WNTD

WNTD
City of license Chicago, Illinois
Broadcast area Chicago market
Branding Relevant Radio
Frequency 950 kHz
First air date May 31, 1922
Format Catholic Teaching
Power 1,000 watts (day)
5,000 watts (night)
Class B
Transmitter coordinates 41°51′39″N 87°41′12″W / 41.86083°N 87.68667°W (day)
41°38′12″N 87°33′10″W / 41.63667°N 87.55278°W (night)
Former callsigns WAAF, WGRT, WJPC, WEJM, WZDB, WIDB
Owner Starboard Media Foundation, Inc.

WNTD is an AM radio station in Chicago, Illinois. It is owned by Starboard Media Foundation, Inc. Its frequency is 950 AM and has separate day-time (1000 watts; non-directional) and night-time (5000 watts; directional) transmitter locations. It is currently one of three stations in the Chicago market that airs Relevant Radio, a Catholic talk format, 24 hours a day.[1]

History

In 1922 the station was one of the first fifty radio stations licensed by the FCC. It was owned by the Chicago Daily Drover's Journal, with the transmitter at the Union Stock Yards; its original call letters were WAAF.

As WAAF, the station was a daytime only station. For a long time the station aired an all jazz format. It featured Marty Faye in the early morning, Daddy-O Daylie[2][3][4][5] in the late morning, Olympic great Jesse Owens playing jazz from noon-3, and Dick Buckley and Jerry Leighton from 3 til sunset.

In 1967, the station became soul music powerhouse WGRT ("W-Great!"),[6] owned by Ralph Atlass, founder of WBBM, and one-time owner of WIND.

In 1973, the station became WJPC, after its purchase by Johnson Publishing Company.[7] As WJPC the station aired an Urban contemporary format.[8][9] In the late 1980s and early 90s the station simulcast the Soft urban contemporary format of its sister station 106.3 WLNR, which had been purchased by Johnson Publishing Company in 1985.[10][11] On July 15, 1992, the station began airing an all-rap format.[12] In December 1994 the station became WEJM "106 Jamz", airing an Urban contemporary format as a simulcast of 106.3 WEJM-FM in Lansing, Illinois.[13][14]

In December 1997 WNTD became a One-on-One Sports (now Sporting News Radio) affiliate, using the call letters WIDB. One-On-One was headquartered in suburban Northbrook. The One-on-One Sports affiliation moved to 94.7 WJKL on March 1, 1999, though the One-on-One Sports format continued to simulcast on WIDB until May 1999.[15]

In May 1999, the station began airing a Spanish language format as Radio Unica, and its callsign was changed to WNTD.[15][13]

WNTD was the original affiliate of Air America Radio in Chicago. Program hosts included Al Franken, Randi Rhodes, and Janeane Garofalo. The network launched on March 31, 2004. However, these programs ended after two weeks, on April 14, due to a payment dispute between Multicultural Radio Broadcasting (the previous owner of WNTD) and Air America Radio.

From August 7, 2009 until Aug 14th, 2010, WNTD carried "Avenue 950" an eclectic mix of Jazz, Blues, standards and Adult Contemporary from 6:00 PM to 5:00 AM. The Avenue format was programmed by Sovereign City Radio Services and still airs on some of their other stations. Local programs such as This is Chicago Jazz with Mike Jeffers, Live from The Green Mill with Alan Gresik and the Swing Shift Orchestra and The Skinny and Houli Show with James “Skinny" Sheahan and Mike “Houli” Houlihan were produced by Sovereign City Radio Services specifically for the Chicago market.

In March 2014, then-owner M&S WNTD, LLC sold WNTD to Starboard Media Foundation, Inc. for $14.4 million. The transaction was consummated on May 2, 2014.

References

  1. ↑ "WNTD 950 AM Chicago is broadcasting Relevant Radio programming 24 hours a day, 7 days a week". Relevant Radio. 2010-08-15. Retrieved 2010-10-11.
  2. ↑ Barlow, William, ed. (1998), Voice Over: The Making of Black Radio, Temple University Press, p. 334, ISBN 1-56639-667-0, retrieved 2010-04-25
  3. ↑ WMAQ Holmes "Daddy-O" Daylie
  4. ↑ Daddy-O Daylie Biography
  5. ↑ Chicago Tribune February 14, 2003-Daddy-O Daylie obituary
  6. ↑ Pruter, Robert. "Chicago Soul" (p. 17) 1992
  7. ↑ Major Station Transactions:1970 to 2003 Duncan's American Radio. Accessed January 4, 2014
  8. ↑ Stations, everywhere: a listeners' guide to the AM and FM bands Chicago Tribune Magazine. March 4, 1979. Accessed January 1, 2013
  9. ↑ Chicago Area Radio Stations Chicago Tribune. March 24, 1989. Accessed July, 2013
  10. ↑ WLNR FM 106.3 Radio Chicago. Fall 1989. (p. 43) Accessed January 4, 2014.
  11. ↑ WLNR FM 106.3 Radio Chicago. (p. 54) Spring 1991. Accessed January 4, 2014
  12. ↑ Rap and black radio Nelson, Havelock. (p. 34) Billboard. November 28, 1992. Accessed January 1, 2014
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Call Sign History fcc.gov. Accessed December 29, 2013
  14. ↑ Isadore Pink, WEJM Rap Deejay Pinkhouse Chicago Tribune. November 08, 1996. Accessed January 12, 2014
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 One-on-one Sports Soon Zero For One On AM Kirk, Jim. Chicago Tribune. February 24, 1999. Accessed December 29, 2013.

External links