WYLL
![]() | |
Broadcast area | Chicago Metropolitan Area |
---|---|
Frequency | 1160 kHz |
Branding | AM 1160 WYLL |
Programming | |
Format | Christian talk and teaching |
Ownership | |
Owner |
|
WIND | |
History | |
First air date | October 1924 |
Former call signs | WJJD (1924–1997)[1] WSCR (1997–2000)[1] WXRT (2000–2001)[1] |
Technical information[2] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
Facility ID | 28630 |
Class | B |
Power | 50,000 watts |
Transmitter coordinates | 42°2′31″N 87°51′58″W / 42.04194°N 87.86611°W (day antenna) 41°34′23″N 87°59′37″W / 41.57306°N 87.99361°W (night and aux. antenna) |
Links | |
Public license information | |
Webcast | Listen Live |
Website | 1160hope.com |
WYLL (1160 AM) is a commercial radio station in Chicago, Illinois. It originated as WJJD and broadcast some pioneering shows. It is owned by Salem Media Group and airs a Christian talk and teaching radio format. The studios and offices are located in Elk Grove Village. Its daytime transmitter and two-tower array are located off Ballard Road near Interstate 294 in Des Plaines.[3] The nighttime transmitter and six-tower array are off Deer Drive near Interstate 355 in Lockport. WYLL is powered with 50,000 watts, the maximum for commercial AM stations in the U.S. But it must use a directional antenna at all times to protect clear-channel station KSL in Salt Lake City, the dominant Class A station and several Class B stations on 1160 AM.
WYLL features programs from national religious leaders such as Dr. David Jeremiah, John MacArthur, Rick Warren, Chuck Swindoll and Jim Daly. Some shows are also hosted by Chicago-area pastors. Hosts pay for time on WYLL and may use their shows to appeal for donations to their ministries.
History
[edit]WJJD
[edit]On October 13, 1924, the station first signed on with the call sign WJJD.[4][5] The station was owned by the Loyal Order of Moose and was located in Mooseheart, Illinois.[4][6][7][8] It was powered at 500 watts and operated at 278 meters (1080 kHz).[4][6] In January 1925, its frequency was changed to 990 kHz and in December 1925 it was changed to 810 kHz.[4][9][10] By 1926, the station's power had been increased to 1,000 watts.[10]
In 1926, auxiliary studios were established in the Palmer House, from which a variety of musical programming was broadcast.[4][11][12][13] In 1927, the station's frequency was changed to 820 kHz, and the following year its frequency was changed to 1180 kHz and its power was increased to 20,000 watts.[7] In 1929, its frequency was changed to 1130 kHz.[7] For most of its history, WJJD was a daytimer, required to sign off at sunset in Salt Lake City, to protect clear-channel station, KSL.[7]
WJJD aired a variety of music, general entertainment, sports, and public interest programming in the 1920s,[4][11] 30s,[12][13][14] and 40s.[15][16]
In 1933, the station was sold to a firm headed by Ralph Atlass, and its studios were moved to the Trustees System Service Building in Chicago.[8][17][7] In 1936, the station's transmitter was moved to Des Plaines and in 1940 its studios were moved to the Carbide & Carbon Building.[7] Its frequency was changed to 1160 in 1941, as a result of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement.[7]
In the fall of 1937, the station was one of several Chicago radio stations to donate airtime to Chicago Public Schools for a pioneering program in which the school district provided elementary school students with distance education amid a polio outbreak-related school closure.[18]
Lew Fonseca and Charlie Grimm broadcast Chicago Cubs baseball games on WJJD during the 1939 and 1940 seasons.[19] WJJD won the exclusive rights to broadcast Cubs games locally in 1944, though 560 WIND won exclusive rights to broadcast the following season.[20] Ed Short was the station's director of sports publicity and promotion from 1946 until 1950, when he became the Chicago White Sox press and promotion director.[21][22]
In 1944, the station was sold to Field Enterprises for approximately $750,000.[23][24][25] In 1947, the station's power was increased to 50,000 watts, although it could only broadcast during the daytime.[7] In 1947, WJJD began airing Here Comes Tomorrow, which was the first radio serial with an all African-American cast.[26][27] Al Benson was a R&B disc jockey on WJJD in the late 1940s.[28]
In 1953, Plough Broadcasting purchased WJJD for $900,000.[29] Plough Broadcasting was a subsidiary of the large pharmaceutical company Schering-Plough. WJJD featured both pop[30][31][32][33] and country music programs in the 1950s, in an era where country and western music was not common on radio stations in Northern U.S. cities.[34][35]
