[CW] W and K Calls in USA

[D.J.J. Ring, Jr.]

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Have you ever wondered why the call letters of the coast stations in the
USA start from ‘’K’’ in the west coast and ‘’W’’ in the east coast ?

Below is the answer :
The Why (and Where) of U.S. Radio's K and W Call Signs
West of the Mississippi, all radio stations have call signs beginning with
K. East of the river, all call signs start with W.
The origin of the division goes back just over a century. In 1912, the U.S.
federal government started licensing terrestrial radio stations, assigning
the call letters W and K to stations in the east, respectively the west of
the country. Those letters were the result of international agreements
hammered out at International Radiotelegraphic Conferences at the beginning
of the 20th century.
Appendix 42 to the Radio Regulations of the International
Telecommunications Union (ITU) still lists all international call signs, as
assigned at the 1912 London conference. For instance:

The U.S. has four: not just K and W (KAA to KZZ and WAA to WZZ, to be
precise) but also half of A (AAA to ALZ) and all of N (NAA to NZZ).

It seems that the letters A and N apply only to military radio stations (A
to Army and Air Force, N to Navy and Coast Guard) - and that they are the
basis of the otherwise seemingly random choice for K and W. The Morse Code
for A is dot-dash (.-) and for N is dash-dot (-.). Add a dash to each, and
you get W (dot-dash-dash, or .--) and K (dash-dot-dash, or -.-).
Incidentally, radio call signs are reversed out on the ocean. Ship radios
on America's Pacific coast start with W, and with K on the Atlantic side .
It's unclear whether this practise, which precedes call signs for
terrestrial radio, is the reverse by intention (i.e. to facilitate the
distinction between radio stations on land and at sea) or, as some sources
state, the result of miscommunication. In the latter scenario, the aim was
to extend W call signs to radio stations on land in the west of the
country, and K to terrestrial stations in the east - but the instructions
got scrambled somewhere between the draft of the order and its
implementation.
Quite early, the border between K Country and W Land had to be fixed
geographically. But that dividing line lay further to the west than it does
now: it followed the border between New Mexico in the west with Texas and
Oklahoma in the east, then north along Colorado's eastern border with
Kansas and Nebraska, Wyoming's eastern limits with Nebraska and South
Dakota and finally Montana's with the Dakotas.
This was possibly done to continue distinguishing between ship radios in
the Gulf of Mexico (which started with K) and land radios in Texas (which
started with W when it was an 'eastern' radio state). A decade into the
first federal regulation of station call signs, the K/W line was moved to
the Mississippi, turning Texas and 10 other 'eastern' (W) states into
'western' (K) ones .
After January 1923, new radio stations in the switchover states would be
assigned a K call initial rather than a W one. But a grandfather clause
provided that those radio stations in those states which already had a W
call sign could keep it. This explains some of the anomalous call signs
still in existence today, if not quite all of them. There are currently 27
exceptions to the general K/W divide - 9 Ks in W Country, and 18 Ws in K
Land. This map shows them all, and colour-codes them into seven categories:
1. Blue: Remnants of the situation before January 1923 in the switchover
zone. A grandfather clause allowed the circa 170 existing radio stations in
the switchover zone to keep their pre-1923 W call sign. A total of 11 call
sign 'fossils' remain: WBAP, WDAY, WEW, WHB, WJAG, WKY, WNAX, WOAI, WOC,
WOI, WTAW. However, all newer stations were assigned K call signs.
2. Purple: Anomalous assignment, in 1920-'21, of KD call sign to stations
across the country - both east and west of the Mississippi. Only remaining
station: KDKA in Pittsburgh, PA.
3. Gray: Formerly 'portable' stations that got their call sign in one zone
before taking root in the other one. Three extant examples, all having
