Station Slogans

Radio Record, Volume IV, Issue 37, 27 March 1931, Page 6

Station Slogans

Devised by U.S.A. Broadcasters HEN radio broadcasting first became popular about eight years ago in the United States, stations began a mad scramble for permission to select certain calls with letters representing initials of a slogan, the owner, a product, or a novelty. The scramble is still on. , . The present system of call letters, as fixed by the Government and the Federal Radio Commission, is arranged geographically. Every radio station must have either of two. letters, K or W, as the prefix of the call.. K, with the exception of KDKA and KYW, denotes stations west of the Mississippi River; W denotes those east. On application, and with the approval of the commission, stations can arrange the remaihing three letters to suit themselves. If arranged by the commission, however, they are arranged alphabetically. This is done by adding other letters of the alphabet to the geographical designation, as WAAB, WABC, and so on. These station calls stand for no deseriptive or ownership phrase, but those arranged by the broadcasters are novel and are intended to impart a subtle bit of advertising. Many of these call letters bring to mind the slogan they stand for. When a listener hears WPG, Atlantic City, for instance, he says: "Well, there’s the World’s Playground." WIOD, Miami Beach, Florida, stands for the beautiful phrase, "Wonderful

Isle of Dreams." Then KGFJ, Los Angeles, "Keeps Good Folks Joyful’; KTHS says "Kum to Hot Springs"; WIR, Detroit, is "Where Joy Reigns"; WCOA, Pensacola, Florida, is the "Wonderful City of Advantages"; and WOS, Jefferson City, M.O., says "Watch our State." Other calls are made up of the first letters in the names of churches. For example, KPPO, Pasadena Presbyterian Church, Pasadena, California. Novelty call letters are common. WOW, Omaha; WHAM, Rochester; KICK, Red Oak, Ia., and KTNT, Museatine, Ia., give the impression of a lot of pep, noise and activity. KOIL, Council Bluffs, Ia., sells oil; and WASH, Grand Rapids, Mich., sounds like a laundry station.