WDWS

Last updated
WDWS
Broadcast area Champaign–Urbana
Frequency 1400 kHz
BrandingNews Talk 1400 & 93.9 DWS
Programming
Format News - Talk
Network CBS News Radio
Affiliations Bloomberg Radio
Fox Sports Radio
NBC News Radio
Compass Media Networks
Premiere Networks
Westwood One
Chicago White Sox Radio Network
Illinois Fighting Illini Radio Network (flagship station)
Ownership
Owner
  • Community Media Group, Inc.
  • (Champaign Multimedia Group, LLC)
WHMS-FM, WKIO
History
First air date
January 24, 1937;87 years ago (1937-01-24)
Call sign meaning
David W. Stevick (publisher of News-Gazette)
Technical information [1]
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 14961
Class C
Power 1,000 watts unlimited
Transmitter coordinates
 40°5′4.00″N88°14′53.00″W / 40.0844444°N 88.2480556°W / 40.0844444; -88.2480556
Translator(s) 93.9 W230CW (Champaign)
Links
Public license information
Webcast Listen Live
Website wdws.com

WDWS (1400 AM) is a commercial radio station in Champaign, Illinois, calling itself "Newstalk 1400 & 93.9FM DWS." It airs a news/talk radio format and is owned by The News-Gazette , the primary daily newspaper in the Champaign-Urbana Metropolitan Area. The radio studios and offices are at the newspaper's headquarters on Fox Drive in Champaign.

Contents

WDWS is powered at 1,000 watts around the clock using a non-directional antenna. The transmitter is on South Neil Street (U.S. Route 45) at West Windsor Road. [2] WDWS provides at least secondary coverage to much of east-central Illinois, as far west as Decatur and Bloomington-Normal, due to the area's excellent ground conductivity. Programming is also heard on 250-watt FM translator W230CW at 93.9 MHz. [3]

Programming

WDWS airs a mix of local news, talk, agricultural reports and sports shows along with nationally syndicated programs. A local weekday drive time program, The DWS Morning Show, is hosted by Dave Gentry and C.W. Greer. In late mornings, Brian Barnhart hosts the long-running call-in show, Penny for Your Thoughts. In late afternoons, Scott Beatty hosts Sports Talk, with a focus on the Illinois Fighting Illini teams. Weekday syndicated programs include The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show; Markley, Van Camp and Robbins; CBS Eye on The World with John Batchelor; Red Eye Radio and America in the Morning .

On weekends, speciaty shows are heard on health, money, gardening, home repair, technology and sports. Syndicated programs include The Kim Komando Show, The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show, The Ramsey Show with Dave Ramsey, Face The Nation, Meet The Press, The CBS Weekend News Roundup and Fox Sports Radio. Most hours begin with an update from CBS Radio News.

WDWS and sister station WHMS-FM are the flagship stations for University of Illinois Fighting Illini football and basketball. Chicago White Sox baseball games also air on WDWS. In addition, the station carries Fox Sports Radio programs on weekends.

History

Early years

WDWS signed on the air on January 24, 1937;87 years ago. It was the area's first commercial radio station. (WILL 580 AM, the non-commercial radio station of the University of Illinois, dates its start to the 1920s.)

David W. Stevick, publisher of The News-Gazette , had applied for a license in 1935, and his wife Helen and daughter Marajen continued the project. They named the station WDWS in his honor. In 1937, WDWS became a CBS Radio Network affiliate. It carried CBS's line up of dramas, comedies, news, sports, soap operas, game shows and big band broadcasts during the "Golden Age of Radio."

In 1949, WDWS added an FM station at 97.5 MHz. For most of its early years, WDWS-FM simulcast the programming of WDWS 1400. In 1988 it switched its call sign to WHMS-FM to establish a separate identity.

Fighting Illini

WDWS-AM-FM are the flagship stations for Illinois Fighting Illini football and basketball games, a role that WDWS 1400 has held throughout its history. Longtime sports director Jim Turpin also doubled as the radio voice of the Illini from 1960 until 2002. WDWS also airs the Illini women's basketball, volleyball, and baseball games exclusively.

WDWS was the east central Illinois network affiliate for the St. Louis Cardinals baseball broadcasts from when it signed on until 2010. WDWS broadcast the Chicago Cubs in 2011, however Cubs games moved to country music station 105.9 WGKC in 2012. WDWS later became an affiliate of the Chicago White Sox Radio Network.

CBS Radio Network

WDWS has been a CBS Radio affiliate for its entire history, except for a period from 2001 to 2009 when it was affiliated with ABC News Radio. The station carried The Rush Limbaugh Show from 1997 until his death in 2021. Limbaugh's replacement, The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show is now heard in middays. The Sean Hannity Show was added in 2009.

WDWS's morning program is called "Penny for Your Thoughts." The show, formerly hosted by Jim Turpin, and later by Brian Barnhart, is known for its unique open-line call-in format.

Logo before translator sign on WDWS newstalk1400 logo.png
Logo before translator sign on

In October 2021, WDWS began simulcasting on FM translator W230CW at 93.9 MHz and rebranded itself as "Newstalk 1400 & 93.9FM DWS."

