via the PSIP data, and it would show up when you tune to said channel. Recently though I noticed that Citytv and Omni stations are just showing their channel brand instead of their call signs.
- MJ Vancouver
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Re: DXer Complains About The Abandonment Of Call Letters
I happened to be in Mexico at the time of this year’s Super Bowl, which I watched on TV there, carried by Televisa’s Canal 5. Mexican TV IDs the heck out of their stations, multiple times per hour quite prominently at the top of the screen with call letters, PSIP channel number and city of license.
Never have seen that level of IDing in either the US or Canada.
- RadioActive
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Re: DXer Complains About The Abandonment Of Call Letters
Given all that's been said here, how ironic there's currently a bidding war on for a set of call letters.
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