WYHI

Last updated
WYHI
BBN logo.png
Broadcast area
Frequency 99.9 MHz
Branding Bible Broadcasting Network
Programming
Format Christian talk and teaching
Network Salem Radio Network
Ownership
Owner Bible Broadcasting Network, Inc.
History
First air date
January 5, 1962;62 years ago (1962-01-05)
Former call signs
  • WKAK (1962–1975) [1]
  • WBYG (1975–1985) [1] [2]
  • WBSW (1985–1987) [2]
  • WBUS (1987–1996) [2]
  • WRZA (1996–2008) [2]
  • WCPQ (2008–2018) [2]
Call sign meaning
"Where You Hear Inspiration"
Technical information [3]
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 23476
Class B
ERP 50,000 watts
HAAT 150 meters (490 ft)
Links
Public license information
Webcast Listen live
Website Official website

WYHI (99.9 MHz) is a non-commercial FM radio station licensed to Park Forest, Illinois, serving the Southland suburbs of Chicago. It is owned and operated by the Bible Broadcasting Network and it carries a Christian talk and teaching radio format. National religious leaders heard on WYHI include Chuck Swindoll, Joni Eareckson Tada, Adrian Rogers and J. Vernon McGee. The station is listener-supported and seeks donations on the air.

Contents

WYHI has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 50,000 watts, the maximum for most Illinois stations. The transmitter is on West County Line Road in Peotone, near Interstate 57. [4]

History

WKAK

The station signed on the air on January 5, 1962. [5] From its launch until 1975, the station had the call sign WKAK. [1] It was originally owned by Kenneth Baker, Willis Maltby, and Claude Baker. [1] [5] WKAK was originally licensed to Kankakee, Illinois, with its call letters representing its city of license. The transmitter was located 2.9 miles north of the city limits, and it had an effective radiated power (ERP) of 6,600 watts at a height above average terrain (HAAT) of 210 feet. [1] It was Kankakee's first FM station. [6]

In the 1960s, the station aired a beautiful music format, with mostly instrumental cover versions of popular adult songs. In 1969, it began adding some soft vocals in the evening. [7] [8] By 1972, the majority of the station's playlist was popular music, with standards comprising a quarter of the station's playlist. [9] In June 1972, the station's format was changed to country music. [9] In late 1974, Claude Baker and Luella Feller sold the station to Harry Fitzgerald, Howard Dybedock, and Benedict Cerven, Sr. for $132,315. [1] [10]

WBYG

On April 7, 1975, the station's call sign was changed to WBYG. [1] The station's branding called it "The Big One". [11] As WBYG, the station began airing an adult contemporary format. [5] In 1979, the station's transmitter was moved to Peotone, Illinois, along the Kankakee County/Will County border, and its ERP and HAAT were increased to 50kw and 500 feet respectively. [1]

By 1979, WBYG began airing an album-oriented rock format. [11] [12] [13] [14] In early 1984, Harry Fitzgerald, Howard Dybedock, and Ben Cerven sold the station to Gene Milner Broadcasting for $1.2 million. [14] [15]

The Bus

On February 15, 1985, the station's call sign was changed to WBSW. [2] It was branded as "The Bus". [16] [17] [18] The Bus continued WBYG's album rock format. [11] [18] [19] [20] Shortly after the station's launch, a 20 foot long bus shaped balloon used to advertise the station broke loose from its tethers and floated away, prompting the FAA to issue a warning to pilots. [16] [21]

Soon thereafter, the Bus flipped to a CHR/Top 40 format. [17] [22] [23] [24] The station's call sign was changed to WBUS on April 1, 1987. [2] The station aired Casey's Top 40 on Sunday mornings. [25] [26] [27] It also played dance mixes at night. [25] [24] [28] The Bus lasted until 1996, when Milner Broadcasting sold the station to Z-Spanish Network for $7 million. [29] "The Bus" branding would return to a CHR station in the area in 1998, on 100.7 WBVS in Coal City, Illinois. [30] [31]

Spanish language formats

Z-Spanish Network launched a Regional Mexican format on the station, branded "La Zeta". [32] [33] [34] On September 23, 1996, the station's call sign was changed to WRZA. [2] In 2000, Z-Spanish Network was acquired by Entravision Communications. [35] On December 29, 2000, the station changed to a Spanish CHR format branded "Super Estrella", which was simulcast on sister station WZCH 103.9 in Dundee, Illinois. [36] [37] [38] In May 2001, the station's city of license was changed from Kankakee, Illinois to Park Forest, Illinois. [39] In 2004, Entravision Communications sold the station, along with 750 AM WNDZ, to Newsweb Corporation for $24 million. [37] [40]

Nine FM and Dance Factory

In June 2004, Newsweb launched an adult hits format on the station, branded as "Nine FM", with the slogan "We Play Anything". [41] [40] [42] After Newsweb purchased other rimshot stations, Nine FM's programming expanded to WKIE (92.7 FM) in the north suburbs and WDEK (92.5 FM) west of the Chicago area on November 29, 2004. [42] Sky Daniels was the original program director for Nine FM. [42] When he left in 2005, he was replaced by Matt DuBiel. [41]

