WCRW
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
WCRW was a "shared time" AM radio station in Chicago, Illinois. This means it shared its frequency with two other stations (WEDC and WSBC) each broadcasting a part of the day. Ed Jacker was 50% owner, manager and chief engineer of this 5-hour-per-day station. The three stations operated from three different locations with three separate transmitter sites, 1 kW days, 250 W nights. From the 1920s through the 1960s the three station managers met annually to decide their hours. In the mid-1960s, they met and things were finalized through the rest of their existence.
WCRW only broadcast 5 hours a day and, according to its ownert/manager, grossed about $3,000 weekly in the 1970's, broadcasting Spanish Mon-Sat, 3 hours on Sat and 1 hour on Sun. The other Sunday hours were German and Greek. According to Ed Jacker, its owner/manager, WCRW and the other stations that shared the 1240 frequency in Chicago began to broadcast various foreign language programs in the 40's because they could no longer compete with the larger stations in English.
Photo albums and newspaper clippings at the station showed that WCRW played live bands, religious, Polish and a lot of other foreign language programs. The WCRW studio was spotlessly clean. It was in the penthouse of the Embassy Hotel, in a neighborhood much resembling Manhattan in New York.
The original owner, Clinton R White died in the 50's while attending a meeting about the WCRW roof antenna (with a large top hat). Jacker died in the 80's at an engineering conference in Wisconsin. About 1988 WCRW, was purchased by WEDC (who sold them both to WSBC).
| 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) | Quincy/Hannibal | Quad Cities | Rockford | Springfield (FM) (AM) |