In June 1956, WJJD left country music for several years, flipping to a Top 40 format.[36] But with tough competition from 890 WLS in the early 1960s, WJJD shifted to a pop standard format.[37][38][39][40] In 1961, the studios were moved to the transmitter site in Des Plaines.[7]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ec/WJJD-WYLL_studio_building.jpg/220px-WJJD-WYLL_studio_building.jpg)
On February 15, 1965, WJJD adopted a country music format.[40][41][42] The station's programming was simulcast on 104.3 WJJD-FM, with the FM station continuing WJJD's country programming after sunset.[42] In 1966, its studios and transmitter were moved one mile west.[7] In 1977, the simulcast ended when 104.3 FM switched to a "beautiful country" format as WJEZ.[43]
In April 1982, the station began 24-hour operations, running 2,500 watts at night, with plans to increase its nighttime power to 10,000 watts in July.[44][45] However, its nighttime power was reduced to 5,000 watts later that decade.[46][47]
In February 1982, WJJD adopted an adult standards format, and carried programming from the syndicated "Music of Your Life" network.[48][49][50][51] Its audience share tripled following the format change.[51][52] The station was branded "Music of the Stars" and featured artists such as Frank Sinatra, the Count Basie Orchestra, Tony Bennett, Patti Page, the McGuire Sisters, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Nat King Cole, and Barbra Streisand.[50][53][54][55] Hosts included Eddie Hubbard and Art Hellyer.[56] Hubbard and Hellyer both left WJJD in 1983, with Hubbard joining AM 820 WAIT.[57][58]
In 1984, WJJD and WJEZ were sold to Infinity Broadcasting for $13.5 million.[59] Clark Weber joined WJJD in 1985, hosting a talk show weekday mornings, while adult standards continued to air in the remainder of the schedule.[60][61][62][55] In April 1993, the station began airing G. Gordon Liddy's syndicated talk show middays.[63][64]
In November 1994, WJJD dropped adult standards music altogether for a full-time talk format.[65][66] Hosts included Ed Vrdolyak, Ty Wansley, G. Gordon Liddy, David Brenner, the Don and Mike Show, Tom Leykis and Jim Bohannon.[66] WJJD began airing The Howard Stern Show mornings in October 1995.[67] Ed Vrdolyak and Ty Wansley were moved from mornings, and replaced Don and Mike in the afternoon.[67] On July 29, 1996, WJJD returned to an adult standards format, though it retained G. Gordon Liddy and Tom Leykis's programs.[68]
In 1996, Infinity Broadcasting was purchased by the parent company of CBS.[69] That meant WJJD was now sister stations with WBBM and WBBM-FM. On February 3, 1997, the station began simulcasting the oldies programming of 104.3 WJMK.[70]
WSCR
[edit]In 1997, CBS sold its Chicago sports radio station 820 WSCR. CBS wanted to put its sports programming on a more powerful station, so WSCR's sports shows were moved to AM 1160 on April 7, 1997.[71][72][73] The station was branded The Score.[74] Hosts on The Score during this period included Norm Van Lier, Doug Buffone, Terry Boers, Dan Bernstein, Mike North, Dan McNeil, and Dan Jiggetts.[74]
On August 1, 2000, Infinity Broadcasting ended 670 WMAQ's all news format, leaving co-owned WBBM 780 as the only all-news formatted station in Chicago. At that point, WMAQ began simulcasting WSCR's sports programming.[75][76] Two weeks later, the WSCR call sign officially moved to AM 670, retiring the long-standing WMAQ call letters on 670 in the process.[76][77] On August 15, 2000, 1160's call sign was changed to WXRT, and the station began simulcasting the adult album alternative programming of 93.1 WXRT-FM.[77][1]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/WYLL_daytime_transmitter_site_2.jpg/220px-WYLL_daytime_transmitter_site_2.jpg)
WYLL
[edit]In late 2000, Salem Communications purchased the station for $29 million.[78] In February 2001, Salem moved the Christian talk programming of WYLL 106.7 FM to 1160 AM, along with the WYLL call letters.[79][1] The station was branded "Chicago's Word".[80] FM 106.7 switched to a Christian contemporary music format the following month.[81][82]
In addition to the primarily national Christian talk and teaching programming heard on the station, Sandy Rios hosted a local talk show weekday afternoons on WYLL from 1994 to 2001 and again from 2007 to 2010, when she moved to Washington, D.C.[83][84]
On April 7, 2005, WYLL's nighttime power was increased to 50,000 watts.[85][86] The higher power required a six-tower directional array, with the towers used for daytime broadcasts about 30 miles away from the towers used for nighttime operation.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Call Sign History, fcc.gov. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WYLL". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ Radio-Locator.com/WYLL
- ^ a b c d e f Ghrist, John R. (1996). Valley Voices: A Radio History. Crossroads Communications. p. 44-52.
