The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / U.S. Radio Station Faces Fines For Not I.D.-ing Itself

**Posted by RadioActive** September 12, 2025 4:16 pm

This could never happen in Canada, where many TV and radio stations don't ever bother to announce their own call letters. (When was the last time you heard anyone at CTV Toronto refer to it as "CFTO?")

But it's still the law in the U.S that stations there, regardless of branding (i.e. "JackFM," "The Breeze," "Z100," etc.) have to give their call signs as close to the top and bottom of the hour as possible.

Which brings us to a small outlet called WMVX in the small town of Salem, New Hampshire. For reasons not explained, an agent for the FCC was monitoring the station and repeatedly failed to hear them I.D, themselves at the top and bottom of the hour. This brought a demand from the feds for an explanation and if they don't provide a good one, they could face a fine for their omission.

According to the FCC:

"On May 1, 2025 between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., an agent of the Enforcement Bureau’s Boston Office monitored the Station...and observed the following violation:

“Broadcast station identification announcements shall be made at the beginning and ending of each time of operation, and hourly, as close to the hour as feasible, at a natural break in program offerings.” The agent monitored the broadcasts of radio station WMVX on 1110 kHz and observed the station was broadcasting an unmodulated carrier with no station identification announcements."

The owners were caught not letting people know they were WMVX, and unless they come up with a good explanation for the feds, they'll have to pay the price.

Talk about the "letters" of the law. But to be honest, don't you think the Commission and its agents would have better things to do?

I wish stations here would be forced to I.D. themselves, but this seems over the top.

What a weird little radio story.

**Posted by RadioAaron** **Online!** September 12, 2025 4:20 pm

RadioActive wrote:
The owners were caught not letting people know they were WMVX, and unless they come up with a good explanation for the feds, they'll have to pay the price.

Telling who? They were running dead carrier. That's taking regulation pettiness even further.

**Posted by RadioActive** September 12, 2025 4:22 pm

The entire thing seems like a farce, which is the only real reason I noted it, but bureaucrats will be bureaucrats...

"How can we announce we're off the air, when we're off the air?"
-WKRP In Cincinnati.

**Posted by turkeytop** **Online!** September 12, 2025 4:43 pm

As a DXer, I miss the days when Stations regularly IDd. Now it's Rock 106, 103 the Boss or 105 Vagina.

Now I like to DX long wave beacons. All they do is ID

**Posted by Chrisphen** September 12, 2025 4:55 pm

Spanish-language station? Yeah this has the whiff of political motivation. Pretty sure you are required by law in Canada to identify yourself by callsign not less often than half-hour. At least for amateur radio.

**Posted by mace** September 12, 2025 5:01 pm

Canadian radio stations seem to ID at the top of the hour. 680, 1010 and BOOM97.3 I have heard regularly. Television is an entirely different story. CFTO's standard ID was "You're watching CFTO Ch 9, in Toronto cable 8" Guaranteed before the 6pm news. Now programs run together. CBC used to have an ID with a large exploding pineapple logo on the screen with CBC ]name of city or region] indicated in the bottom right corner of the screen. I think CHCH still shows there call letters in their ultracolour logo, but no city is indicated. I never watch CITY. Do they still use a variation of This is CITY TV Everywhere? I have also noticed, particularly in Seattle, that nobody actually says the call letters. They are flashed on the screen as the next program begins.

**Posted by RadioAaron** **Online!** September 12, 2025 5:02 pm

Chrisphen wrote:
Spanish-language station? Yeah this has the whiff of political motivation. Pretty sure you are required by law in Canada to identify yourself by callsign not less often than half-hour. At least for amateur radio.

Once an hour and not enforced.

CBC never does it.

**Posted by Skywave** September 12, 2025 5:14 pm

The Canadian rules are similar-top of the hour.
"Using the call sign issued to the broadcasting station, the holder of a Broadcasting Certificate shall, during any time that the broadcasting station for which that certificate was issued transmits a radio signal, identify the broadcasting station at least once every hour on the hour or within 10 minutes thereof, or at the beginning and end of a program where the program lasts longer than one hour, by a voice announcement in English or in French that:
[list=a]
[*]articulates each letter and states any accompanying designator of the call sign of the station; and
[*]names the principal city or community that is served by the station.
[/list]
2.2 In the case of a television broadcasting station, the voice announcement may be replaced by a visual announcement of not less than three seconds in duration that identifies the call sign assigned to that station and the principal city or community that is served by that station."

ISED has the ability to issue administrative monetary penalties, which can be many tens of thousands of dollars per instance. This could be a good way to reduce the national debt.

**Posted by RadioAaron** **Online!** September 12, 2025 5:37 pm

I don’t think I’ve ever seen Canadian TV do it, except by stations that branded with their call-letters.

