WVON
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| Broadcast area | Chicago metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Branding | AM 1690 WVON |
| Slogan | "The Talk Of Chicago" (WVON) |
| First air date | 1963 |
| Frequency | 1690 (kHz) |
| Format | African-American Talk |
| ERP | 10 kW day / 1 kW night |
| Class | B |
| Callsign meaning | "The Voice Of the Negro", "The Voice Of the Nation." (WVON) |
| Owner | Midway Broadcasting Corporation/Clear Channel Communications |
| Website | http://www.wvon.com |
WVON (1690 AM) is a radio station licensed to Berwyn, Illinois, serving the greater Chicago area, airing an African-American-oriented talk format. WVON is managed by Midway Broadcasting Corporation, via a local marketing agreement with frequency owner Clear Channel Communications.
From 1980 to September 18, 2006, WVON was located at 1450 AM. The frequency was home to two different stations. WCEV shared time with WVON, operating under an agreement that split the schedule between them. Both stations have separate owners and studios. Midway Broadcasting owns WVON and Migala Communications owns WCEV. WCEV's programming was on the air from 1PM to 10PM daily, with WVON's programming aired the rest of the day.
On September 18, 2006, WVON's call letters and programming moved to 1690 AM, leaving WCEV at 1450 and the WRLL call letters moved to 1450, still in a shared arrangement, on paper at least. This move allows both stations to broadcast a full 24-hour schedule on their own frequencies. The move displaced the oldies format of WVON's predecessor on 1690 AM, WRLL.
[edit] History of WVON
WVON began as WHFC. WHFC began in 1926, broadcasting from the Hotel Flanders in Chicago. They would soon be squeezed into a share-time situation, with as many as five stations on 1310 at one time. In 1930, they were given permission to move to 1420 with two other stations. WHFC bought out the other two in 1936 and moved to Cicero, Illinois. They were shifted to 1450 in 1941.
In 1963, WHFC became WVON when it was purchased by Leonard and Phil Chess, the owners of Chess Records, a successful record label specializing in blues music. WVON debuted on April 1, 1963 and quickly became a success playing R&B music, ranking consistently in the top five most listened to stations in the market.
WVON became well-known outside the Chicago area as well. Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown Records, sent every song he produced immediately to WVON before any other station. Other similar stations across the country took inspiration from WVON's format. The station also had an active role during the Civil Rights Movement, covering it extensively.
Leonard Chess passed away in 1969, and the Chess family decided to sell WVON to Globetrotter Communications, owned by George Gillette and Potter Palmer. They decided to move WVON from 1450 frequency to the stronger 1390 AM signal in 1976, which would improve their coverage of Chicago with 5,000 watts. The 1450 frequency was left dormant.
In 1977, Globetrotter sold WVON to Gannett, pairing it with their other acquisition, the station now known as WGCI.
During Globetrotter's ownership, many of WVON's on-air personalities were let go as competition increased in the market. Two former personalities, Pervis Spann and Wesley South, formed Midway Broadcasting Corporation and purchased part of the dormant 1450 frequency. Their station. WXOL debuted in August 1979. The station began sharing time with WCEV in 1980.
Gannett dropped the WVON call letters from 1390 in 1984, switching it to WGCI-AM. WXOL's owners immediately filed with the FCC to obtain the WVON call letters, returning the station to 1450.
In 1986, the station adopted its current Black-oriented talk radio format.
[edit] History of 1690
The 1690 frequency was granted the call sign WHTE in June 1988, as a new station on the extended AM band.
The frequency is best known as being home to WRLL, which debuted in September 2003. "Real Oldies 1690", as it called itself on the air, played music from the 1950s and early 1960s. The station featured radio legends Larry Lujack and morning host Tommy Edwards, as well as other legendary Chicago area radio personalities, mostly from WLS.
"Real Oldies 1690" was a modest success, but was not profitable enough for Clear Channel to continue programming the format. WRLL has long been the subject of format switch rumors. Rumors persisted that it would go off the air and be replaced by progressive talk, featuring programming from Air America Radio in March 2005, but the format instead was picked up by WCPT 850.
Finally, on August 15, it was announced that another radio station, African-American talk-formatted WVON, would move its format, talk show hosts and call letters from their longtime spot on the dial at 1450 AM to 1690 AM, effective September 18, 2006. WVON signed an agreement with Clear Channel which would allow them to lease the station with an option to buy, and obtain marketing, promotional and production assistance from them as well. Upon this announcement, all of WRLL's on-air staffers were let go.
The oldies format ended at 12:00 AM CST on September 16th 2006. The programming of WRLL's previous oldies format continues to webcast at realoldies1690.com.
[edit] External links
- WVON website
- Real Oldies 1690 live stream
- Online webstream
- "It's a whole new day for WVON at 1690 AM " (Chicago Sun-Times, August 16, 2006)
- Interview with Tommy Edwards
- Query the FCC's AM station database for WVON
| AM Radio stations in the Chicago market (Arbitron #3) | |
|---|---|
| By frequency |
560 | 620 | 670 | 720 | 750 |780 | 820 | 850 | 890 | 930 | 950 | 1000 | 1080 | 1110 | 1160 | 1200 | 1230 | 1240 | 1270 | 1300 | 1370 | 1390 | 1450 | 1450 | 1490 | 1530 | 1570 | 1590 | 1690 |
| By callsign |
WAIT | WAUR | WBBM | WBGX | WCPT | WCEV | WCRW | WEDC | WGN | WGRB | WIND | WJJG | WJOB | WLS | WLTH | WMBI | WMVP | WNDZ | WNTD | WNWI | WONX | WPNA | WRDZ | WRLL | WRTO | WSBC | WSCR | WVON | WYLL | WWCA |
| Other |
Bloomington | Champaign | Chicago (FM) (AM) | Decatur | LaSalle-Peru | Marion-Carbondale | Peoria (FM) (AM) | Quad Cities | Rockford |
