WIND (AM)
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| WIND | |
 |
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| Broadcast area | Chicago, Illinois |
|---|---|
| Branding | News-Talk 560 |
| Slogan | Where Your Opinion Counts |
| Frequency | 560 (kHz) |
| Format | News/Talk |
| ERP | 5000 watts |
| Callsign meaning | W - INDiana (originally licensed to Gary, Indiana), WINDy City |
| Owner | Salem Communications |
| Website | www.560wind.com |
WIND-AM "News-Talk 560" is a radio station based in Chicago, Illinois, broadcasting its talk radio format on 560 kHz.
Its current owner is Salem Media, a company specializing primarily in Christian radio. WIND is similar to many of Salem's other secular talk stations, airing a lineup consisting of syndicated conservative talkers including Michael Medved, Laura Ingraham, Dennis Prager, Michael Savage, and Hugh Hewitt. A local show hosted by former country music disc jockey Big John Howell and Cisco Cotto (former WLS-AM midday news man) airs weekday mornings.
[edit] History
WIND first signed on in 1927. It was later sold to Westinghouse in 1956. WIND had general entertainment until the late 1950s when it evolved into a popular music format. By the 1960s, though WIND, along with other Westinghouse stations employed a Top 40 music format, WLS did much better in the ratings. Several Westinghouse stations went to an all-news format. Others like WIND evolved into adult contemporary formats by the 1970s. Instead of competing against WLS they opted to compete against WGN and its MOR/talk format. By 1977 WIND played music during the day along with local news until 10:00 p.m. when they would switch to call-in talk programming. Similar formats were on Westinghouse sister stations like WBZ in Boston, Massachusetts and KDKA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
WIND and WGN had similar formats except the latter played less music. By 1978 WIND switched to a news/talk format and opted to add local talk shows in the morning, midday, and afternoon. By 1981 WIND dropped all the music and added all-news blocks between 6:00-9:00 a.m. and 3:00-7:00 p.m.. The station did not perform as well as sister stations. In 1985 Westinghouse sold WIND to Tichenor Radio for $6 million and left the Chicago market. Westinghouse later returned to the area by purchasing WMAQ-AM from NBC in 1987.
In 1985 WIND became a Spanish adult contemporary music station, including Spanish-language news and talk shows. WIND evolved into Spanish news and talk by 1990, but eventually brought back music. In 1993 WIND was sold to Heftel Broadcasting. In 1996 Clear Channel Communications bought non-voting stock in Heftel, but in 1998 Clear Channel withdrew as Heftel restructured and became known as Hispanic Broadcasting.
In 2005 Hispanic Broadcasting swapped stations with Salem. Hispanic Broadcasting wanted to move their music format to an FM station and Salem wanted a high-powered AM secular talk radio station in Chicago. This resulted in Salem owning WIND while Hispanic Broadcasting got WPPN. WIND once again became an English-language talk station.
Effective July 1, 2005, WIND entered into a three-year agreement with the University of Illinois to carry Fighting Illini football and men's basketball games, as well as the coaches shows, through the Illini Sports Radio Network.
[edit] External link
| 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) |