- ^ 1971 Broadcasting Yearbook, Broadcasting, 1971. p. B-62. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
- ^ a b "List of Broadcast Stations", Radio News. December 1924. p. 964. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j History Cards for WYLL, fcc.gov. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
- ^ a b "Ralph Atlass Acquires WJJD, Moose Station; Details Are Withheld", Broadcasting. April 15, 1933. p. 14. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^ Corrected List of Broadcasting Stations", Radio Age. August 1925. p. 100. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
- ^ a b Citizens Radio Call Book. Vol. 7, No. 1. Spring 1926. p. 24. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
- ^ a b Chicago Radio Program. Vol. 1, No. 1. September 19–25, 1927. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^ a b Chicago Radio Weekly. Vol. 1, No. 24. March 22, 1931. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^ a b Radio and Amusement Guide. Chicago Edition. Vol. 1, No. 16. Week of February 7–13, 1932. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^ Radio Guide. Chicago Edition. Week ending April 30, 1938. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^ Movie-Radio Guide. December 27, 1941. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^ Movie-Radio Guide. March 1943. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^ "WJJD Moves Studios", Broadcasting. May 1, 1933. p. 9. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^ Strauss, Valerie; Hines, Michael. "Perspective | In Chicago, schools closed during a 1937 polio epidemic and kids learned from home — over the radio". Washington Post. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
- ^ Skipper, John C. (2004). The Cubs Win the Pennant!: Charlie Grimm, the Billy Goat Curse, and the 1945 World Series Run. McFarland & Company. p. 22. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
- ^ Shea, Stuart (2015). Calling the Game: Baseball Broadcasting from 1920 to the Present. SABR, Inc. p. 51. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
- ^ "Chisox Publicity Man to Become Sports Editor", Decatur Herald. November 14, 1950. p. 14.
- ^ "Ed Short to Head WJJD's Expanded Flack-Promotion", Billboard. July 20, 1946. p. 11. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^ "Marshall Field to take 2d Spin in Radio", Billboard. March 11, 1944. p. 10. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^ "WIND Planning to Give Chicago Different Segs", Billboard. August 12, 1944. p. 6. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^ Winner, Lewis. "Spot Radio News", Radio News. May 1944. p. 14. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^ "Marshall Field Outlet Starts Air's First All-Negro Serial", Billboard. March 15, 1947. p. 5. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^ "Pro Football On 22-Station Midwest Net", Billboard. October 4, 1947. p. 10. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^ Sippel, Johnny. "Chi Dealers Tackle Problems", Billboard. March 26, 1949. p. 44. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^ "FCC Approves Plough Buy of WJJD; 13 Station Transfers Granted", Broadcasting. September 14, 1953. p. 56. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^ "The Cash Box Disk Jockeys Regional Record Reports", The Cash Box. June 5, 1954. p. 18. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
- ^ "The Cash Box Round the Wax Circle", The Cash Box. October 16, 1954. p. 16. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
- ^ "Radio and Television Programs", The Hammond Times. August 1, 1955. p. 10. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
- ^ Overholser, Martha. "Disk Jockeys, 14 and 16, Give Real Teen Show", Chicago Tribune. April 19, 1953. Section 3, Radio.
- ^ Sippel, Johnny. "Disk Jockey Doings", Billboard. October 20, 1951. p. 32. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
- ^ "C&W Disk Jockeys... Favorites", Billboard. November 13, 1954. p. 78. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
- ^ "Radio Disk Jockeys Take High Hurdles In Stiff Ratings Race", Billboard. September 29, 1956. pp. 1, 31. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
- ^ "Stations By Format", Billboard. March 14, 1964. p. 18. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
- ^ Biro, Nick. "Chicago Radio: Kings Remain Assumptive; Heirs Presumptive", Billboard. March 28, 1964. p. 12. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
- ^ "Stations By Format", Billboard. October 31, 1964. p. 34. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
- ^ a b "Plough's WJJD to Go Country Format", Billboard. January 30, 1965. pp. 3, 42. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
- ^ Brack, Ray. "WJJD Format Boosts Country", Billboard. October 16, 1965. pp. 3, 60, & 62. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
- ^ a b "Stations By Format", Billboard. October 16, 1965. p. 62. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
- ^ "WJJD-FM Out; New Country In", Billboard. February 26, 1977. p. 18. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
- ^ Alridge, Ron. "CBS rated winner as troubled TV season is put to rest", Chicago Tribune. April 19, 1982. Section 3, p. 11.