moved from W Country into K Land: WBBZ, WIBW, WMBH.
4. Dark Green: Regular radio stations that originated on the western (K)
bank of the Mississippi before moving over to the eastern (W) bank: KOTC,
KSGM.
5. Red: Exceptional grant of a request to deviate from the general rule.
Two Ks in W Land (KFNS, KWAM) and four Ws in K Country (WDBQ, WHO, WMT,
WSUI).
6. Light Green: government assigned call - KTGG (because someone mistook
Michigan for Missouri).
7. Black: reason unknown - KFIZ, KQV, KYW.
August 20 2020 is the 100th anniversary of radio broadcasting. In the Radio
Service Bulletins issued by the Commerce Department (preceded the FRC and
FCC)
By some accounts, today is the 100th anniversary of radio: 8MK (today WWJ)
in Detroit went on the air on the 20th of August 1920, and ten days later,
the station broadcast Michigan election returns. Thanks, WWJ-- still on the
air. WWJ was the station of Detroit News, it was authorized 360 and 485,
Commerce Dept. issued permits for 360 meters to transmit concerts, but
being authorized doesn't mean it was done as we both know. I can find an
entry in Radio Service Bulletin #62 of June 1921 listing WWJ as being
authorized vacuum tube radio telephony.
Detroit, Mich. (WWJ) . - Range, 200 ; system , Western Electric Co. ( v. t.
telephone).
Department of Commerce, Radio Service Bulletin #62, June 1922, page 8,
Department of Commerce, Radio Service Bulletin #63 lists many stations,
including WOI Iowa State (but no times are given), Atlanta Journal, WSB,
University of Texas, WCM, Austin, TX, Clark University, WCN, Worcester, MA,
Bridgeport, Pa., WBAG, Buffalo , NY, WGR, Charlotte , NC, WBT,, Chicago,
IL, KYW, (phone and Morse), Cincinnati, Ohio, (THREE STATIONS!) "Cino
Radiio: WIZ, Crosley Radio,, WLᎳ, and Precision Equipment, WMÁ, Dayton ,
Ohio, Rike - Kumler Company, WFO, and the WWJ Detroit News station listed
above, there's more but I'm tired of typing.
This does one thing for me, it EXPLAINS the three letter call signs of the
early radio stations like WOI, WBT, KYW (which was transferred to
Philadelphia, PA by Group-W (Westinghouse), WBZ Westinghouse, Springield,
MA (transferred to Millis, MA then to Hull (Boston), MA. They were issued
three letter call signs because they were also authorized WT provisions, I
spoke to Art Goodnow, W1DM just before he passed away, we was one of the
operators at WBZ point to point radiotelegraphy in Hull, MA.
I have lots of work to do because the scans are a mess, I'm bookmarking
them and rearranging and deleting duplicate pages.
I also see an entry in Radio Service Bulletin #66, October 1922 that WWJ
was authorized 400 (750 kHz) and 485 meters (1617 kHz.)
The first mention of WBZ as a broadcast station is in RSB #54, October 1,
1921, It assigns WBZ Westinghouse, Springfield, MA to 360m and "variable"
with unscheduled (X) times.
Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co. was authorized East Pittsburgh,
PA, KDKA, Chicago, IL, 360, 485 meters, KYW, Newark, NJ,, WJZ, and WBZ,
Springfield, MA. Interestingly, John Wanamaker Department Stores was issued
WOO for Philadelphia, and WWZ for New York - both on 360m which was
Commerce Dept's authorization for radiotelephone. Wanamaker also had WHE
Philadelphia on 1650 m, but it was restricted to communications only with
Wanamaker's NYC station WHI, Wanamaker NYC was authorized 300m, 600m and
1700m. This was the station that R/O David Sarnoff was to have copied the
SOS from MGY, TITANIC in 1912.
Fascinating history.
US Army in Nome, Alaska mentions their authorized frequencies: Nome,
Alaska. - Loc. 0 . 165° 23 ' 33'' , N . 61° 30' 20" W. ; system , U . S .
Army, arc and v . t. telephone, and telegraph ; w . l., 480, 540, 600,
1400, 1950 , 2600, 3300, 4300, 6000 ; rates, ship service, 6 c . per word .
So in the early days, 600m was a distress and calling frequency, as was
300m which is 1,000 kHz - right in the middle of today's AM broadcast band.
That's why AM broadcast stations had to employ a radiotelegraph operator to
monitor 300 and 600 meters and they had to shut down in case of SOS. Some
radio checks are aaround from stations stating they are shutting down
because of SOS.
August 20 2020 is the 100th anniversary of radio broadcasting. In the Radio