Notable staff

Related Research Articles

WHMS-FM is a commercial radio station in Champaign, Illinois. It broadcasts an adult contemporary radio format, switching to Christmas music for part of November and December. WHMS-FM calls itself "Lite Rock 97.5" and is owned by The News-Gazette, the primary newspaper in the Champaign-Urbana Metropolitan Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WRNO-FM</span> Radio station in New Orleans, Louisiana

WRNO-FM – branded News Talk 99.5 WRNO – is a commercial radio station in New Orleans, Louisiana. It airs a news/talk format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The studios and offices are on Howard Avenue in Downtown New Orleans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WCHS (AM)</span> News/talk radio station in Charleston, West Virginia, United States

WCHS is a news/talk/sports formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Charleston, West Virginia, serving Southern West Virginia and Southwestern West Virginia. WCHS is owned and operated by WVRC Media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WILL-FM</span> Radio station in Urbana, Illinois

WILL-FM is a public, listener-supported radio station owned by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and licensed to Urbana, Illinois, United States. It is operated by Illinois Public Media, with studios located at Campbell Hall for Public Telecommunication on the university campus. Most of WILL-FM's schedule is classical music with NPR news programs heard in weekday morning and afternoon drive times. Weekends feature classical and other genres of music, including jazz and opera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WTAQ</span> Radio station in Green Bay and Glenmore, Wisconsin

WTAQ and WTAQ-FM are conservative news/talk-formatted radio stations, licensed to Green Bay, Wisconsin (AM) and Glenmore, Wisconsin (FM), that serve the Green Bay and Appleton-Oshkosh areas. The stations are owned by Midwest Communications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WFLF (AM)</span> Radio station in Pine Hills, Florida

WFLF is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Pine Hills, Florida, and serving Greater Orlando. It is owned by iHeartMedia and airs a news/talk format. The studios and offices are in the iHeart Orlando complex in Maitland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WSJK</span> Radio station in Tuscola–Champaign, Illinois

WSJK is a commercial FM radio station in Tuscola, Illinois that serves the Champaign-Urbana metropolitan area. It is owned by S.J. Broadcasting, and airs a sports radio format as an ESPN Radio Network affiliate. Some hours on weekday mornings are devoted to local talk programming. WSJK is part of the St. Louis Cardinals Radio Network.

WFIR is a commercial radio station licensed to Roanoke, Virginia, and serving the Roanoke Valley. It airs a news/talk radio format and is owned and operated by Mel Wheeler, Inc. WFIR's studios and offices are on Electric Road in Roanoke. Programming is also heard on two FM translators: W297BC 107.3 MHz, off Catawba Valley Drive in Roanoke, and W233CK 94.5 MHz in Troutville.

WYRD, branded as "The Fan Upstate", is a sports-formatted commercial AM radio station, licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to Audacy, Inc. in Greenville, South Carolina, which serves Upstate South Carolina. Studios and transmitter site are located in Greenville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WINA</span> Radio station in Charlottesville, Virginia

WINA is a news/talk/sports formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Charlottesville, Virginia, serving Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Virginia. WINA is owned and operated by Saga Communications, and operates as part of its Charlottesville Radio Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WPEK</span> Radio station in Fairview, North Carolina

WPEK is a commercial AM daytimer radio station, known as "ESPN Asheville." It is licensed to Fairview, North Carolina and serves the Asheville metropolitan area. The station airs an all-sports radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. Most programming comes from ESPN Radio. WPEK is largely simulcast on WMXF in Waynesville, North Carolina.

WSGW is a commercial AM radio station in Saginaw, Michigan, owned by Alpha Media. It simulcasts a news-talk radio format with sister station 100.5 WSGW-FM. The two stations identify themselves as "100.5 and 790 Newsradio WSGW." The studios are on Tittabawassee Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WTSL</span> Radio station in New Hampshire, United States

WTSL is a commercial radio station licensed to Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. It airs an adult hits radio format and serves the Lebanon-Hanover-White River Junction area. The station is owned by Great Eastern Radio, LLC. WTSL also broadcasts Dartmouth College Big Green football and hockey games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WBEC (AM)</span> Radio station in Massachusetts, United States

WBEC is a commercial AM radio station broadcasting a talk and sports radio format. It is licensed to Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and is owned by Townsquare Media.

WDWS-FM is a commercial radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Arcola, Illinois, the station is owned by The News-Gazette, and serves the Champaign-Urbana metropolitan area.

WGCL is a commercial AM radio station in Bloomington, Indiana, serving Monroe County. The station is owned by Sarkes Tarzian, Inc. along with sister station WTTS 92.3 FM. WGCL broadcasts a talk radio format with programming from CBS Sports Radio in the evening. The radio studios and offices are on West 7th Street in Bloomington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WCYN (AM)</span> Radio station in Cynthiana, Kentucky

WCYN is a classic hits–formatted radio station licensed to Cynthiana, Kentucky, United States. The station is owned by WCYN Broadcasting, Inc. The station's studios are located on South Main Street in downtown Cynthiana, while its transmitter is located along US 27 and the Licking River just north of town.

WKOK is a commercial radio station in Sunbury, Pennsylvania. It is owned by Sunbury Broadcasting Corporation and it broadcasts a combination News, Talk and Sports radio format. The radio studios and transmitter are on County Line Road in Selinsgrove.

KWBW is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Hutchinson, Kansas, and serving Reno County. The station has a talk radio format and is owned by Eagle Communications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WFRK</span> Radio station in Quinby–Florence, South Carolina

WFRK, known as "Live 95", is a talk formatted radio station licensed to Quinby, South Carolina. The station is owned by Community Broadcasters, LLC and is simulcast on WHYM and WTQS.

References

  1. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WDWS". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ↑ Radio-Locator.com/WDWS
  3. ↑ Radio-Locator.com/W230CW
  4. ↑ "Larry Stewart".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.