Though the Washington elite are known to skedaddle from this hot and humid town come August, there was still good news handed down from the FCC for dozens of radio broadcast stations last month.
Thirty-five new radio stations received call signs this month, and 24 received modified call signs.
The assignments were handed out in big and small markets alike, including one in the tiny town of Glacier View, a hamlet of less than 250 that sits within throwing distance of the Matanuska Glacier in Alaska. Early in August, community broadcaster Radio Free Palmer received authority to broadcast a new FM station with the call sign KGVC at 91.5 from Glacier View.
As usual, the FCC list contains some fun hunting for fans of “call sign strategies.”
For instance, we see Radio One of North Carolina swapping call signs for two FM stations. WQNC in Indian Trail, N.C., becomes WPZS, while its station that previously used that call sign in Harrisburg, N.C., in turn becomes WQNC.
Similarly, Cedar Cove Broadcasting moved some letters around; its AM KVOQ in Denver becomes KDCO, while its FM station in Estes Park that used the KDCO sign now becomes KRKY-FM.
The flow of new low-power assignments continued last month, including six new low-power FMs in Tennessee alone, including three in Chattanooga: WJZW(LP) to the Chattanooga Historical Foundation, WZNO(LP) to Metropolitan Tabernacle and WVMG(LP) to Destiny Life Resources. Call signs were also awarded to WJQJ(LP) in Gatlinburg, WTNB(LP) in East Ridge and WTNE(LP) in Cleveland.
A fair number of new call signs were awarded to organizations with religious affiliations — like new station KDGW(LP) in pastoral Grants Pass, Ore., that will be run by Edgewater Christian Fellowship. And a few educational groups were awarded new call signs as well, including Western Carolina University whose WWOO(FM) will be broadcasting at 95.3 MHz in Dillsboro, N.C.
The FCC also announced four signs that are reserved for pending sales applicants, including two to the Educational Media Foundation in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and Fort Smith Ark.; one for Vermont Public Radio in Colchester, Vt.; and one for WBOC Inc. in Princess Anne, Md.
The complete list of the Media Bureau actions can be found here (PDF).
