THREE-LETTER CALL SIGNS: HISTORIC ROLL CALL Thomas H. White January 1, 1994 This is a comprehensive roll call of the three-letter calls used on the standard AM band in the United States, up to January 1, 1994. The main list reviews three-letter calls assigned to standard AM broadcast stations. This list is the result of an exhaustive review of official government records. Ideally, it includes every three-letter call ever assigned to a standard station on the AM band. Government and temporary stations, for which there is less complete information, are reviewed separately. In many cases these three-letter calls had previously been assigned to ship or non-broadcast land stations. Also, many were later assigned to related FM and TV stations. However, these lists only review stations in the AM band. The main list contains 249 entries, which comprise 241 distinct stations, because in eight cases--KGC/KNX, KZC/KOG, KZN/KSL, WBL/WWJ, WCM/KUT, WCX/WJR, WEB/WIL, and WGL/WOV--a single station accounts for two different calls. (The WCM/KUT link is somewhat tenuous). There are only 231 different calls, because in 14 cases--KGO, KOA, KSL, KZC, WBL, WDZ, WGH, WGM, WIL, WMC, WMH, WNJ, WOK, and WPG--the same call was used at different times by two different broadcast stations, while KGB and WGL have each been used by three different stations. Each entry in the main list begins with the three-letter call, the studio location at the time of the call assignment, and the date of the first assignment of the three-letter call. In most cases the entry reflects the licencing of a new station. However, an asterisk (*) in front of the first assignment date marks cases where the three-letter assignment instead was a call change to an existing station, while a plus-sign (+) denotes three stations (KQV, KYQ, and WRR) which transferred to the broadcast service from a previous classification, but kept the three-letter call held before becoming a broadcast station. The Status column lists the eventual outcome of the three-letter assignment. In cases where the three-letter call is no longer used the ending date is listed, followed by an equal sign and information on what occurred: either the station was deleted or a new call assigned. In the 58 cases where the station still holds its original three-letter call, the call is repeated along with the current frequency. Additional information includes current call, frequency and location for stations which have changed from the original information. In some cases there have been breaks in usage and other aberrations, which are noted in the gap between "1st Asgn" and "Status". A minus sign (-) denotes stations which were, one or more times, briefly deleted and then relicenced under the same three-letter call. A caret (^) denotes stations which changed from the listed three-letter call but then changed back. Finally, a greater-than sign (>) denotes cases where at some point the three-letter call was transferred from one related station to another. Call Location 1st Asgn Status as of January 1, 1994 ==== ================== ======== ============================== KDB Santa Barbara, CA *01/09/29 ^09/08/90=KSPE-1490 KDN San Francisco, CA 12/08/21 05/01/23=deleted KEX Portland, OR 12/23/26 KEX-1190 KFC Seattle, WA 12/08/21 01/23/23=deleted KFH Wichita, KS *12/--/25 KFH-1330 KFI Los Angeles, CA 03/31/22 KFI-640 KFU Gridley, CA 02/28/22 07/22/22=deleted KFV Yakima, WA 03/25/22 05/05/23=deleted KFZ Spokane, WA 03/23/22 09/08/23=deleted KGA Spokane, WA 02/04/27 KGA-1510 KGB San Francisco, CA 12/08/21 03/23/22=deleted " Tacoma, WA 04/08/22 -12/11/25=deleted " San Diego, CA *03/27/28 03/15/82=KCNN, now KPOP-1360 KGC Hollywood, CA 12/08/21 06/20/22=del/repl. by KNX KGF Pomona, CA 02/08/22 12/06/22=deleted KGG Portland, OR 03/15/22 11/25/24=deleted KGN Portland, OR 03/31/22 06/--/24=deleted KGO Altadena, CA 03/15/22 08/21/23=deleted " Oakland, CA 01/22/24 KGO-810 San Francisco, CA KGU Honolulu, HI 03/14/22 KGU-760 KGW Portland, OR 03/21/22 03/01/93=KINK-620 KGY Lacey, WA 03/30/22 KGY-1240 Olympia, WA KHD Colorado Springs, CO 04/05/22 03/20/23=deleted KHJ Los Angeles, CA 03/18/22 02/01/86=KRTH, now KKHJ-930 KHQ Seattle, WA 02/28/22 01/07/85=KLSN now KAQQ-590 KID Idaho Falls, ID *02/16/29 KID-590 KIT Portland, OR *03/22/29 KIT-1280 Yakima, WA KJC Los Angeles, CA 04/10/22 01/24/23=deleted KJJ Sunnyvale, CA 12/20/21 06/16/23=deleted KJQ Stockton, CA 12/20/21 04/--/25=deleted KJR Seattle, WA 03/09/22 >KJR-950 KJS Los Angeles, CA 03/10/22 07/--/25=KTBI, now KWKW-1330 KKP Seattle, WA 12/27/26 03/23/29=deleted KLB Pasadena, CA 01/04/22 04/25/23=deleted KLN Monterey, CA 03/31/22 11/30/23=deleted KLO Ogden, UT *04/11/29 KLO-1430 KLP Los Altos, CA 01/04/22 03/09/23=deleted KLS Oakland, CA 03/10/22 09/10/45=KWBR, now KDIA-1310 KLX Oakland, CA 05/03/22 06/07/59=KEWB, now KNEW-910 KLZ Denver, CO 03/10/22 KLZ-560 KMA Shenandoah, IA 08/12/25 KMA-960 KMC Reedley, CA 03/31/22 09/01/23=deleted KMJ Fresno, CA 03/23/22 KMJ-580 KMO Tacoma, WA 03/30/22 04/18/83=KAMT, now KKMO-1360 KNI Eureka, CA 04/29/22 06/16/23=deleted KNJ Roswell, NM 04/05/22 11/26/23=deleted KNN Los Angeles, CA 04/25/22 06/07/23=deleted KNR Los Angeles, CA 04/10/22 08/23/22=deleted KNT Aberdeen, WA 04/26/22 03/19/25=del (Kukak Bay, AK) KNV Los Angeles, CA 04/10/22 04/02/24=deleted KNX Los Angeles, CA *05/04/22 -KNX-1070 (replaced KGC) KOA Denver, CO 03/20/22 06/23/23=deleted [YMCA] " Denver, CO 12/13/24 KOA-850 [General Electric] KOB State College, NM 04/05/22 10/28/86=KKOB-770 Albuquerque KOE Spokane, WA 04/12/22 10/07/22=deleted KOG Los Angeles, CA *02/02/22 03/09/23=deleted (x-KZC) KOH Reno, NV 09/13/28 KOH-630 KOJ Reno, NV 05/01/22 06/07/22=deleted KOL Seattle, WA *12/06/28 09/01/75=KMPS-1300 KON San Diego, CA 04/10/22 03/09/23=deleted KOP Detroit, MI 03/18/22 11/28/25=deleted KOQ Modesto, CA 04/12/22 09/06/22=deleted KOW Denver, CO *06/30/27 03/25/29=deleted KOY Phoenix, AZ *02/08/29 KOY-550 KPO San Francisco, CA 04/17/22 11/12/47=KNBC, now KNBR-680 KPQ Seattle, WA *05/02/28 KPQ-560 Wenatchee, WA KQI Berkeley, CA 05/04/22 12/10/23=deleted KQL Los Angeles, CA 10/13/21 