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Broadcast area | Chicago metropolitan area |
Frequency | 750 kHz |
Branding | Access Radio Chicago |
Programming | |
Format | Classic Hits |
Ownership | |
Owner |
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History | |
First air date | May 13, 1987 [1] |
Call sign meaning | The Windy City |
Technical information [2] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
Facility ID | 73316 |
Class | D |
Power | 15,000 watts days only |
Transmitter coordinates | 41°33′49.14″N87°9′18.12″W / 41.5636500°N 87.1550333°W |
Links | |
Public license information |
WNDZ (750 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station broadcasting a Classic Hits format. Licensed to Portage, Indiana, it serves the Chicago metropolitan area. The station is owned by Newsweb Corporation.
WNDZ is a daytimer station. It transmits 15,000 watts. To send its signal toward Chicago from its transmitter site, it uses a directional antenna with a three-tower array. Because 750 AM is a clear channel frequency reserved for Class A station WSB in Atlanta, WNDZ must go off the air at sunset to avoid interference. The towers are on Bay Road at Robbins Road in Portage. [3]
Now running a music format, WNDZ had previously been a brokered programming station, where hosts pay for their time on the air and may advertise their products and services or seek donations.
WNDZ began broadcasting on May 13, 1987, as a daytime-only station, running 2,500 watts, and was owned by Universal Broadcasting, with Rick Schwartz as its first General Manager. [1] The business office and studios were located in Lansing, Illinois. [1] They are currently on Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago. [4] The station originally aired a mixture of Contemporary Christian with some ethnic programming. [5] In 1992, the station was sold to Douglas Broadcasting, for $2 million. [6] [7]
In 1994, the station joined Douglas Broadcasting's new AsiaOne network. [8] [9] In 1997, the station's power was increased to 5,000 watts. [10] [11] In late May 1998, the station switched from brokered programming to the motivational "Personal Achievement Radio" network, which moved from WYPA 820. [12] [13] Later that year, the station was purchased by Z-Spanish Radio. [14] [15] In 2000, Z-Spanish Radio was acquired by Entravision Communications. [16]
In 2004, Entravision Communications sold the station to Newsweb Corporation, along with 99.9 FM WRZA, for $24 million. [17] [18] In 2007, the station's power was increased to 15,000 watts. [19] [20] The station has featured brokered programming for most of it's history.