Why K in US Radio???

this fcc thing doesn't say why station names have to start with K or W but it sets out the rules. of course the coup de grace is when you can turn that limitation into something clever like KISS or KING or WOOT-FM or KPOP. KRNK.

<pre>
Broadcasting (standard)......... 4 letters \3\ (plus location of KAAA through KZZZ.

station). WAAA through WZZZ.

Broadcasting (FM)............... 4 letters (plus location of station).. KAAA through KZZZ.

WAAA through WZZZ.

Broadcasting with suffix ``FM''. 6 letters \3\ (plus location of KAAA-FM through KZZZ--FM.

station). WAAA-FM through WZZZ-FM.

Broadcasting (television)....... 4 letters (plus location of station).. KAAA through KZZZ.

WAAA through WZZZ.

Broadcasting with suffix ``TV''. 6 letters \3\ (plus location of KAAA-TV through KZZZ-TV.

station). WAAA-TV through WZZ-TV.


</pre>


in canada, big surprise, everything starts with C.

and i thoughht i had that dizzee set on my server but i don't

K = West Coast

W = East Coast


I wondered exactly the same thing a few months ago:

K / W Trivia

and from THIS page, the following:

Notice the policy was that calls for ocean-going ship stations started with a different letter than the land stations they communicated with: in the West ships received W-- calls and land stations were assigned K--, while the reverse was true in the East, with K-- ship calls and W-- land calls. (NOTE: The assignment of W and K to the United States appears to have been completely arbitrary--the letters have no particular significance. N, however, had been commonly used by the U.S. Navy since November, 1909).

Click to expand...

where was i reading that it's all about the k...

...scream, code, scuba