Goto Section: 23.36 | 23.38 | Table of Contents

FCC 23.37
Revised as of
Goto Year:1996 | 1998
Sec. 23.37  Station identification.

    (a) General. Every radiotelegraph or radiotelephone station in the 
International Fixed Public or Fixed Public Press Service shall transmit, 
as provided below, the identifying call sign or other approved 
identification signal on each of its assigned frequencies below 30 MHz 
on which energy is being radiated.
    (b) When required. (1) The call sign assigned to each frequency 
shall be transmitted on that frequency at the beginning and end of each 
period of use of the frequency.
    (2) During regular operation on any freuency, the call sign or other 
approved identification signal shall be transmitted at least at hourly 
intervals within the period from 10 minutes before to 10 minutes after 
each hour. If identification during this period would require an 
interruption in the transmission of a radio-photo, a telephone 
conversation, an addressed program or a multiple addressed press 
message, or a break in the continuity of a ``conference'' or ``leased 
line'' type of service, the identifying signal shall be transmitted at 
the first break in, at the conclusion of, or simultaneously with, the 
particular transmission as described below.
    (c) Methods of transmission. (1) All identifying signals shall be 
transmitted in such a manner as to permit identification without special 
equipment other than communication type receivers, except as provided in 
paragraph (e) of this section. When emissions are being used which are 
not capable of identification without special equipment, the identifying 
signal shall be transmitted by one of the following methods:
    (i) By interrupting the transmission and transmitting the call sign 
in a manner which can be identified without special equipment.
    (ii) By superimposing the call sign or other approved identification 
signal on the emission being transmitted without interrupting the 
transmission as provided for by paragraphs (e) and (f) of this section.
    (d) Emissions to be used. (1) Except as otherwise provided, the 
following emissions shall be used for identification:
    (i) Radiotelegraph stations. The identifying call sign shall be 
transmitted by International Morse code at a speed not to exceed 25 
words per minute and shall consist of the signal ``QRA de'' followed by 
the call sign. This transmission shall be made at least three times.
    (ii) Radiotelegraph stations using telephone type emissions. When 
telephone type emissions are being used in accordance with Sec. 23.11, 
identification may be made by voice and shall consist of announcing 
three times in English the call sign of the frequency being used
    (iii) Radiotelephone stations. The identifying transmission may be 
made utilizing either telegraph or telephone type emissions. When 
telegraph emission is used, the transmission shall be made in 
International Morse Code at a speed not to exceed 25 words per minute 
and shall consist of the signal ``QRA de'' followed by the call sign. 
This transmission shall be made at least three times. When telephone 
emission is used, the identification shall consist of announcing three 
times

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in English the call sign of the frequency being used, provided that all 
privacy or secrecy devices shall be removed from the circuit during such 
transmissions.
    (e) Superimposed identification. Radiotelegraph or radiotelephone 
stations identifying simultaneously with transmission of traffic: call 
signs or the general identification signal described in paragraph (f) of 
this section may be superimposed on the emission being transmitted by 
any method which will make identification possible with communication 
type receivers provided that approval of any such method shall first 
have been obtained from the Federal Communications Commission. (Approval 
by the Federal Communications Commission of any means of identification 
of complex emissions by superimposing identification of regular 
transmissions will be given upon satisfactory completion of coordinated 
tests thereof by the applicant and the Commission's Field Engineering 
Bureau.) Commission approval may be withdrawn if at any subsequent time 
harmful interference to adjacent frequencies is caused by the 
superimposed identification. When superimposed identification by call 
sign is used, the identifying signal shall consist of ``QTT de (call 
sign)'' transmitted at least three times in International Morse Code at 
a speed not to exceed 25 words per minute.
    (f) General identification signal. When an approved method of 
superimposed identification is used, the identification signal shall 
consist of ``QTT de (abbreviated name of company recorded with the 
Commission) (abbreviated name of station recorded with the 
Commission).'' (It is suggested that ``abbreviated company name'' 
consist of two to five letters such as the initials of the company name 
and that ``abbreviated name of station'' consist of two or three letters 
indicating the name of the city where the licensee's message center is 
located. Both of these abbreviations shall be notified to the Commission 
before being used for identification.) This general identification 
signal shall be transmitted in International Morse Code at a speed not 
to exceed 25 words per minute and may be transmitted continuously or 
intermittently as desired provided that it shall be transmitted for at 
least five minutes total time during the period from 10 minutes before 
to 10 minutes after each hour that energy is being radiated on the 
frequency. The same signal may be superimposed on all transmissions 
being made at a particular station: Provided, however, That licensed 
call signs shall be transmitted on the frequencies to which they are 
assigned as often as is practicable and reasonable or at least at the 
beginning and end of each period of use of each frequency.
    (g) Identification by printer. Notwithstanding the other provisions 
of this section with respect to methods of transmission, when single 
channel start-stop 5 unit code printer equipment is being used, the 
identifying call sign may be transmitted by means of printer signals. 
When identification is made by printer signals, it shall consist of the 
call sign for the particular frequency being used and shall be made at 
least three times at a speed of approximately 60 words per minute.


Goto Section: 23.36 | 23.38

Goto Year: 1996 | 1998
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