- ^ Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1983, Broadcasting/Cablecasting, 1983. p. B-71. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
- ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1989, Broadcasting & Cable, 1989. p. B-89. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
- ^ Public Notice Comment - BMP-19880701AD, fcc.gov. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
- ^ Alridge, Ron. "Big band bandwagon gets rolling", Chicago Tribune. March 1, 1982. Section 2, p. 8.
- ^ "WJJD-AM Gets Big Band Format", Billboard. March 20, 1982. p. 16. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
- ^ a b Chicago Radio Guide. Vol. 1, No. 1. May 1985. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
- ^ a b Alridge, Ron. "WJJD having time of its life with 'Music of Your Life'", Chicago Tribune. July 5, 1982. Section 2, p. 8.
- ^ Duncan, James H. "Chicago: 12+ Metro Share", An American Radio Trilogy 1975 to 2004. Volume 1: The Markets. Duncan's American Radio. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
- ^ "Man of Many Media", Billboard. August 24, 1985. p. 15. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
- ^ Chicagoland Radio Waves, MediaTies. Summer 1988/Spring-Summer 1989. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
- ^ a b "WJJD AM 1160", Radio Chicago. Winter 1990. p. 41. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
- ^ Zorn, Eric. "Hubbard, Hellyer at WJJD: Two stars of past find future", Chicago Tribune. October 4, 1982. Section 3, p. 1.
- ^ "Programming", Broadcasting & Cable. July 4, 1983. p. 101. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
- ^ Zorn, Eric. "Deejay Hellyer will retire", Chicago Tribune. September 26, 1983. Section 5, p. 7.
- ^ "Infinity on the Move", Radio & Records. March 23, 1984. p. 1. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^ Freeman, Kim. "Vox Jox", Billboard. November 30, 1985. p. 13. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
- ^ "Chicago's Talking to Clark Weber", Daily Herald. January 25, 1989. Section 3/Sports 5. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
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- ^ Kening, Dan. "Right to Right", Chicago Tribune. May 4, 1993. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
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- ^ "Rumbles", Radio & Records. November 25, 1994. p. 14. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
- ^ a b Stark, Phyllis. "Vox Jox", Billboard. November 26, 1994. p. 121. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
- ^ a b Taylor, Chuck (October 14, 1995). "Vox Jox" (PDF). Billboard. p. 79. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
- ^ Feder, Robert (July 29, 1996). "WJJD's new lineup returns to old music". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
- ^ "Westinghouse to Change Name to CBS After Spinoff", Bloomberg News. Los Angeles Times. February 06, 1997. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
- ^ Feder, Robert (February 4, 1997). "WJJD drops format to simulcast WJMK". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on February 7, 2018. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
- ^ Feder, Robert (September 12, 1996). "Score move to push WJJD off the dial". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on February 7, 2018. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
- ^ Feder, Robert (April 2, 1997). "Score ready to move on Monday afternoon". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on December 10, 2017. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
- ^ Feder, Robert (April 8, 1997). "New station joins Chicago radio dial". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on February 7, 2018. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
- ^ a b "History Of The Score: Chapter III – The AM 1160 Years", CBS 2 Chicago. January 3, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
- ^ Kirk, Jim. "Infinity Kills WMAQ to Move Score to 670", Chicago Tribune. July 11, 2000. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
- ^ a b Kirk, Jim. "WSCR Now in Pressure Cooker", Chicago Tribune. August 1, 2000. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
- ^ a b "Format Changes & Updates", The M Street Journal. Vol. 17, No. 33. August 16, 2000. p. 1. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
- ^ Kilgore, Tomi. "Salem buys WXRT-AM from Infinity", MarketWatch. November 11, 2000. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
- ^ "Format Changes & Updates", The M Street Journal. Vol. 18, No. 06. February 7, 2001. p. 1. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
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- ^ "Chicago Media Headlines - March". DJHeadlines.com. March 2001. Archived from the original on October 16, 2009. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
- ^ Feder, Robert. "Layoffs 'streamline' staffing at Channel 2", Chicago Sun-Times. January 9, 2007. p. 43.
- ^ Feder, Robert. "Christian talker comes home to WYLL afternoon show", WBEZ. August 1, 2010. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ "AM 1160 WYLL Goes 50,000 Watts Around The Clock!", Business Wire. April 08, 2005. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
- ^ Feder, Robert. "WFMT wins Peabody for Bernstein series", Chicago Sun-Times. April 8, 2005. p. 71.
External links
[edit]- WYLL's official website
- Facility details for Facility ID 28630 (WYLL) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- WYLL in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
- WYLL Slang Words