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Illegal IDs

If I recall, the station was red lighted, meaning they were fined and the fine had not been paid in full by the time the license renewed. In those instances, you pay the balance and ask the FCC to reverse their decision. The FCC might not care if a station stays on until they make a decision. After all the station has contracts for commercials and programming they must uphold.
 
I once worked for a small town station in Iowa and was board op on Sundays. We ran a live religious service that ran from about 10:45 to almost noon. The preacher was always good about taking a small pause at the top of the hour so a legal ID could go out over the air. The sermon was fed by phone over the air, and it was the guy on the other end at the church who would give the proper calls and city. He might have had a hand signal he gave to let the preacher continue.
 
b-turner said:
If I recall, the station was red lighted, meaning they were fined and the fine had not been paid in full by the time the license renewed. In those instances, you pay the balance and ask the FCC to reverse their decision. The FCC might not care if a station stays on until they make a decision. After all the station has contracts for commercials and programming they must uphold.
Click to expand...

The decision is not reversed yet, as the FCC listing for 1120 in "AM Search" includes nothing in CT.
 
CTListener said:
Meanwhile, WPRX New Britain or Berlin or wherever the COL is, which had its license revoked months ago, continues to broadcast on 1120 with tropical music, advertising including national McDonald's spots, and Hartford Yard Goats baseball in Spanish. For all intents and purposes, it's a pirate operation now, and the TOH ID reflects it. I listened from 2:45 to 3:15 this afternoon, and the ID at just before 3:00 was "La Puertoriquenisima!" with no call or city.

I understand the hoops the FCC must jump through when trying to get a pirate shut down. But can anyone explain the lack of action against a station that the FCC itself pulled the license from yet remains in operation and, apparently, making money? What must the FCC do to get a station it's basically slapped the death penalty on to pull the plug?
Click to expand...

I suspect the answer is that this station is very popular with local Hispanic listeners,
and somebody at the FCC fears the blowback (and possibly being called a racist)
if they were to pull the plug.
 
CTListener said:
Meanwhile, WPRX New Britain or Berlin or wherever the COL is, which had its license revoked months ago, continues to broadcast on 1120 with tropical music, advertising including national McDonald's spots, and Hartford Yard Goats baseball in Spanish. For all intents and purposes, it's a pirate operation now, and the TOH ID reflects it. I listened from 2:45 to 3:15 this afternoon, and the ID at just before 3:00 was "La Puertoriquenisima!" with no call or city.

I understand the hoops the FCC must jump through when trying to get a pirate shut down. But can anyone explain the lack of action against a station that the FCC itself pulled the license from yet remains in operation and, apparently, making money? What must the FCC do to get a station it's basically slapped the death penalty on to pull the plug?
Click to expand...

I'm Facebook friends with their engineer on Facebook. (Maybe he's not even their engineer anymore). I will ask him what's up with the station when he gets back from vacation.
 
MarcB said:
Most Hispanics I know don't listen to that station. Most listen to La Mega or Bomba.
Click to expand...

The biggest biller is La Grande, WRYM. Then comes Mega. Both of them show wobbly ratings in the 0.5 to 1.0 share range, while 1120 has not made a showing in the ratings in the last 5 years.
 
I know in New York the FCC has had to go easy on a few pirates because they were highly popular with local immigrant communities.
 
Last edited:
So if a US radio station is in a "foreign" language, like Spanish or Korean, (non-English,) is the ID required to be done in English? Or is it okay in the language of the station?
 
AMRocks said:
So if a US radio station is in a "foreign" language, like Spanish or Korean, (non-English,) is the ID required to be done in English? Or is it okay in the language of the station?
Click to expand...

It's apparently OK to identify in the language of the station; stations in Puerto Rico, USA, have been IDing in Spanish since 1922.

Many mainland broadcasters with non-English formats considered that the spirit of the rule required the ID be in English. However, during the 1990's many Spanish language stations started doing Spanish IDs and there was never any action to stop this by the FCC as far as I know.
 
CTListener said:
Meanwhile, WPRX New Britain or Berlin or wherever the COL is, which had its license revoked months ago, continues to broadcast on 1120 with tropical music, advertising including national McDonald's spots, and Hartford Yard Goats baseball in Spanish. For all intents and purposes, it's a pirate operation now, and the TOH ID reflects it. I listened from 2:45 to 3:15 this afternoon, and the ID at just before 3:00 was "La Puertoriquenisima!" with no call or city.

I understand the hoops the FCC must jump through when trying to get a pirate shut down. But can anyone explain the lack of action against a station that the FCC itself pulled the license from yet remains in operation and, apparently, making money? What must the FCC do to get a station it's basically slapped the death penalty on to pull the plug?
Click to expand...

I messaged WPRX's now former Chief Engineer on Facebook. He told me he hasn't been involved with the station in a few months. He did tell me however he heard a rumor they can get their license reinstated if they pay the FCC some money.
 
I can't say what they did at other times. WRNN Myrtle Beach SC didn't air its legal station ID at the top of the hour. It was just a general station ID.

WRNN-FM, however, called itself "WRNN Socastee" at the appropriate time.

WEZV and WGTN-FM, simulcast partners, gave their full information a few minutes before the time, even though I think there was a break provided. WEZV identified itself as WEZV-FM, even though there is no AM to my knowledge. WGTN-FM has an AM, not currently related. And this is interesting. There is a local morning DJ. The recorded station ID aired, and the girl said, "Oh, thanks, now I don't have to do it!"
 
I always wonder about stations that go out of their way to identify HD1.

For instance, most stations don't bother... a.k.a, "KRSP-FM Salt Lake City... 103.5 The Arrow."

Versus "KODJ FM and HD1 Salt Lake City."

The latter seems like overkill, imo. Is there a standard for HD1 IDs?
 
henry said:
I always wonder about stations that go out of their way to identify HD1.
Is there a standard for HD1 IDs?
Click to expand...

Good question. I was listening to Country 92.5 yesterday which is owned by iHeart and they ID'd as WWYZ and HD1 Waterbury/Hartford, but their sister station The River 105.9 ID'd as WHCN and WHCN HD1 Hartford.

Connoisseur's 102.9 The Whale id'd as WDRC-FM and WDRC HD1 Hartford.

One station I forgot which one ID'd the station as CALL-SIGN and HD Digital. CITY OF LICENSE.

CBS's HOT 93.7 WZMX and WZMX HD1 Hartford.

CBS's Lite 100.5 ID's as WRCH New Britain/Hartford. And sometimes a computerized female voice speaks WRCH HD1.


KOOL Radio's Westerly, Rhode Island affiliate:

WSKP and W282CB Hope Valley and WBMW HD3 Pawcatuck.
 
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