Broadcast call signs

Broadcast call signsarecall signsassigned as unique identifiers toradio stationsandtelevision stations.While broadcast radio stations will oftenbrandthemselves with plain-text names, identities such as "coolFM","rock105 "or" the ABC network "are not globally unique. Another station in another city or country may (and often will) have a similar brand, and the name of a broadcast station for legal purposes is normally its internationally recognisedITUcall sign. Some common conventions are followed around the world.

Excluding those used in amateur radio, call signs are traditionally only used in theAmericasand few countries such as Australia, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan.

North America

Main article:Call signs in North America

Broadcast stations in North America generally use callsigns in the international series.

International shortwave

The US government-operated international broadcaster theVoice of Americano longer uses callsigns assigned to it; however,Radio Canada International's transmitter inSackville, New Brunswickwas assignedCKCX.Privately operatedshortwavestations, likeWWCRandCFRX,also have call signs.

Canada

In Canada, the publicly ownedCanadian Broadcasting CorporationusesCB;privately owned commercial broadcast stations use primarilyCFandCHthroughCKprefixes. Four stations licensed toSt. John'sby theDominion of Newfoundlandgovernment (VOWR,VOAR-FM,VOCM,andVOCM-FM) retain their originalVOcalls. TheCBprefix used by CBC stations actually belongs toChilerather than Canada, and is in use by the CBC through an international agreement.Low-powerbroadcast translatorstations begin withVFfor FM andCHfor TV, followed by four numerals assigned sequentially. Unlike the United States, all digital TV stations use the "-DT" suffix instead of keeping the "-TV" suffix.

Mexico

In Mexico,AM radiostations useXEcall signs (such asXEW-AM), while the majority ofFM radioand television stations useXH.Broadcast callsigns are normally four or five letters in length, plus the-FMor-TVsuffix where applicable, though several older stations have only three letters. The longest callsign is six letters, plus suffix:XHMORE-FM.All Mexican TV stations using digital TV signals use the "-TDT" suffix.

United States

Main article:Call signs in the United States

In the United States, the first letter generally isKfor stations west of theMississippi River(includingAlaska,America Samoa,Guam,Hawaii,andNorthern Mariana Islands) andWfor those east of the Mississippi River (includingPuerto Ricoand theU.S. Virgin Islands). Except for those with theirradio channelor physicalTV channelnumber in them, all new callsigns have been four letters (plus any suffix like -FM or -TV) for some decades, though there are historicalthree-letter callsignsstill in use today, such asKSLin Salt Lake City andWGNin Chicago.Co-owned stationswere also allowed to adopt their original short AM callsign likeWGN-TVandKSL-TV,even after new ones were prohibited.

There are a number of exceptions to the east/west rule, such asKDKAin Pittsburgh andWFAAin Dallas-Fort Worth, but these are historical artifactsgrandfatheredfrom arule changein the 1920s. Most of the exceptions are located in themedia marketsimmediately adjacent to the river, in the state ofLouisianain the metropolitan areas ofBaton Rougeandgreater New Orleans,and markets north ofthe river's sourcesuch asFargo-MoorheadandDuluth-Superior.

The westernmost station in the continental United States beginning with W isWOAIin San Antonio.WVUV-FMin Fagaitua,American Samoa,is the westernmost station with a W call sign.KYWin Philadelphia is currently the easternmost station with a K call sign.

Another exception to this is thatNISTtime-broadcasting stationshave a three- or four-letter callsign beginning withWWV.The three current government-operated time stations,WWV(and longwavesister stationWWVB), andWWVH,are located inFort Collins,Colorado andKekaha,Hawaii, respectively, both of which would normally use call signs beginning with "K". However, the rule dividing W and K only applies to stations governed by theFederal Communications Commission(FCC), whereasU.S. federal governmentstations are governed by theNTIA.This means that like NIST, the hundreds ofNOAA Weather Radiostations across the country have a random mix of W and K callsigns, as dotraveler information stationsoperated by theNational Park Service.

Central America

Costa Rica

Costa Rica usesTIcall signs. Examples:

• TI-TNS (channel 2)
• TI-IVS (channel 4)
• TI-TV6 (channel 6)
• TI-TCR (channel 7)
• TI-DE (channel 9)
• TI-BYK (channel 11)
• TI-SRN (channel 13)

El Salvador

El Salvador usesYS,YXandHUcall signs depending on geographical area. Examples:

• YSR-TV (channel 2)
• YSU-TV (channel 4)
• YSLA-TV (channel 6)
• YSWX-TV (channel 12)

Guatemala

Guatemala usesTGcall signs. Examples:

• TGV-TV (channel 3)
• TGVG-TV (channel 7)
• TGMO-TV (channel 11)
• TGSS-TV (channel 13)

Honduras

Honduras usesHRcall signs. Examples:

• HRTG-TV (channel 5)
• HRLP-TV (Telecadena)
• HRCV-TV (TSi)

Nicaragua

Nicaragua usesYNcall signs. Examples:

• YNTC: Channel 2
• YNTM: Channel 4
• YNSA: Channel 6
• YNLG: Channel 12

Caribbean

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic usesHIcallsigns. Examples:

• HIJB: Channel 2/11
• HISD: Channel 4
• HITM: Channel 5
• HIN: Channel 7
• HIMQ: Channel 9
• HIND: Channel 13

Oceania

Australia

See also:List of Australian television callsigns

In Australia, broadcast call signs are allocated by theAustralian Communications and Media Authorityand are unique for each broadcast station.

