I am curious if station sign-on and sign-off announcements are required by
the FCC ?
I ask this, because I have noticed several daytime only stations recently
that do not make any type of announcement at sign-off
They just kill the carrier afer the last commercial. And they begin the
next broadcast day with programming, sometimes not even a legal ID.

Just curious about this.


George Thurman

In article ,
George S. Thurman wrote:
I am curious if station sign-on and sign-off announcements are required by
the FCC ?

Yes. 47 CFR 73.1201(a)(1).

-GAWollman

--
Garrett A. Wollman | As the Constitution endures, persons in every
| generation can invoke its principles in their own
Opinions not those of| search for greater freedom.
MIT, LCS, CRS, or NSA| - A. Kennedy, Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. ___ (2003)

"George S. Thurman" wrote in message
...
I am curious if station sign-on and sign-off announcements are required by
the FCC ?
I ask this, because I have noticed several daytime only stations recently
that do not make any type of announcement at sign-off
They just kill the carrier afer the last commercial. And they begin the
next broadcast day with programming, sometimes not even a legal ID.

Just curious about this.


George Thurman

the rules:

PART 73_RADIO BROADCAST SERVICES--Table of Contents

Subpart H_Rules Applicable to All Broadcast Stations

Sec. 73.1201 Station identification.

(a) When regularly required. Broadcast station identification
announcements shall be made:
(1) At the beginning and ending of each time of operation, and
(2) Hourly, as close to the hour as feasible, at a natural break in
program offerings. Television and Class A television broadcast stations
may make these announcements visually or aurally.




a lot of AMs are being automated. the transmitter controller is simply
programmed to shut down (and turn on the next morning) independent of
programming.

what you are hearing may be a case of nighttime power/pattern change where
you are outside the night coverage area.

often the nighttime power of former daytime stations is only a few watts

there is no requirement to announce anything when switching patterns/power

what you are hearing may be a case of nighttime power/pattern change where
you are outside the night coverage area.

often the nighttime power of former daytime stations is only a few watts

there is no requirement to announce anything when switching patterns/power


Nope..it is a complete shout down. Local station here. I have noticed other
stations where I have lived have done ths.

GST

"George S. Thurman" wrote in message
...
I am curious if station sign-on and sign-off announcements are required by
the FCC ?
I ask this, because I have noticed several daytime only stations recently
that do not make any type of announcement at sign-off
They just kill the carrier afer the last commercial. And they begin the
next broadcast day with programming, sometimes not even a legal ID.

Just curious about this.

The rules, as I understood them when I cared (73.1202) was that the station ID was
to be aired at the beginning and end of transmission, as well as "as close to the
hour as possible in a natural break in programming." I think this is by
international treaty, not that it's observed by many North American stations. The
station address, contact information and national anthem, therefore, are entirely
optional, abeit customary, for most stations that actually sign off. And your
experience is typical.

This rule, or a variant thereof, also applies for auxiliary (Part 74) operations,
such as studio-transmitter links. There, the hourly ID for the main programming
serves to ID the auxiliary STL, but once programming ceases on the main programming,
the STL needs to be ID'ed every hour with its own calls if it remains on. And the
form for those, by the way, are quite explicit in their delivery. STL WAP-470 in
Thistown is, like the requirement for the main channel's calls, to be ID'ed
double-you-ay-pea-four-seven-zero thistown, not "WAP-four-seventy" or other cute
variants. Keep in mind, too, that the location is the political entity of the
station's STL transmitter, so that a station licensed to Thattownoverthere with
studios in Thistown would ID the STL as I've described. For Remote Pickup links, the
facility is to be ID'ed in exactly the same manner.
--
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The rules, as I understood them when I cared (73.1202) was that the station
ID was
to be aired at the beginning and end of transmission,

I worked with a guy who swore an old boss of his once discovered his competitor
would sell anything, absolutely anything with no regard to its content. He
declared the boss paid for, and GOT "sponsorship" of the enemy station's
signoff message.

On the order of: "Wxxx now ceases its broadcast day. This message brought to
you by Wyyy which is on the air 24 hours if you tune over to AM 000..."

I only repeat what I'm told

Stella (make up airnames?) Starr

I am curious if station sign-on and sign-off announcements are required by the
FCC ?

A legal ID is required at the beginning and the end of "each period of
operation." (See 47 CFR §73.1201.) Otherwise, no announcement (such as the
old statement of ownership) is required.