Talk:Radio in the United States

Work of the US government
This seems to be modified from a work of the US government. Since the original work was created by the US government it was in the public domain, so we can use it under the GFDL in wikipedia. Thue | talk 19:57, 12 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Why 4-letter names?
If someone could add some information about why all US radio stations seem to have 4-letter names beginning with either K or W that might be quite useful. --Lost tourist 09:19, 31 October 2006 (UTC)
 * I also went to this article to get an answer to the same question. JMcC 11:07, 8 November 2006 (UTC)


 * Try North American call sign. Pepso 15:29, 8 November 2006 (UTC)


 * As far as I can see there is no reason given in the call sign article as to why the radio stations are compelled to use these 4-letter names. It cannot just be just the tradition in a place like the USA. Presumably there is a law preventing a station calling itself anything it wanted, eg Jazz-FM, Capital Gold or Radio London, as they can in most other countries. JMcC 18:47, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Four and a half years later this question still has not been addressed. I am copying in information from call sign. This is by no means ideal, but it at least gives those who are more expert in the field a basis for adding useful information. Scolaire (talk) 20:23, 22 June 2011 (UTC)


 * Here is a very instructive and definitive website that will answer all of your naming questions, including a map of 'K' for western stations, 'W' for eastern stations, and 'K' or 'W' for middle-America stations, and a list of current three-letter stations, such as KSL in Salt Lake City, Utah.
 * http://earlyradiohistory.us/3myst.htm Hope This Helps [HTH], Charles Edwin Shipp (talk) 10:48, 15 July 2011 (UTC)
 * Here's a quote: "Three-letter Calls After 1922: All broadcast station activity in three-letter calls did not cease following the 1922 switchover to four-letter calls, as about half of today's holders of three-letter calls trace their first assignment to later than 1922." . . . HTH, Charles Edwin Shipp (talk) 10:48, 15 July 2011 (UTC)
 * It seems to me that the answer to the original question, "Why?" is simple—"Less than than three is too short; more than four is too long; it is good to have 'K' or 'W' and some vowels; and for a standard, three is only for very historical stations, and four letters makes for a good standard for newer stations." Charles Edwin Shipp (talk) 10:54, 15 July 2011 (UTC)


 * Thanks for that. Would you care to add that info to the article? Don't be afraid to completely re-write my edit, it was only a copy-and-paste anyway. Scolaire (talk) 11:01, 15 July 2011 (UTC)
 * Your comment was good. I, too, am not an expert nor avid fan, but will add the valuable ref. Charles Edwin Shipp (talk)
 * Here is an interesting Wikipedia page/article: 1922_in_radio on call-letter standards. Charles Edwin Shipp (talk) 23:12, 15 July 2011 (UTC)

Another interesting article in the ever-surprising-and-astounding Wikipedia, so great http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_radio_stations_in_Washington,_D.C. shows that WOL is the only station there having three letters. Charles Edwin Shipp (talk) 22:17, 16 July 2011 (UTC)

Lede is inaccurate and incoherent
The article's lede gives a brief mention of commercial radio, and then veers off into a not very accurate overview of public radio. (For example, it defines public radio as government subsidized when this is also true of community radio.) Then up pops short-wave radio, followed at last by history of U.S. radio that at best is sketchy and pretty much made up. All in one paragraph! Fixing this shouldn't be that difficult, given the vast amount of fairly solid material that follows. Allreet (talk) 03:36, 4 December 2018 (UTC)


 * I take back last statement, the part about solid material. Lots of WP:OR here and much of it wrong. One sign this true is the dearth of citations. For sure, article merits an improve template. Allreet (talk) 03:48, 4 December 2018 (UTC)
 * leads do not need citations, and they typically jump from topic to topic in order to summarize the articvle. Most paragraphs are well supported by cites, usually to scholarly books and articles. Rjensen (talk) 04:13, 4 December 2018 (UTC)

A Commons file used on this page has been nominated for speedy deletion
The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page has been nominated for speedy deletion: You can see the reason for deletion at the file description page linked above. —Community Tech bot (talk) 20:36, 1 March 2019 (UTC)
 * 'Free Concerts' Radio Dealer poster (1922).jpg