The international VL prefix assigned to radio broadcasters has been skipped for many years, thus VL5UV would only identify as 5UV,and now simplyRadio Adelaide.The digit often, but not always, indicates the state or territory, generally followed by two letters on AM and three on FM. Stations with call signs beginning in 2 are based inNew South Walesor theACT,3 inVictoria,4 inQueensland,5 inSouth Australia,6 inWestern Australia,7 inTasmania,and 8 in theNorthern Territory.

South America

In South America call signs have been a traditional way of identifying radio and TV stations. Some stations still broadcast their call signs a few times a day, but this practice is becoming very rare. Argentinian broadcast call signs consist of two or three letters followed by multiple numbers, the second and third letters indicating region.

Argentina

Argentina uses the prefixesLRthroughLW,followed by a number. The exact prefix depends on the region where they operate (for example: theLSprefix is used for radio and TV stations in theBuenos Aires city). Stations with theLRprefix may also have an additional letter.

Examples:

• LS82TV: Televisión Pública
• LS83TV: Channel 9
• LS84TV: Telefe
• LS85TV: Channel 13

Bolivia

Bolivia uses CP call signs. Examples:

• Bolivia TV: CP 3 TV
• Bolivisión: CP 42 TV
• Red Uno: CP 37 TV

Brazil

In Brazil, radio and TV stations are identified by a ZY, a third letter and three numbers.ZYA,ZYB,ZYR,andZYTare allocated to television stations;ZYI,ZYJ,ZYKandZYLdesignate AM stations;ZYGis used forshortwavestations;ZYC,ZYD,ZYMandZYUare given to FM stations.

Chile

Chilean AM radio stations use the letterC,followed by one of the letters:A,B,C,D.The usage of each of those depends on the latitude of the cities where they operate (for example: the letterBis used for stations in the central region of Chile). FM stations use theXQprefix, with the same A-E additional letters for AM stations. The resulting prefix is followed by a number which may not match their FM frequency. Television stations also have callsigns; however, they are mostly unknown, as they have never been shown on-air (instead, most Chilean TV stations identify themselves only with their names, similar to stations in Europe). TV call signs follow a similar pattern to those for FM stations, but begin with theXRprefix.

Examples:

• XQB-8: Radio Agricultura
• XQB-143: Radio Cooperativa
• XRB-94: Televisión Nacional de Chile

Colombia

In Colombia, the radio stations or television channels are identified by HJ and/or HK with two additional letters. Examples:

• HJRN: Channel 1
• HJJX: RCN
• HJCY: Caracol TV

Paraguay

Paraguay uses ZPV-(three digit number)-TV call signs. Example:

• SNT: ZPV 900 TV

Peru

Peru uses callsigns OA-OC callsigns. In each, it is followed by another letter, a dash and the number 4, followed by another letter. Example:

• OAY-4A: Panamericana Televisión

Uruguay

Uruguay uses CXB followed by a number as a callsign.

Venezuela

Venezuela usesYVcall signs. Examples:

• YVKS: Channel 2 RCTV (defunct)
• YVLV: Channel 4 Venevisión
• YVKA: Channel 5 TVN (defunct)

Asia

Further information:Call signs in Asia

Indonesia

InIndonesia,radio stations are assigned call signs beginning withPMfor AM and FM stations orYB-YHfor amateur radio stations. Calls beginning withPMare then followed by a number indicating theprovincewhere the station is in, the letters B, C, D and F (B for AM stations, C for some stations inKalimantan,D for some stations inSumatra,and F for FM stations), and two unique characters. Television stations in Indonesia never use call signs.

Japan

InJapan,television and radio stations use calls beginning withJO.

Philippines

In thePhilippines,stations may use callsigns in the following manner: callsigns beginning with DW and DZ represent all stations inMetro Manilaand parts ofLuzon.Calls beginning with DY represent all stations inVisayas,parts ofPalawanandMasbate;and callsigns beginning with DX represents all stations inMindanao.Originally from 1920 to 1940 callsigns beginning with KZ were assigned to all stations in the Philippines.

Taiwan

Taiwan uses BET followed by a number as a callsign. Examples:

• TTV: BET61
• CTS: BET31
• PTS: BET52 (Huoyan Mountain Transmitter Station)

Callbooks

Page from an FCC callbook, 1919

A directory of radio station call signs is called a callbook. Callbooks were originally bound books that resembled atelephone directoryand contains the name and addressees of licensed radio stations in a given jurisdiction (country). Modern Electrics published the first callbook in the United States in 1909.

Today, the primary purpose of a callbook is to allow amateur radio operators to send a confirmation post card, called aQSL card,to an operator with whom they have communicated via radio. Callbooks have evolved to include on-line databases that are accessible via the Internet to instantly obtain the address of another amateur radio operator and their QSL Managers. The most well known and used on-line QSL databases include QRZ.COM,IK3QAR,HamCall,F6CYV,DXInfo,OZ7Cand QSLInfo.

See also

• Amateur radio call signs
• Callbook
• ITU prefix
• Pseudonym
• Station identification

External links

• Industry Canada's List of Available Call Signs
• FCC's call-sign search tool