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Call signs in Asia are rarely used to identify broadcast stations. In most Asian countries, broadcast stations use other forms of identification. Few countries west of thePacific Ocean, namely Japan, South Korea, Indonesia (radio only), the Philippines and Taiwan are exceptions to this rule.Amateur radio stations inIndia,Pakistan,Korea andJapan are allocated call-signs.

TheWireless and Planning and Coordination Wing (WPC), a division of theMinistry of Communications and Information Technology, regulates amateur radio in India. Amateur radio call-signs of Pakistan are issued by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). The PARS operates aQSL bureau for those amateur radio operators in regular contact with amateur radio operators in other countries, and supports amateur radio operating awards and radio contests. The Pakistan Amateur Radio Society represents the interest of Pakistan amateur radio operators before national and international regulatory authorities. PARS is the national member society representing Pakistan in theInternational Amateur Radio Union.

InJapan, it is regulated by theMinistry of Internal Affairs and Communications with theJapan Amateur Radio League acting as a national amateur radio organization.^[1]

InSouth Korea call signs are regulated by theKorea Communications Commission in theMinistry of Information and Communication.^[2]

TheInternational Telecommunication Union has assigned China the call sign prefixes B, VR, XS, XX and 3H-3U. Only prefixes B, VR and XX are currently under active use, with all other prefixes under reserves. Domestic commercial broadcasting stations in no part of China uses alphanumeric call signs. The following call sign allocation applies only to amateur radio.

Mainland China uses call sign prefixes BA-BL, BR-BT, BY and BZ for routine operation, and singular B for temporary event stations. The second character for a routine operation call sign indicates the type of the station. Call signs in mainland China are now lifetime assignments, for as long as the station license is valid. It also no longer distinguish individual-owned and institution-owned stations, and no longer reflect the operator's license class. Existing call signs at the time of the rule change are grandfathered.

The separating numeral indicates the call area. It along with the first letter afterwards indicates the geographic location the station is registered in.

Hong Kong uses VR as its amateur radio call sign prefix. Currently only the separating numeral 2 is in use, thus all Hong Kong amateur radio stations begin with VR2.^[3] In the period of 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023, in celebration of the25 years of the establishment of the SAR,OFCA temporarily allows operators to use VR25 as the prefix,^[4] in addition to the usual VR2.

Macau uses XX as its amateur radio call sign prefix. Currently only the separating numeral 9 is in use, thus all Macau amateur radio stations begin with XX9.

Radio call sign prefixes used in Indonesia:

• JZ forCB radio
• PM forradio stations in general. PM prefix is always followed by number determined by province, letter "B" usually for AM and "F" usually for FM ("C" in parts of Sumatra, "D" in parts of Kalimantan), and two unique characters. These call signs are always in 6 characters. For example, PM2FGD refers to 96.7 Hitz FM, a defunct station inJakarta province.^[5] Almost all radio stations in Jakarta shows call sign inTuneIn streaming website. For example, all-news radio Elshinta 90.0 has call sign PM2FGZ.^[6]

Private-owned radio station call signs by region are different with amateur radio call letters. The division is based on province area before 1998, so no call prefix are assigned for newer provinces. For example,Banten has the same call number and initial letter withWest Java (an em dash "—" is used to indicate provinces that were split after 1998).

^[7][8]

• YB-YH forAmateur radio
  • YB & YE for Extra Class
  • YC & YF for Advanced Class
  • YD & YG for General Class

Call signs suffixes used in Indonesia:

• • AA - YZ
  • AAA - PZZ
  • RAA - YZZ
  • AAAA - YZZZ
  • AQA - AQZ (special license/foreigner operator)

Special License Callsigns suffixes :

• • A - Z
  • ZA - ZZ Province Organization included Scout; Redcross; SAR
  • ZAA - ZZZ Regency (Local) Organization included Club Station; Scout; Redcross; SAR
  • ZAAA - ZZZZ

Television call signs are practically unknown in the country, since virtually all TV stations identify themselves with their own brands (e.g.TVRI). Many radio call signs too, are also unknown, due to the previous same reason.

The Japanese station prefix for radio and television stations is JO followed by its own unique two letters; the last letter in the latter part of the callsign identifies the ownership of the station, for example the letterX indicates that it is a commercial TV station such as JOEX-TV forTV Asahi and JOCX-TV forFuji TV while the letterR indicates that it is a commercial AM radio station such as JOKR forTBS Radio.

