Call signs no longer necessary

Press, 15 August 1978, Page 16

Call signs no longer necessary

Commercial and service radio stations no longer need to identify themselves by call-signs, according to a Post Office official in Christchurch. The chief radio inspector for the Christchurch district (Mr J. E. Brown) said that both internal and international regulations had been relaxed to allow stations such as Radio Avon to identify themselves as such without having to use the call-sign 3XA, or whatever. Mr Brown said that this permitted “service” stations such as the Lyttelton Harbour Board to identify themselves as “Lyttelton Harbour Radio” without using their former letter-and-number call-sign. The effect this will have on overseas listeners who occasionally hear New Zealand radio stations is

uncertain. Under certain ionospheric conditions Radio Avon. Radio Nova, radio Windy and others can be received overseas, the listener having no call-sign clue as to where they might be. The Post Office decision has no bearing on the regulations pertaining to amateur radio stations or Citizens Band (C. 8. stations which must continue to use call-sign prefixes enabling a listener to

work out their locations. The decision means that a station without a “common name” such as Radio Avon or Radio Windy, or such as 3YA. 3ZB. and others, can now adopt a name of its own choosing to identify itself.