In 2006, Chris Chudzik began leasing air time for a dance music show called Dance Factory. [43] [44] Initially airing overnight on Saturdays, [43] the program was expanded to seven nights a week on May 14, 2007. [44] Dance Factory continued to air overnight until Newsweb sold the station, even as the station's daytime format changed. [45] [46]

Progressive talk

Newsweb Corporation dropped the Nine FM programming on all three signals Monday, October 20, 2008, and replaced it with a simulcast of sister station WCPT 820's progressive talk programming from 5 A.M. until 9 P.M. [47] [48] [45] The Nine FM format moved to WKIF 92.7 in Kankakee. [49] The station's call sign was changed to WCPQ on October 27, 2008. [2]

Polski FM

On June 2, 2014, WCPQ and WCPY broke away from the Progressive Talk simulcast and changed their format to Polish-language news, talk and music. It was branded as "Polski FM". [46] [50] After the station's sale to Bible Broadcasting Network, Polski FM briefly moved to WMFN AM 640. [51]

Bible Broadcasting Network

On March 20, 2018, Newsweb announced it would sell WCPQ to the Bible Broadcasting Network for $5,099,000. [52] [53] [54] The sale was consummated on May 31, 2018. [55] On that day, the new owners changed the station's call sign to WYHI. [2] The station joined the Bible Broadcasting Network on June 12, 2018. [56]

Related Research Articles

WCPT is a commercial progressive talk radio station licensed to Willow Springs, Illinois. Owned by Heartland Signal LLC, the station serves the Chicago metropolitan area. The station's studios and daytime transmitter are located in the Jefferson Park neighborhood on Chicago's Northwest Side, while its nighttime transmitter is located in Joliet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WLEY-FM</span> Regional Mexican radio station in Aurora–Chicago, Illinois

WLEY-FM is a radio station licensed to Aurora, Illinois, serving Aurora, Chicago, Naperville, Joliet and much of surrounding Northeast Illinois. Owned by Spanish Broadcasting System, it broadcasts a regional Mexican format branded as La Ley 107.9. WLEY's studios are located in the Crain Communications Building in the Loop, while its transmitter is located in Bloomingdale, with its antenna located atop WSCR's tower.

Newsweb Corporation is a printer of ethnic and alternative newspapers in the United States, based in Chicago, Illinois. The company also owns several radio stations in the Chicago area. Newsweb was founded in 1971 by Chicago entrepreneur, political activist, and philanthropist Fred Eychaner to continue his printing business.

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WCPY</span> Polish radio station in Arlington Heights–Chicago, Illinois

WCPY is a radio station licensed to Arlington Heights, Illinois, and serving the Chicago area. WCPY airs a Polish language format during the daytime, as "Polski FM", while airing a dance hits format at night known as "Dance Factory FM". Studios are located on Chicago's Northwest Side.

WSBC is a commercial AM radio station in Chicago, Illinois. It broadcasts brokered programming, mostly ethnic and religious. It is owned by Hearland Signal LLC.

WAIT was an AM radio station licensed to Crystal Lake, Illinois, and serving the Chicago metropolitan area. It was licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as a Class D station and broadcast only during daytime hours, signing off at sunset to protect KOA in Denver, the clear-channel station on 850 kHz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WVLI</span> Oldies radio station in Kankakee, Illinois

WVLI is a radio station broadcasting an oldies format. The station is licensed to Kankakee, Illinois, United States. During its days as WKIF, it also broadcast Chicago White Sox, Chicago Bulls, Notre Dame Football and other sporting events. WVLI is owned by Milner Media Partners, LLC.

WERV-FM is a commercial radio station, licensed to Aurora, Illinois, and serving the western suburbs of Chicago. It is owned by Alpha Media, through licensee Alpha Media Licensee LLC. WERV-FM has a classic alternative radio format.

WCFL is a non-commercial FM radio station licensed to Morris, Illinois, and serving the Western suburbs of the Chicago metropolitan area. It airs a Christian adult contemporary format and is owned by the University of Northwestern – St. Paul. WCFL simulcasts the programming of WBGL in Champaign, Illinois. It is listener-supported and holds periodic on-the-air fundraisers to pay for station expenses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WZSR</span> Radio station in Woodstock, Illinois

WZSR is a radio station broadcasting a hot adult contemporary format. Licensed to Woodstock, Illinois, United States, it serves Chicago's northwest suburbs. The station is currently owned by Alpha Media. The station's studios are located behind McHenry County College in Crystal Lake.

WVCX is a Christian radio station licensed to Tomah, Wisconsin, broadcasting on 98.9 MHz FM. WVCX is also heard on translators W216BL 91.1 in McFarland, Wisconsin; covering the Madison area, K208FO 89.5 in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, and W275CH 102.9 in Ripon, Wisconsin. The station is owned by VCY America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWHN</span> Radio station in Joliet–Irondale–Chicago, Illinois

WWHN is a radio station licensed in Joliet, Illinois, serving the Chicago metropolitan area with an urban adult contemporary format. It operates on AM frequency 1510 kHz and is under ownership of Hawkins Broadcasting Company. Because it shares the same frequency as "clear channel" station WLAC in Nashville, Tennessee, WWHN operates during daytime hours only.

