A transmitter comprises indicator channel processing circuitry configured to process indicator channel codewords for transmission in a base station of a wireless system. The indicator channel processing circuitry performs a plurality of processing operations on the indicator channel codewords in a specified processing sequence, with the plurality of processing operations comprising at least modulation, scrambling, spreading and combining. In the specified processing sequence, the scrambling operation is performed for at least a given one of the indicator channel codewords prior to the modulation and spreading operations for that codeword or subsequent to the combining operation for that codeword. For example, the specified processing sequence may comprise the scrambling, modulation, spreading and combining operations performed in that order for at least the given codeword, or the modulation, spreading, combining and scrambling operations performed in that order for at least the given codeword.