"Bob Haberkost" wrote in message ...
Remember that the only "legal" requirement is the calls and city of license. And, in
my (non-professional) opinion, a non-legal ID at the top of the hour, just before
programming, is bogus. The ID, though, needs to be as soon as practicable after
emissions start and end, as well as the aforementioned
as-near-to-the-hour-as-possible (TV having the additional option that they can ID
either or both the video or audio). But don't forget that the FCC really is pretty
slack with this rule, where the legal ID on more than a few alt-rock stations is
buried in the :50 6-minute commercial break, and then come the top of the hour
(which, to me, is still a reasonable break in programming) you'll hear something like
"Dumbbutts96 - your Rockin' Jockin' Joint for the Tri-State Area! (A Clear Channel
Station)".

It's not just modern rockers--burying the legal in the :50 stop set is
common in *every* music format (it seems that talk radio still
believes in call letters over image name). Either that or whispering
what they don't really want you to hear like this example: "LITE ROCK
97! [whisper] WXXX Morton Grove [end whisper] CHICAGO'S HOME FOR
CONTINUOUS LITE FAVORITES WITHOUT THE RAP OR HARD ROCK OR SLEEPY
ELEVATOR MUSIC!" All, of course, with the overproduced whooshes and
lazer zips in the background.

Just think--all you needed in the old days was a tymp roll, Bill Drake
saying "And now, ladies and gentlemen, the Real Don Steele--on Boss
Radio!" and the Johnny Mann Singers singing "93 KHJ--Los Angeles!"
And all of that at the top of the hour. Guess times have changed.