Radio has a rich history, and the world of AM radio has seen many fascinating moments and transformations over the years. One such topic that often comes up is the changing of call signs—an integral part of a station’s identity. Call letters are not just a formal requirement, but a vital part of a station’s brand, influencing its image, listener recall, and even its ratings.
Each month, we hear about call letter changes through Jerry Starr’s AM Switch column, which regularly highlights stations across the country rebranding or rethinking their identities. It’s a curious trend when businesses change their names, particularly in industries where long-established companies typically maintain consistent branding. In fact, radio is one of the few consumer-facing sectors where such frequent changes can happen, aside from perhaps telephone companies, which, like radio stations, are also subject to regulations by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
However, not all changes in radio involve a complete overhaul of a station’s call letters. Some stations retain their established call signs while making significant changes to their format. For example, a station might transition from an all-news format to country music, or an album-oriented rock (AOR) station could switch to a sports-focused station. These transformations illustrate how a station’s identity can evolve while maintaining its long-standing connection to its audience.
A memorable case from about a decade ago occurred in Philadelphia with the station WDVR. Originally standing for Delaware Valley Radio, WDVR had a strong, locally recognizable identity, but the station’s management felt it needed a shift. After conducting focus groups and assessing the market, they decided to pivot toward a unique, beautiful music format. This shift led to a rebranding of the station, including a change in its call letters to WEAZ. The new name was intended to emphasize the station’s easy-listening format, and they decided to brand it as “Easy-101.”
However, in a curious twist, while the station’s official call letters were now WEAZ, the announcers were instructed to call it “EAZY 101” on air, maintaining a subtle difference in the pronunciation. They would occasionally mention the full call letters, but only in a legal ID, which would be broadcast once an hour. Despite the station’s efforts to keep the call letters discreet, the public seemed to have difficulty remembering the full call sign. Listeners began referring to the station as “that one that starts with an E,” and other vague identifiers. Interestingly, just a few months after the change, the station’s ratings surged, placing it at number one in the local Arbitron ratings. For several quarters, WEAZ and the city’s other major station, KYW, traded spots in the top rankings.
This situation highlights a valuable point made by radio consultants: call letters are often less effective at helping listeners remember a station than a catchy, one-word slogan or phrase. In fact, consultants recommend that stations focus more on consistent branding and a memorable slogan, with the official legal ID being a secondary consideration.
Speaking of legal IDs, it’s important to understand their significance in U.S. radio regulations. A legal ID is the mandatory on-air announcement that identifies a station’s call letters, its city of license, and sometimes additional information like its frequency or ownership. There are several accepted formats for legal IDs. For example, a station like WFAD in Middlebury might announce, “WFAD, Middlebury” or “WFAD, 1490 on your dial, Middlebury,” to meet FCC requirements. Other formats include providing details about the station’s ownership, such as, “WFAD, owned by Pro-Radio, Incorporated, Middlebury.”
In some cases, stations get creative with their legal IDs. For example, in Kansas City, a station has a tradition where two announcers give the ID in succession, with one ending a sentence with the call letters and the next announcer starting with the city name. In Pawtucket, Rhode Island, a station uses a jingle to sing its call letters, with the city name “Pawtucket” subtly added at the end in a low-volume voice. There have even been instances where stations, like KABL, got into trouble for using overly loud sound effects (such as a cable-car bell) during their legal IDs, inadvertently making the city name hard to hear.
Legal IDs serve both regulatory and branding functions, and while they are technically required, they can sometimes be a point of creative expression for radio stations. In Tampa Bay, for example, several stations legally identify themselves as being located in the “Tampa Bay” region, even though their city of license may be Tampa specifically. For a station like WFLA, a jingle that begins with their call letters followed by “Tampa” still meets the legal ID requirement, thanks to the city’s placement right after the call sign.
The world of radio call signs and legal IDs is an interesting one, revealing how stations navigate the intersection of regulatory compliance and brand identity. These moments in radio history, whether through subtle shifts in format or clever twists on legal requirements, show how the medium continues to evolve while maintaining its foundational role as a key part of our daily lives.