Radio-TV Broadcast History
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Experimental calls[]

These calls used a system similar to amateur radio calls, but generally with an "X" as the first letter after the geographic-area number. Experimental calls issued in the very early days of broadcasting, not containing a K/W prefix, are listed separately in this location.

Only those experimental-station calls are listed here that were replaced by normal broadcast station calls as the station went commercial.

Frequency-based FM calls[]

The call-letter plan adopted for FM stations in 1941 was intended to be systematic: first a K or W, then two digits representing the frequency, then one or two letters representing the location. Frequencies at the time were in the range of 43 to 49 MHz, and the two-digit frequency code was obtained by dropping the "4" and the decimal point; thus K45LA was on 44.5 MHz in Los Angeles.

K45LA | K47SL | K49KC |

FM translator calls[]

FM stations, rebroadcasting local AM stations in areas where reception is poor, known as FM translator stations, have a new type of call sign, resembling the frequency-based call signs of the 1940s. The call consists of a K or W, a three-digit numeral which starts with 201 for 88.1 MHz and goes up to 300 for 107.9 MHz, and two more letters:

K201AA-K300ZZ

See also[]

3- and 4-letter K calls[]

KA | KB | KC | KD | KE | KF | KG | KH | KI | KJ | KK | KL | KM | KN | KO | KP | KQ | KR | KS | KT | KU | KV | KW | KX | KY | KZ

3- and 4-letter W calls[]

WA | WB | WC | WD | WE | WF | WG | WH | WI | WJ | WK | WL | WM | WN | WO | WP | WQ | WR | WS | WT | WU | WV | WW | WX | WY | WZ

Miscellaneous calls[]

W | Other

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