WCLR (FM)

Last updated
WCLR
KLOVE 2014.svg
Broadcast area DeKalb County
Fox Valley
Frequency 92.5 MHz
BrandingK-Love
Programming
Format Christian contemporary
Affiliations K-Love
Ownership
Owner Educational Media Foundation
WAWE, WAWY, WILV, WLWX, WQFL, WSRI, WZKL
History
First air date
December 17, 1961 [1]
Former call signs
WLBK-FM (1961-1976) [2]
WDEK (1976 [2] -2008)
WCPY (2008-2014)
WCPT-FM (2014-2018) [3]
Former frequencies
99.1 MHz (1961-1962) [4]
Technical information
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 15974
Class B
ERP 20,000 watts
HAAT 149 meters (489 ft)
Links
Public license information
Webcast Listen Live
Website http://www.klove.com

WCLR (92.5 FM) is a radio station located in DeKalb, Illinois. The station is owned by Educational Media Foundation, and airs a Christian contemporary format, as an affiliate of K-Love.

Contents

The station's signal can be heard from Rockford, Illinois to Joliet, Illinois and includes the Fox Valley region.

History

WLBK-FM

The station began broadcasting on December 17, 1961, and broadcast at 99.1 MHz. [1] [4] The station was originally WLBK-FM and simulcast AM 1360 WLBK during the day. [5] The station was locally owned and operated in DeKalb. On May 25, 1962, the station's frequency was changed to 92.5 MHz. [4] Gradually in the 1970s, the station added a progressive program known as "Headquarters" at night beginning at 6:00 p.m. and ending with sign-off at 2am.

WDEK

In October 1976, the station's call sign was changed to WDEK. [2] The station aired an automated Top 40 format during the day and a live album-oriented rock format at night. [6] In 1979, the station became a full-time AOR station. [6] [7] WXRT Chicago mid-day jock John Bell was hired as the first Program Director. By late 1984, the station had adopted a Top 40/CHR format as "All Hit WDEK". [8] [9] WDEK was also an affiliate of The Rockin' America Top 30 Countdown with Scott Shannon, The Dr. Demento Show, and Hot Mix during its Top-40 days. [10]

92 Kiss FM

92 Kiss FM logo 92 Kiss FM logo.PNG
92 Kiss FM logo

In early 1999, the station's local owners sold WDEK to Big City Radio. [11] [12] The station became "92 Kiss FM", retaining its CHR format and began simulcasting 92.7 WKIE in Arlington Heights and 92.7 WKIF in Kankakee. [13] [14] Melissa Forman hosted mornings on 92 Kiss FM, before moving to 93.9 WLIT-FM in 2001. [15] [16]

Energy 92.7&5

On January 12, 2001, Clear Channel's WUBT changed formats from rhythmic oldies to CHR as WKSC-FM "Kiss 103.5". [17] At that time, Clear Channel filed suit against Big City Radio, alleging the "Kiss FM" branding used by WDEK and its simulcasts violated its national trademark. [17] [18] However, Big City Radio had already planned on changing the formats of these stations. [18] On January 26, 2001, 92 Kiss-FM signed off, and the three stations adopted a dance hits format as "Energy 92.7&5". [18] [19] The station's airstaff remained intact. [20] [21] The new format was designed by 92 Kiss FM's program director, Chris Shebel, who has stated that the dance hits format is something he had dreamed of doing for a long time. [18]

Onda 92

In late 2002, Big City Radio became insolvent and began the process of selling all of its radio stations. [22] In early 2003, WDEK, WKIE, and WKIF were sold to Spanish Broadcasting System for $22 million. [23] On January 6, 2003, the three stations adopted a Spanish contemporary format as "Onda 92". [24] [25] [26] [27]

Nine FM / Dance Factory

In 2004, Spanish Broadcasting System sold WDEK, WKIE, and WKIF to Newsweb Corporation for $28 million. [28] [29] At 9 a.m. November 29, 2004, WDEK and WKIE began simulcasting with its new adult hits sister station 99.9 WRZA in Park Forest, Illinois as "Nine FM", with the slogan "We Play Anything". [30] [31] The first song on the Nine FM simulcast was "With or Without You" by U2. [30] Sky Daniels was the original program director for Nine FM. [30] When he left in 2005, he was replaced by Matt DuBiel. [31]

In 2006, Chris Chudzik began leasing air time for a dance music show called Dance Factory. [32] [33] Initially airing overnight on Saturdays, [32] the program was expanded to seven nights a week on May 14, 2007. [33]

Chicago's Progressive Talk

Newsweb Corporation dropped the Nine FM programming on all three signals on October 20, 2008, and replaced it with a simulcast of sister station WCPT from 5 a.m. until 9 p.m. [34] [35] The Nine FM format moved to WKIF 92.7 in Kankakee. [36] On October 27, 2008, the station's call sign was changed to WCPY. [3]

On June 2, 2014, WCPQ and WCPT-FM broke away from the Progressive Talk simulcast and changed their daytime format to Polish language programming as "Polski FM". [37] The latter station swapped callsigns with this station shortly thereafter. [37] [3]