Service Bulletins issued by the Commerce Department (preceded the FRC and
FCC)
By some accounts, today is the 100th anniversary of radio: 8MK (today WWJ)
in Detroit went on the air on the 20th of August 1920, and ten days later,
the station broadcast Michigan election returns. Thanks, WWJ-- still on the
air. WWJ was the station of Detroit News, it was authorized 360 and 485,
Commerce Dept. issued permits for 360 meters to transmit concerts, but
being authorized doesn't mean it was done as we both know. I can find an
entry in Radio Service Bulletin #62 of June 1921 listing WWJ as being
authorized vacuum tube radio telephony.
Detroit, Mich. (WWJ) . - Range, 200 ; system , Western Electric Co. ( v. t.
telephone).
Department of Commerce, Radio Service Bulletin #62, June 1922, page 8,
Department of Commerce, Radio Service Bulletin #63 lists many stations,
including WOI Iowa State (but no times are given), Atlanta Journal, WSB,
University of Texas, WCM, Austin, TX, Clark University, WCN, Worcester, MA,
Bridgeport, Pa., WBAG, Buffalo , NY, WGR, Charlotte , NC, WBT,, Chicago,
IL, KYW, (phone and Morse), Cincinnati, Ohio, (THREE STATIONS!) "Cino
Radiio: WIZ, Crosley Radio,, WLᎳ, and Precision Equipment, WMÁ, Dayton ,
Ohio, Rike - Kumler Company, WFO, and the WWJ Detroit News station listed
above, there's more but I'm tired of typing.
This does one thing for me, it EXPLAINS the three letter call signs of the
early radio stations like WOI, WBT, KYW (which was transferred to
Philadelphia, PA by Group-W (Westinghouse), WBZ Westinghouse, Springield,
MA (transferred to Millis, MA then to Hull (Boston), MA. They were issued
three letter call signs because they were also authorized WT provisions, I
spoke to Art Goodnow, W1DM just before he passed away, we was one of the
operators at WBZ point to point radiotelegraphy in Hull, MA.
I have lots of work to do because the scans are a mess, I'm bookmarking
them and rearranging and deleting duplicate pages.
I also see an entry in Radio Service Bulletin #66, October 1922 that WWJ
was authorized 400 (750 kHz) and 485 meters (1617 kHz.)
The first mention of WBZ as a broadcast station is in RSB #54, October 1,
1921, It assigns WBZ Westinghouse, Springfield, MA to 360m and "variable"
with unscheduled (X) times.
Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co. was authorized East Pittsburgh,
PA, KDKA, Chicago, IL, 360, 485 meters, KYW, Newark, NJ,, WJZ, and WBZ,
Springfield, MA. Interestingly, John Wanamaker Department Stores was issued
WOO for Philadelphia, and WWZ for New York - both on 360m which was
Commerce Dept's authorization for radiotelephone. Wanamaker also had WHE
Philadelphia on 1650 m, but it was restricted to communications only with
Wanamaker's NYC station WHI, Wanamaker NYC was authorized 300m, 600m and
1700m. This was the station that R/O David Sarnoff was to have copied the
SOS from MGY, TITANIC in 1912.
Fascinating history.
US Army in Nome, Alaska mentions their authorized frequencies: Nome,
Alaska. - Loc. 0 . 165° 23 ' 33'' , N . 61° 30' 20" W. ; system , U . S .
Army, arc and v . t. telephone, and telegraph ; w . l., 480, 540, 600,
1400, 1950 , 2600, 3300, 4300, 6000 ; rates, ship service, 6 c . per word .
So in the early days, 600m was a distress and calling frequency, as was
300m which is 1,000 kHz - right in the middle of today's AM broadcast band.
That's why AM broadcast stations had to employ a radiotelegraph operator to
monitor 300 and 600 meters and they had to shut down in case of SOS. Some
radio checks are aaround from stations stating they are shutting down
because of SOS.


The early Department of Commerce Radio Service Bulletins have tons of
information. https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/radio-service-bulletins Call
signs like 8ZZ 1YA and others weren't 'amateur radio stations'. they were
"Special Land Stations" - stations like 1ZE Irv Vermilya and W2ZI actually
held calls which were "Amateur Special" because they both held commercial
licenses, they were authorized to use those call signs on both amateur and
on the commercial frequencies (600 meters). See http://pj7uq.com/

73
DR
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