06/09/22=deleted KQP Hood River, OR 04/12/22 -04/--/26=KOIN now KBBT-970 KQT Yakima, WA 03/23/22 10/06/22=deleted KQV Pittsburgh, PA +01/09/22 KQV-1410 [pre-bcst: 11/--/21] KQW San Jose, CA 12/09/21 04/03/49=KCBS-740 San Fran. KQY Portland, OR 03/30/22 05/03/23=deleted KRE Berkeley, CA 03/11/22 ^08/13/86=KBLX-1400 KSC San Jose, CA 04/26/22 07/06/22=deleted KSD Saint Louis, MO 03/14/22 ^KSD-550 KSL San Francisco, CA 03/11/22 06/16/23=deleted " Salt Lake City, UT *03/24/25 KSL-1160 (x-KZN) KSO Clarinda, IA 10/09/25 >09/11/89=KGGO-1460 Des Moines KSS Long Beach, CA 04/10/22 04/02/24=deleted KTM Santa Monica, CA *11/--/28 05/06/35=KEHE,now KABC-790, LA KTW Seattle, WA 04/22/22 08/30/75=KYAC, now KKDZ-1250 KUJ Seattle, WA *12/--/26 KUJ-1420 Walla Walla, WA KUO San Francisco, CA 02/13/22 01/21/26=deleted KUS Los Angeles, CA 04/13/22 04/04/24=deleted KUT Austin, TX *10/30/25 >01/26/32=KNOW [x-WCM]KMOW-1490 KUY El Monte, CA 04/25/22 09/29/24=deleted KVI Tacoma, WA 11/24/26 KVI-570 Seattle, WA KVL Seattle, WA *01/01/28 12/15/36=KEEN, now KING-1090 KVQ Sacramento, CA 12/09/21 01/02/23=deleted KWG Stockton, CA 12/07/21 KWG-1230 KWH Los Angeles, CA 04/13/22 03/18/25=deleted KWK Saint Louis, MO *11/25/27 -06/01/84=KGLD, now KASP-1380 KXA Seattle, WA *10/--/27 04/11/86=KRPM, now KULL-770 KXD Modesto, CA 04/13/22 03/10/24=deleted KXL Portland, OR 11/27/26 KXL-750 KXO El Centro, CA *11/11/28 KXO-1230 KXS Los Angeles, CA 04/10/22 03/09/23=deleted KYA San Francisco, CA 12/17/26 ^12/13/83=KOIT-1260 KYF San Diego, CA 04/26/22 12/01/22=deleted KYG Portland, OR 03/28/22 10/13/22=deleted KYI Bakersfield, CA 05/04/22 05/01/23=deleted KYJ Los Angeles, CA 12/09/21 05/01/23=deleted KYQ Honolulu, HI +11/01/22 03/05/25=d [pre-bcst: 11/9/21] KYW Chicago, IL 11/09/21>>KYW-1060 Philadelphia, PA KYY San Francisco, CA 12/20/21 01/24/23=deleted KZC Los Angeles, CA 12/09/21 02/02/22=KOG (see) " Seattle, WA 04/20/22 04/11/23=deleted KZI Los Angeles, CA 04/10/22 08/15/22=deleted KZM Oakland, CA 12/09/21 06/23/31=deleted (Hayward, CA) KZN Salt Lake City, UT 04/21/22 07/07/24=KFPT, later KSL (see) KZV Wenatchee, WA 05/03/22 06/--/24=deleted KZY Oakland, CA 12/09/21 01/24/23=deleted San Francisco WAH El Dorado, KS 03/28/22 03/06/23=deleted WBL Detroit, MI 10/13/21 03/03/22=WWJ (see) " Anthony, KS 04/05/22 -12/15/24=deleted WBS Newark, NJ 03/11/22 05/--/25=WGCP/del 7/18/62-WHBI WBT Charlotte, NC 03/18/22 WBT-1110 WBU Chicago, IL 02/21/22 11/07/23=deleted WBZ Springfield, MA 09/15/21 WBZ-1030 Boston, MA WCE Minneapolis, MN 04/05/22 12/01/23=deleted WCJ New Haven, CT 09/29/21 12/01/22=deleted WCK Saint Louis, MO 04/03/22 06/--/25=WSBF,deleted 11/30/28 WCM Austin, TX 03/22/22 -07/20/25=del (repl by KUT,see) WCN Worcester, MA 03/21/22 06/25/23=deleted WCX Detroit, MI 05/04/22 04/22/29=del (repl by WJR,see) WDM Washington, DC 12/22/21 -06/08/25=deleted WDT New York, NY 12/22/21 12/28/23=deleted WDV Omaha, NE 03/30/22 02/07/23=deleted WDW Washington, DC 12/22/21 05/--/22=deleted WDY Roselle Park, NJ 09/19/21 02/20/23=deleted WDZ Toledo, OH 01/26/22 