K-Love

In autumn of 2018, the station was sold to Educational Media Foundation for $1.6 million, [38] [39] and the station adopted a Christian contemporary format, as an affiliate of K-Love. The sale was consummated on November 30, 2018, at which point the station's call sign was changed to WCLR. [3]

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References

  1. 1 2 1971 Broadcasting Yearbook , Broadcasting, 1971. p. B-64. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 History Cards for WCPT-FM, fcc.gov. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Call Sign History". Federal Communications Commission . Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 Ghrist, John R. (1996). Valley Voices: A Radio History. Crossroads Communications. p. 419-420.
  5. ↑ 1963 Broadcasting Yearbook , Broadcasting, 1963. p. B-57. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  6. 1 2 "WDEK Ups Power, AOR Slant", Billboard . January 27, 1979. p. 29. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  7. ↑ "WDEK Rockin' DeKalb at 92 1/2 FM 24 Hours of Rock...", Daily Chronicle. April 14, 1979.
  8. ↑ Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1985 , Broadcasting/Cablecasting, 1985. p. B-81. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  9. ↑ Chicagoland Radio Waves , MediaTies. Spring-Summer 1989. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  10. ↑ WDEK-FM (Top-40) Aircheck (December 9th, 1985). (20:00: The Rockin' America Top-30 Countdown Clip)
  11. ↑ Application Search Details - BAL-19980424GG, fcc.gov. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Big City Buys Four More In Chicago", Radio & Records . April 24, 1998. p. 4. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  13. ↑ "92.7 KISS fm". 92 Kiss FM. Archived from the original on February 29, 2000. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Format Changes & Updates", The M Street Journal. Vol. 16, No. 9. March 3, 1999. p. 2. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Melissa Forman". 92 Kiss FM. Archived from the original on March 4, 2000. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  16. ↑ Rosenthal, Phil. "Melissa Forman out at WLIT-FM -- again", Chicago Tribune . August 13, 2009. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  17. 1 2 "M Street Bazaar... People, Products, and Programming", The M Street Journal. Vol. 18, No. 03. January 17, 2001. p. 8. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  18. 1 2 3 4 Ross, Sean "Shebel Energizes WKIE With Dance", Billboard . February 17, 2001. p. 63-64. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  19. ↑ "Format Changes & Updates", The M Street Journal. Vol. 18, No. 05. January 31, 2001. p. 1-2. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  20. ↑ "KISS On Air". 92 Kiss FM. Archived from the original on December 4, 2000. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  21. ↑ "Energy Personalities". Energy 92 7/5. Archived from the original on April 10, 2001. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  22. ↑ "Big City Radio Announces Auction Of Stations", HispanicAd.com. October 05, 2002. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  23. ↑ Oppelaar, Justin. "Spanish B'casting picks up Chi trio", Variety . January 3, 2003. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  24. ↑ "Analysts React To Big City Sell-Off", Radio & Records . pp. 4 & 6. January 10, 2003. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  25. ↑ Devine, Cathy (2003). The M Street Radio Directory . Twelfth Edition. p. 193. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  26. ↑ "Latin Music 6 Pack", Billboard . February 22, 2003. p. LM-2. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  27. ↑ "Onda 92". Onda 92. Archived from the original on July 19, 2003. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  28. ↑ "SBS Closes $28 Million Sale of Chicago FMs to Newsweb", RadioWorld. November 30, 2004. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  29. ↑ Lazaroff, Leon. "Democratic donor plans to purchase 3 stations", Chicago Tribune , July 27, 2004. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  30. 1 2 3 Kampert, Patrick. "Nine FM rolls out 'anything' format on 3 frequencies", Chicago Tribune , December 02, 2004. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  31. 1 2 Devine, Cathy (2005-2006). The Radio Book . p. 192. Retrieved December, 2018.
  32. 1 2 "Dance Factory". Nine FM. Archived from the original on June 14, 2006. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  33. 1 2 Feder, Robert. "'Nine FM' filling void with club-style music every night of the week", Chicago Sun-Times , May 10, 2007. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  34. ↑ "WCPT/Chicago Gets FM Simulcasts". Radio Ink. October 17, 2008. Archived from the original on October 27, 2008.
  35. ↑ Rosenthal, Phil. "'Nine FM' consolidates -- who's left?", Chicago Tribune , October 18, 2008. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  36. ↑ Rosenthal, Phil. "Harvey Wells to step down from Newsweb Radio in February", Chicago Tribune , December 15, 2009. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  37. 1 2 Feder, Robert. "Newsweb Radio streamlines WCPT talk simulcast", robertfeder.com. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  38. ↑ Finlon, Katie. "DeKalb station WCPT-FM bought out by Educational Media Foundation", Daily Chronicle . September 28, 2018. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
  39. ↑ Venta, Lance. "EMF Acquires WCPT-FM", RadioInsight. September 26, 2018. Retrieved December 2, 2018.

Coordinates: 41°52′34″N88°45′16″W / 41.875994°N 88.754429°W / 41.875994; -88.754429

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