**Posted by RadioActive** September 12, 2025 5:37 pm

Some radio stations do use their IDs at the top of the hour (CFRB, AM640's CFIQ) but very few of the TV outlets in Toronto ever do. I can't remember ever seeing CFTO or CIII for Global in decades. As mentioned previously, the same for CBLT.

The only time the TV stations ever did it was when they signed off for the night. Since they're now all on 24 hours a day, they never say them anymore.

**Posted by RadioAaron** **Online!** September 12, 2025 6:03 pm

The commercial FM English music stations all do, too

**Posted by ckg927** September 12, 2025 8:57 pm

RadioAaron wrote:
The commercial FM English music stations all do, too

The stations now owned by Whiteoaks/Golden Horseshoe certainly do(and it would qualify as ID's under the U.S. standard, as well as mentioning who owns them). Previously, they kinda played footsie with ID's.

**Posted by Radiowiz** September 12, 2025 10:41 pm

I think it is funny how there is an FCC law (in the States) that dictates that radio stations MUST mention call letters,
but no law to protect clarity.
No law to prevent the hiring of an auctioneer to announce the call letters, all while being a lot more clear about the station's name.

Here's an example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KN-Dy9zg2zs

Last edited by Radiowiz (September 12, 2025 10:47 pm)

**Posted by fybush** September 14, 2025 12:40 am

I have only been keeping track of FCC enforcement actions for about 33 years, so take this with a grain of salt, but -

In my experience, the only times the FCC starts to make an issue of the small stuff like the legal ID, it's setting the stage for enforcement issues on more serious violations. (In this case, I expect there's something coming about a very long history of using translators to originate programming that's not coming from any full-power parent station.)

**Posted by RadioActive** September 14, 2025 7:04 am

fybush wrote:
I have only been keeping track of FCC enforcement actions for about 33 years, so take this with a grain of salt, but -

In my experience, the only times the FCC starts to make an issue of the small stuff like the legal ID, it's setting the stage for enforcement issues on more serious violations. (In this case, I expect there's something coming about a very long history of using translators to originate programming that's not coming from any full-power parent station.)

Even with the new leadership at the FCC, this seemed incredibly nitpicky. There had to be another explanation and yours makes a lot more sense.

**Posted by Shorty Wave** September 14, 2025 7:28 am

This is why I think Moses Znaimer was pretty smart requesting CITY as the call letters for his new TV station back in 1972. Not only would it be announced probably more than twice an hour on-air, but it was clever branding. I don’t think any other Canadian broadcaster has used their call letters in quite this way. That channel was pretty innovating to say the least!

**Posted by RadioActive** September 14, 2025 7:49 am

Shorty Wave wrote:
This is why I think Moses Znaimer was pretty smart requesting CITY as the call letters for his new TV station back in 1972. Not only would it be announced probably more than twice an hour on-air, but it was clever branding. I don’t think any other Canadian broadcaster has used their call letters in quite this way. That channel was pretty innovating to say the least!

Many years ago, the flyer below came in the mail. It was trying to tell the public about the imminent debut of City TV in Sept. 1972, then a brand new Toronto TV station, and an ad for Keeble Cable, back when there was more choice than just Rogers and Bell.

I wonder if anyone ever won the "sweepstakes" - and what the prize was.

**Posted by Saul** September 14, 2025 8:24 am

Shorty Wave wrote:
This is why I think Moses Znaimer was pretty smart requesting CITY as the call letters for his new TV station back in 1972. Not only would it be announced probably more than twice an hour on-air, but it was clever branding. I don’t think any other Canadian broadcaster has used their call letters in quite this way. That channel was pretty innovating to say the least!

CHUM comes very close

**Posted by mace** September 15, 2025 10:05 am

RadioActive wrote:
Shorty Wave wrote:
This is why I think Moses Znaimer was pretty smart requesting CITY as the call letters for his new TV station back in 1972. Not only would it be announced probably more than twice an hour on-air, but it was clever branding. I don’t think any other Canadian broadcaster has used their call letters in quite this way. That channel was pretty innovating to say the least!
Many years ago, the flyer below came in the mail. It was trying to tell the public about the imminent debut of City TV in Sept. 1972, then a brand new Toronto TV station, and an ad for Keeble Cable, back when there was more choice than just Rogers and Bell.

I wonder if anyone ever won the "sweepstakes" - and what the prize was.

WOW! Ch 2, 3. 4 and 11 on their then actual channels.

**Posted by paterson1** September 15, 2025 10:14 am

So do we know how much the FCC fines a station for improper ID's, or not doing them? Does the FCC actually monitor the thousands of TV and radio stations to find outlets that are not doing this minor task properly.

