Don't Say CJOR!

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Don't Say CJOR!

Postby cart_machine » Tue Jan 15, 2008 10:46 pm

Around Your Radio Dial
By DICK DIESPECKER [Sat., Nov. 15, 1952]
On Monday, November 17, CJOR is going to depart from the normal procedure of calling itself Station 600. Dorwin Baird, giving me this information, informed me it would thus become the first radio station to follow the logical course of naming itself after its dial position. Said Baird, “All through the years we have had the double problem of reminding listeners of both our call letters and our spot on the dial. Most average listeners follow dial positions only, and indeed a lot of radio station advertising has been stressing this point. Now we come out and take full advantage of it by being Station 600 in all respects.” This, apparently, will extend to letterheads, bills and all other literature put out by the station.
It must be understood, of course, that the regulation call letters CJOR since they are a matter of government assignment, will have to be given on the air as the law demands but the management intends that they shall take second place to the name Station 600.
I think CJOR, or Station 600, to call it by its new name, is definitely on the right track. Most people do tune to the position of the dial and very few average radio listeners can sort out the call letters of various stations. What’s more, most of them really don’t care. They usually says [sic] “O, I always listen to that station at 600, or 1000, or 980 or at 1320.”
In fairness, it must be pointed out that Tiny Elphinke and CKWX have not been unmindful of this situation by a long way. They have for some considerable time been advertising themselves as 980, rather than as CKWX, though as far as I know they have never gone in for it extensively on the air. In this aspect of the matter, CJOR is taking the lead and it is a good one. I think that most radio listeners would like to see all radio stations identify themselves by their dial position rather than by their call letters.

Note: I think Dick means "and will call itself" rather than "of calling itself."

Transcribed by cArtie.
Gowns by Adrian.
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