WLUP

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WLUP-FM

Broadcast area	Chicago, Wisconsin
Branding	97.9 The Loop
Slogan	Chicago's Rock Station
Frequency	97.9 FM (MHz) 97.9-2 FM (WLUP-2 - Loop Loud!) (HD Radio)
Format	Classic Rock
ERP	4,000 watts
Class	B
Callsign meaning	LUP = a play on LOOP, as in The Loop, Chicago's downtown district and the station branding
Owner	Emmis Communications
Website	WLUP website

WLUP (97.9 FM) is a classic rock radio station serving the Chicago metropolitan are. They are owned by Emmis Communications.

[edit] History

Prior call letters for 97.9 FM in Chicago were WVON-FM, which stood for "Voice of the Negro," in reference to its original African-American audience.

Owned by the Chess company in the 1960s and early 1970s, the station changed to WSDM-FM. The acronym stood for either "WiSDoM" or "Smack Dab in the Middle", "the middle" meaning the exact middle of the FM radio dial. The radio station positioned itself as "jazzed up rock" and the "station with the girls" — a reference to the all-female air talent. Its original program director was Linda Ellerbee. Among the disc jockeys were Connie Szerszen, Cindy Morgan, Danae Alexander, and Yvonne Daniels.

The call letters changed to WLUP in March 1977. The station called itself "The Loop" which is what the main business district in Chicago is nicknamed. WLUP programmed a low-key AOR format (similar to today's 97.1 The Drive). Tom O'Toole served as the stations first morning host and was the first Loop DJ to sign on the air.

Senator Cecil Heftel (from Hawaii) purchased the radio station in early 1979, kept the call letters and "Loop" identifier. Lee Abrahms was hired as consultant. The rock format was kept in place, but emphasis was put on harder-edged rock. Steve Dahl, who had been unemployed since WDAI (94.7) went to a disco format in December 1978, was hired for mornings in March 1979. Overnight disc jockey Matthew "Mondo" Meier was teamed with Dahl to do news. He started using his real first name "Garry."

In 1985 Heftel Broadcasting bought AM 1000 WCFL, which was a Christian music and teaching station. In April of 1987 that station became WLUP "The Loop" as well as making the FM station WLUP FM. The religious format was dropped from 1000 WLUP and the station simulcast WLUP FM overnights. During the day though WLUP 1000 ran a full service rock format focusing on talk. By 1990 the AM station would evolve to mostly talk with a few rock songs mixed in an hour.

WLUP FM also began mixing more talk into the format by simulcasting the AM station and evolved to a Talk/Comedy format by 1993. Shortly after, the AM station became a sports station. WLUP FM became WLUP again and evolved to a talk format with a few rock songs mixed in per day.

In the early 1990s, WLUP aired a popular television commercial featuring a fat man dubbed "Joey Bag O' Donuts" dancing to Aerosmith's "Walk This Way". The commercial is currently being re-aired.

WLUP (97.9 FM) in Chicago was one of the first stations to have the "FM talk", comedy talk format in the early 1990s. Some of the shows were Steve Dahl and Garry Meier, Danny Bonaduce, Liz Wilde, Kevin Matthews, Jonathon Brandmeier, with News man Buzz Killman, Chicago Ed Schwartz and Seka.

By the early 1990s, Heftel had acquired a lot of Spanish radio stations. Its English speaking stations were sold off one by one, and WLUP FM was sold to Evergreen as a result. Evergreen kept the talk/comedy/rock format. WLUP switched to an modern rock/hot AC format late in 1996. In 1997 Evergreen and Chancellor merged. Evergreen opted to sell WLUP to Bonneville in July which already had a modern rock/hot AC outlet, and they then switched WLUP to a classic rock format. In June 1998 WLUP adopted the slogan, "Classic rock that really rocks".

Today, WLUP continues its classic rock format, with a lean on harder-edged rock. Call letters stand for THE LOOP

In 2004, Emmis Communications traded three of their stations in Phoenix to Bonneville for WLUP-FM and $70 million. One year later, Emmis brought back Jonathon Brandmeier to do mornings on The Loop again.