03/20/22=d/rel-WBAJ, del1/2/23 " Tuscola, IL 04/05/22 WDZ-1050 Decatur, IL WEB Saint Louis, MO 04/05/22 01/--/25=WIL (see) WEH Tulsa, OK 03/29/22 -06/12/23=deleted WEV Houston, TX 03/23/22 01/10/25=deleted WEW Saint Louis, MO 03/23/22 WEW-770 WEY Wichita, KS 03/23/22 06/23/23=deleted WFI Philadelphia, PA 03/18/22 01/21/35=WFIL, now WPHY-560 WFO Dayton, OH 02/24/22 11/28/22=deleted WGF Des Moines, IA 03/14/22 09/29/23=deleted WGH Montgomery, AL 02/03/22 06/05/22=deleted " Newport News, VA *11/20/28 ^WGH-1310 WGI Medford Hillside, MA 02/07/22 02/--/25=WARC, deleted 4/--/27 WGL Philadelphia, PA 02/08/22 12/31/24=deleted " New York, NY 01/03/27 08/08/28=WOV (see) " Fort Wayne, IN *11/11/28 WGL-1250 WGM Atlanta, GA 03/15/22 -08/28/23=deleted " Jeanette, PA 08/25/26 08/01/28=deleted WGN Chicago, IL *03/28/24 >WGN-720 WGR Buffalo, NY 03/14/22 WGR-550 WGU Chicago, IL 03/29/22 09/29/22=d (relic. asWMAQ-670) WGV New Orleans, LA 03/21/22 06/--/24=deleted WGY Schenectady, NY 02/04/22 WGY-810 WHA Madison, WI 01/13/22 -WHA-970 WHB Kansas City, MO 05/10/22 WHB-710 WHD Morgantown, WV 03/16/22 11/19/23=deleted WHK Cleveland, OH 02/21/22 -WHK-1420 WHN Ridgewood, NY 03/18/22 ^07/01/87=WFAN now WEVD-1050NYC WHO Des Moines, IA 04/15/24 WHO-1040 WHP Harrisburg, PA *03/16/29 WHP-580 WHQ Rochester, NY 02/24/22 10/02/22=deleted WHT Deerfield, IL 05/12/25 02/--/29=WSOA/del10/31/30-WCHI WHU Toledo, OH 02/28/22 10/27/22=deleted WHW East Lansing, MI 02/24/22 01/16/23=deleted WHX Des Moines, IA 03/28/22 05/--/22=deleted WIK McKeesport, PA 03/14/22 03/09/25=deleted WIL Washington, DC 03/14/22 09/13/24=deleted " Saint Louis, MO *01/--/25 12/04/90=WRTH-1430 (x-WEB) WIP Philadelphia, PA 03/20/22 WIP-610 WIS Columbia, SC *01/23/30 12/31/86=WVOC-560 WIZ Cincinnati, OH 04/24/22 07/20/23=deleted WJD Granville, OH 04/06/22 12/07/25=deleted WJH Washington, DC 12/08/21 03/26/24=deleted WJK Toledo, OH 02/28/22 02/01/23=deleted WJR Pontiac, MI *08/20/25 WJR-750 Detroit (replaced WCX) WJT Erie, PA 03/21/22 10/21/22=deleted WJW Mansfield, OH *05/09/29 06/11/85=WRMR-850, Cleveland WJX New York, NY 10/13/21 06/--/24=deleted WJY New York, NY 05/12/23 04/--/27=deleted WJZ Newark, NJ 05/--/21 03/01/53=WABC-770, New York,NY WKC Baltimore, MD 03/23/22 11/24/23=deleted WKN Memphis, TN 03/23/22 06/11/23=deleted WKY Oklahoma City, OK 03/16/22 WKY-930 WLB Minneapolis, MN 01/13/22 -06/01/45=KUOM-770 WLK Indianapolis, IN 01/26/22 06/01/23=deleted WLS Chicago, IL 04/11/24 WLS-890 WLW Cincinnati, OH 03/02/22 WLW-700 WMA Anderson, IN 04/06/22 06/05/22=WEAW (del 3/1/23) WMB Auburn, ME 04/05/22 03/21/23=deleted WMC Youngstown, OH 03/27/22 12/19/22=deleted " Memphis, TN 01/19/23 WMC-790 WMH Cincinnati, OH 12/30/21 12/11/23=del [Precision] " Cincinnati, OH 05/22/24 03/--/25=WKRC, now WLWA-550 \ WMT Cedar Rapids, IA *11/11/28 WMT-600 WMU Washington, DC 03/23/22 10/--/25=deleted WNJ Albany, NY 03/27/22 06/--/24=deleted " Newark, NJ *10/--/24 06/02/33=deleted WNO Jersey City, NJ 01/18/22 03/--/23=deleted WOC Rock Island, IL 02/18/22 >WOC-1420 Davenport, IA WOE Akron, OH 04/06/22 07/--/23=deleted