**Posted by Skywave** September 15, 2025 4:09 pm

The FCC doesn't fool around:
Pirate Actions
The FCC has issued a $920,000 penalty against Masner Beauplan for operating “Radio Leve Kanpe” on 91.7 in Irvington NJ. Beauplan failed to respond to previous FCC inquiries following its original notice in September 2024.
Wilner Baptiste has been fined $40,000 for operating “M-One Radio Live” on 94.1 in Spring Valley NY. Baptiste also failed to respond to the FCC’s original order in September 2024.

Last edited by Skywave (September 15, 2025 4:10 pm)

**Posted by Evuguy** September 15, 2025 8:43 pm

Curious: Would anyone here recall back in the early 70's if WUTV was ever carried on the basic service (2 to 13) of any Canadian cable system? In Toronto, the converter service had it (Rogers, circa 1974) but I can't recall ever seeing it offered on the basic line up. It seemed to be the 'tease' channel listed in the TV Guide that only people with antennas could receive.

**Posted by mace** September 17, 2025 9:09 am

Evuguy wrote:
Curious: Would anyone here recall back in the early 70's if WUTV was ever carried on the basic service (2 to 13) of any Canadian cable system? In Toronto, the converter service had it (Rogers, circa 1974) but I can't recall ever seeing it offered on the basic line up. It seemed to be the 'tease' channel listed in the TV Guide that only people with antennas could receive.

WUTV signed on in December 1970. My parents were able to receive it with one of those hoop indoor antennas. My dad eventually installed one of those flytrap style outdoor antennas to improve the reception. I doubt WUTV was ever available on cable channels 2-13. I t would have been available on the upper channels when the CRTC finally got around to approving carriage. They are notoriously slow in approving a channel if it is American. I couldn't find any CRTC carriage approval dates for WUTV. I am guessing mid to late 1970's.

**Posted by Evuguy** September 17, 2025 7:58 pm

I would agree with you. I found out that Rogers was the first to launch their converter service in 1973 and they were using WUTV as bait to get you to fork over another $2.50/mo. Was interesting that WNED did get basic carriage on a shared basis, so suspect the CRTC was protecting Canadian stations that featured reruns like WUTV did. I remember my dad going out and buying a UHF bow-tie antenna from Radio Shack to try and pick up WUTV. It went up on the side of the shed but the picture was snowy, so down it came. My dad sold our tower, rotor and antenna when Rogers came to our street, unfortunately. I think we would of had better results if it could have gone up on that tower.

**Posted by Jody Thornton** September 17, 2025 9:55 pm

Evuguy wrote:
Curious: Would anyone here recall back in the early 70's if WUTV was ever carried on the basic service (2 to 13) of any Canadian cable system? In Toronto, the converter service had it (Rogers, circa 1974) but I can't recall ever seeing it offered on the basic line up. It seemed to be the 'tease' channel listed in the TV Guide that only people with antennas could receive.

In Stoney Creek, we had WUTV on cable channel 9 (since CFTO was on cable 8). I'm trying to recall what the cable company was before Rogers bought up that zone in the 1980s (and later Cogeco)

**Posted by jon** September 18, 2025 5:09 pm

About 20 years ago, one of the "Majors" in Canada got flagged with license violations for a bunch of their stations that were not ID'ing with call letters on the hour. The story goes that a bright young "want to get ahead by being noticed" corporate lawyer thought he had solid proof that call letter IDs were no longer required. He reviewed the CRTC's regulations but not the ISED regulations that SkyWave quotes above.

**Posted by Evuguy** September 18, 2025 9:30 pm

Jody Thornton wrote:
Evuguy wrote:
Curious: Would anyone here recall back in the early 70's if WUTV was ever carried on the basic service (2 to 13) of any Canadian cable system? In Toronto, the converter service had it (Rogers, circa 1974) but I can't recall ever seeing it offered on the basic line up. It seemed to be the 'tease' channel listed in the TV Guide that only people with antennas could receive.
In Stoney Creek, we had WUTV on cable channel 9 (since CFTO was on cable 8). I'm trying to recall what the cable company was before Rogers bought up that zone in the 1980s (and later Cogeco)

Possibly Mountain Cablevision? Interesting, as it would seem to indicate the CRTC did not have an embargo on the channel for basic cable at that time.

**Posted by ED1** September 19, 2025 8:53 am

I thought TV does their station IDs via their PSIP identifiers. All the stations in my area put their call signs there.

**Posted by LOSat** September 22, 2025 10:24 am

I remember those early cable boxes. It was always great when the two channels you were watching were above and below each other. You could simply use the rocker switch to quickly go back and forth. Long before there was a last channel button.