FM radio and TV stations have the-FM (FM radio),-TV (analog television),-DTV (digital television),-TAM (audio multiplex),-TCM (analog TV teletext multiplex),-TDM (analog TV data multiplex) and-FCM (FM radio data multiplex) suffixes after their callsigns, similar to the North American practice, except for AM radio stations.

At the greatest extent of the empire during theSecond World War, another second letter was used for the empires other possessions besides theHome Islands.

• "B" forKorea
• "F" forTaiwan
• "Q" forManchukuo andKwantung (Kantō)

TheInternational Telecommunication Union has assigned Pakistan the callsigns APA through to ASZ. It has divided all countries into three regions; Pakistan is located in ITU Region 3. These regions are further divided into two competing zones, the ITU and the CQ.

ThePakistan Amateur Radio Society (PARS), a national non-profit organization foramateur radio enthusiasts, does not assigns call signs but call signs are assigned by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). The PARS operates a QSL bureau for amateur radio operators in contact with amateur radio operators in other countries, and supports amateur radio operating awards and radio contests. The Pakistan Amateur Radio Society represents the interest of Pakistan amateur radio operators before national and international regulatory authorities. PARS is the national member society representing Pakistan in theInternational Amateur Radio Union.

TheNational Telecommunications Commission assigns the following call sign prefixes to Philippine broadcasting stations (television and radio) depending on the location of their license:

• DZ &DW forLuzon, includingPalawan
• DY for theVisayas, includingPalawan andMasbate; and
• DX forMindanao

For Luzon stations, DZ is mostly assigned to licensees on the AM band, while DW is mostly the prefix on the FM band with the exemption to the rule being done in the event of a callsign suffix being already taken.

Other call sign prefixes assigned to the Philippines for television and radio stations areDU, andDV, however, these have not yet been utilized as of 2025.

Philippine radio and TV stations adapted the four-letter call sign system originally introduced when the Philippines was still a colony of theUnited States. Prior to independence, Philippine radio stations used call signs beginning with the letterK, as is the standard for American stations west of theMississippi River, more specifically theKZ block. This was superseded in 1949 by the reassignment of theDU toDZ block by virtue of the ITU Radio Congress inAtlantic City, New Jersey.

Onamateur radio, the standard format used for Philippine callsigns is2 ×3 – where2 stands for the prefix letters (4D to4I orDU toDZ), and3 stands for the suffix letters, both of which are assigned and regulated by the National Telecommunications Commission. A suffix can have the maximum of three characters, and a minimum of one (mostly for club stations and Extra Class licensees).

For example:
DX1PAR(the callsign of thePhilippine Amateur Radio Association headquarters)
DX stands for the prefix,1 refers to the amateur radio district or region, andPAR is the suffix.

The NTC assigns prefixes depending on the privileges of the amateur licensee with the same function being done for special event callsigns:

Individual licensee classes and prefixes:

• Class A (Extra Class) –DU,4F and4E
• Class B (General Class) –DV and4I
• Class C (Technician Class) –DW and4G
• Class D (Foundation Class) –DY and4H

Stations run by amateur radio clubs and special event callsigns are assigned the prefixesDX andDZ

The Philippines is divided into nine separate amateur radio districts. The numbers 1 to 9 on the licensee's callsign indicate the location of issuance:

• 1 –National Capital Region (Metro Manila),CALABARZON, andMIMAROPA
• 2 –Ilocos Region,Cordillera Administrative Region, andCagayan Valley
• 3 –Central Luzon
• 4 –Bicol Region
• 5 –Eastern Visayas
• 6 –Western Visayas
• 7 –Central Visayas
• 8 –Zamboanga Peninsula andSOCCSKSARGEN
• 9 – Rest of Mindanao (Northern Mindanao,Caraga,Davao Region, andBARMM)

A special event station may also be issued a district number different from those listed above (e.g. 100).

Taiwan uses prefixes BM-BQ and BU-BX. It too uses the separating numeral to represent the geographic location of the station.

The licensing class and type of the station is represented using the call sign's structure and prefix:

Event stations do not have to adhere to the structure and location rules.

• Call signs
• Communications in Asia

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