WOH Indianapolis, IN 02/20/22 02/14/23=deleted WOI Ames, IA 04/28/22 WOI-640 WOK Pine Bluff, AR 02/16/22 06/--/24=deleted " Homewood, IL *05/--/25 09/01/28=deleted [as WMBB-WOK] WOL Washington, DC *11/11/28 >WOL-1450 WOO Philadelphia, PA 03/18/22 02/20/29=deleted WOQ Kansas City, MO 02/17/22 06/14/34=deleted WOR Newark, NJ 02/20/22 WOR-710 New York, NY WOS Jefferson City, MO 02/23/22 03/27/36=deleted WOU Omaha, NE 12/29/21 06/23/23=deleted WOV New York, NY *11/11/28 >11/01/59=WADO-1280 (x-WGL) WOW Omaha, NE *12/16/26 WOW-590 WOZ Richmond, IN 02/16/22 04/09/23=deleted WPA Fort Worth, TX 03/16/22 05/24/23=deleted WPB Pittsburgh, PA 01/10/22 05/05/22=deleted WPE Kansas City, MO 04/05/22 06/18/23=d (rel., nowKMBZ-980) WPG New Lebanon, OH 03/27/22 02/19/24=deleted " Atlantic City, NJ 12/23/24 01/03/40=del (consol. w/WOV) WPI Clearfield, PA 04/06/22 07/20/23=deleted WPJ Philadelphia, PA 04/05/22 01/19/23=deleted WPL Zanesville, OH 04/06/22 10/23/22=deleted WPM Washington, DC 03/14/22 05/10/23=deleted WPO Memphis, TN 03/28/22 06/12/23=deleted WQJ Chicago, IL 05/22/24 11/30/28=del (consol. w/WMAQ) WRC Washington, DC 06/28/23 02/27/84=WWRC-980 WRK Hamilton, OH 02/24/22 -09/29/30=deleted WRL Schenectady, NY 03/02/22 02/--/25=deleted WRM Urbana, IL 03/28/22 11/11/28=WILL-580 WRP Camden, NJ 03/21/22 08/20/23=deleted WRR Dallas, TX +03/13/22 04/14/78=KAAM, now KTCK \ WRW Tarrytown, NY 03/14/22 07/31/26=del \[pre-bcst:8/21] WSB Atlanta, GA 03/15/23 WSB-750 WSL Utica, NY 03/16/22 04/29/25=deleted WSM Nashville, TN 10/05/25 WSM-650 WSN Norfolk, VA 04/06/22 01/16/23=deleted WSV Little Rock, AR 03/28/22 11/06/22=deleted WSX Erie, PA 03/21/22 01/26/23=deleted WSY Birmingham, AL 03/29/22 >08/--/25=WAPI-1070 WTG Manhattan, KS 04/06/22 12/19/25=d (repl. by KKSU-580) WTK Paris, TX 03/29/22 11/20/22=deleted WTL Chicago, IL 06/18/24 09/17/24=deleted WTP Bay City, MI 03/30/22 07/20/23=deleted WWB Canton, OH 03/27/22 11/19/23=deleted WWI Dearborn, MI 03/25/22 04/24/26=deleted WWJ Detroit, MI *03/03/22 WWJ-950 (x-WBL) WWL New Orleans, LA 03/30/22 WWL-870 WWT Buffalo, NY 03/25/22 10/02/22=deleted WWZ New York, NY 03/24/22 11/05/23=deleted TEMPORARY AND GOVERNMENT STATIONS In addition to the standard grants above, the Commerce Department made "temporary" broadcast grants, some of which received three-letter calls. These grants were not reported in the Radio Service Bulletin--the thirteen below are from Commerce Department files: KDU Yakima, WA (Hillman Brothers) [sometime in the 1st half 1922] KDP Seattle, WA (Saint James Cathedral) [February, 1922] KYG Portland, OR (Radio Service Bureau) [late 1922/early 1923?] WBI Marquette, MI (Northern State Normal School)[3/10/22-3/11/22] WCT Detroit, MI (Evening News Association) [10/3/22-10/12/22] WDS Richmond, VA (Mann S. Valentine) [Late March/early June1922?] WHO Kansas City, MO (Kansas City Post) [2/23/22-2/24/22] WMX Port Huron, MI (Port Huron Times Herald) [3/23/22 & 3/27/23] WPU Buffalo, NY (Buffalo Courier & Enquirer) [late January,1922?] WSH New York, NY (Experimenter Information