W3VEX Fired

[N8GAV]

From what I've read, it sounds like the FCC may, on request, grant a station a K or W call even if they're on the "wrong" side of the dividing line.

And as hams, this should be something we're used to... out of district calls, anyone?

BTW, a bit of trivia for you...

KDKA is considered the world's "first" Broadcaster. (Specifically, Westinghouse was issued the first commercial license for a station that was intended to broadcast, that is to say, transmit one way transmissions intended for reception by the general public). But they were not the first to broadcast (as we know the term today, it didn't come into play until the mid 1920's)... and they're not the "oldest" broadcaster. KQV has roots in an experimental station (8ZAE) that predate KDKA's predecessor (Dr. Frank Conrad's 8XK) by several years -- possibly back to 1912, at least back to 1916.

I think the 1912 date is right for KQV or 8ZAE and it had something to do with commercial naigation of the three rivers Ron, or maybe that was WAMO, I foget now.

[W3WN]

I think the 1912 date is right for KQV or 8ZAE and it had something to do with commercial navigation of the three rivers Ron, or maybe that was WAMO, I forget now.

WAMO was named after the three rivers that converge at the Point in Pittsburgh: Allegheny, Monongahela, Ohio.

And allegedly, KQV stood for "King of Quaker Valley". Sure.

KDKA, of course, doesn't stand for anything. It was simply the next commercial license handed out... and in those days, that meant ship-to-shore type communication. It was just the next "maritime" call handed out in sequence. Story is that at some point in the 1930's, either the FCC or it's predecessor, the Federal Radio Commission, offered Westinghouse the WAA call, to indicate that KD was the "first" broadcaster. Westinghouse declined the offer.

Besides KQV, there are several other broadcasters that can date the start of the service prior to KDKA's official start. WWJ Detroit started broadcasting 2 months prior to KD (as WBL). The Univ of Wisconsin-Madison station, 9XM, was broadcasting music as early as 1919 or 1921, depending on the source... it morphed into WHA. The predecessor's of today's KCBS date back to 1909. All of these are amongst the surviving pioneers of Broadcasting.

That aside, though, KDKA was issued the first commercial license to Broadcast, and that is not in dispute.

[KG4NEL]

You have any ham gear with you? I guess I should get on the repeaters more, a 6 call would have stood out, lol.

[kb2vxa]

WQXR has quite a history, it started as experimental W2XR and the present callsign reflects it. WQXR AM operated on 1560 with a bandwidth of 20KHz from 1945 to 1992 broadcasting classical with barely enough peak limiting to keep the transmitter from over-modulating, the dynamics were fantastic. The callsign changed to WQEW when they became a Radio Disney affiliate. They used to have the original carbon mic in a display case, I wonder what happened to it.

WQXR-FM (105.9 MHz) is licensed to and serving the New York City metropolitan area. It is the most-listened-to classical music station in the United States, with an average quarter-hour audience of 63,000. On the air since 1939, the station is also one of the oldest continuously operating FM stations in the world. The transmitter is on Empire so they have one heck of a coverage area. An interesting note, studios are at 160 Varick Street in Manhattan not far from the FCC at 201. (;->)