Service) [4 days,3/22] WTA Uhrichsville, OH (Board of Trade) [3/27/22] WTB Evansville, IN (Sieffert Electric Company) [3/16/22] WWS Pella, IA (Fowler Telephone Company) [3/27/22] The U.S. government occasionally operated stations in the AM band, some with three letter calls. Unfortunately, there is not enough information to attempt a complete list. The most prominent was the Navy's NAA, in Arlington, VA from September, 1925 to June 1, 1933. ================================================================= Date: 06-16-94 (03:32) Number: 599 of 606 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: TRANSVOX@TYRELL.NET Subj: Re: Three-Letter FM Calls in Portland, Oregon Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: REC.RAD.BROAD (1013) Read Type: GENERAL (+) ----------------------------------------------------------------- ------- : KXL holds the distinction of being the only AM to share it's THREE letter call with it's FM (95.5). If you mean in the United States, that's not quite the case. KSD (550) and KSD-FM (93.7) in St. Louis have the same calls; they didn't until Gannett sold the combo to EZ Communications earlier this year. The AM call letters during most of the time Gannett owned the stations were KUSA. The KSD call letters, of course, originated from the AM station. KWK (1380) and KWK-FM (106.5) were around for a while in the mid-1980s in St. Louis; these are now WKBQ (simulcasting 104.1) on the AM and WKKX on the FM. WKBQ and WKKX swapped frequencies January 1 as part of the Zimmer Broadcasting duopoly. And then there's WIL-FM (92.3), currently represented only on FM; the AM (1430) call letters are now WRTH. ================================================================= Date: 06-16-94 (03:32) Number: 602 of 606 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: BRIANG@COHO.HALCYON.COM Subj: Re: Three-Letter FM Calls in Portland, Oregon Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: REC.RAD.BROAD (1013) Read Type: GENERAL (+) ----------------------------------------------------------------- There is now a KJR-FM in Seattle. The former KLTX and sister of KJR-AM. They are undergoing an owner and format change, details to follow. ================================================================= Date: 06-16-94 (08:13) Number: 610 of 622 (Refer# NONE) To: ALL From: DK@CRL.COM Subj: Re: Three-Letter FM Calls in Portland, Oregon Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE Conf: REC.RAD.BROAD (1013) Read Type: GENERAL (+) ----------------------------------------------------------------- ---- PDXAndy (pdxandy@aol.com) wrote: : KXL holds the distinction of being the only AM to share it's THREE letter call with it's FM (95.5). I think Barry meant a situation where a 3-letter call was being used by an FM. KXL-FM is a 5-letter call. Until recently there was one in SF, KYA (FM), which continued the oldies format once used by KYA (AM). : Regrettbly, Portland's oldest AM call, KGW (620) is no more. If you ever run into Rick Miller (ex KGW) tell him Roger Stark/David Kaye says hi. dk@crl.com