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

WGLC-FM is a radio station licensed to Mendota, Illinois, covering Northern Illinois, including Mendota, LaSalle, Princeton, and Peru. WGLC-FM has a classic country music format and is owned by Shaw Media, through licensee Shaw Local Radio Co., after being owned by Studstill Media/Mendota Broadcasting, Inc. until April 2023. The flagship program is "The Breakfast Show", hosted by Charles Van Horn and Caryn Costa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WFAV</span> Radio station in Illinois, United States

WFAV is a radio station licensed to Kankakee, Illinois. WFAV has a Contemporary hit radio format and is owned by Milner Media Partners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WYUR</span> Radio station in Gilman, Illinois

WYUR is a radio station licensed to Gilman, Illinois, and serving Iroquois. Kankakee, and Ford Counties. WYUR has a country music format and is owned by Milner Media Partners, LLC.

WCPT is a talk radio station in Chicago, Illinois, United States.

WFIW-FM 104.9 FM is a radio station broadcasting an adult hits format. Licensed to Fairfield, Illinois, the station is owned by The Original Company, Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWGO</span> Radio station in Charleston, Illinois

WWGO is a radio station broadcasting a Classic rock format. Licensed to Charleston, Illinois, the station is owned by Cromwell Radio Group, through licensee The Cromwell Group, Inc. of Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WVIV-FM</span> Radio station in Lemont–Chicago, Illinois

WVIV-FM is a Spanish radio station licensed to Lemont, Illinois, serving the Chicago metropolitan area. It is owned by TelevisaUnivision. The station is a part of TelevisaUnivision's Uforia Audio Network brand. The station's studios are located at 625 North Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago, and the transmitter is atop the Oakbrook Terrace Tower in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 History Cards for WYHI, fcc.gov. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Call Sign History". FCC . Retrieved July 8, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WYHI". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  4. ↑ Radio-Locator.com/WYHI
  5. 1 2 3 Broadcasting Yearbook 1976 , Broadcasting, 1976. p. C-60. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  6. ↑ Benoit, Caleb. "Schrock calls 1,800th game on local radio", Daily Journal , March 27, 2009. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  7. ↑ Hall, Claude. "Vox Jox", Billboard , July 13, 1968. p. 23. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
  8. ↑ "WKAK-FM in Shift", Billboard , April 12, 1969. p. 28. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
  9. 1 2 "Changing Formats", Broadcasting , June 26, 1972. p. 31. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Changing Hands", Broadcasting , November 18, 1974. pp. 50-51. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  11. 1 2 3 Ghrist, John R. (1996). Valley Voices: A Radio History. Crossroads Communications. p. 293-298.
  12. ↑ "AOR", Radio & Records , September 16, 1983. p. 58. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  13. ↑ Broadcasting Cablecasting Yearbook 1985 , Broadcasting/Cablecasting, 1985. p. B-83. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  14. 1 2 "Milner Buys WBYG", Radio & Records , January 20, 1984. p. 3. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Application Search Details", fcc.gov. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  16. 1 2 "Pilot Alert: Beware of Flying Bus", The Southern Illinoisan . June 17, 1985. p. 3.
  17. 1 2 Chicagoland Radio Waves , MediaTies. Summer 1988. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  18. 1 2 Chicago Radio Guide , Vol. 1, Issue 1. May 1985. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  19. ↑ "Regional AOR Activity", Radio & Records , July 26, 1985. p. 66. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  20. ↑ Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1986 , Broadcasting/Cablecasting, 1986. p. B-88. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  21. ↑ "Look out for a flying bus...It's serious". Bluefield Daily Telegraph . Associated Press. June 17, 1985. p. 1. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  22. ↑ Broadcasting/Cable Yearbook 1989 , Broadcasting/Cable, 1989. p. B-93. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  23. ↑ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1996 , Broadcasting & Cable, 1996. p. B-129. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  24. 1 2 "Radio Station Index by Format", Radio Chicago, Spring 1991. p. 2. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  25. 1 2 "WBUS FM 99.9", Radio Chicago, Fall 1990. p. 49. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  26. ↑ "Weekend & Varied Programming Schedules", Chicago Airwaves. November/December 1993. December 1993. p. 17. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  27. ↑ Brown, Lana. "Lana Brown: Local memories of Casey Kasem", Daily Journal , June 21, 2014. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  28. ↑ "WBUS FM 99.9", Radio Chicago, Winter 1991. p. 49. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  29. ↑ The M Street Journal , July 3, 1996. p. 8. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  30. ↑ "100.7 The Bus - Today's Hottest Hits". WBVS. Archived from the original on October 10, 2000. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  31. ↑ "Format Changes & Updates", The M Street Journal. Vol. 15 No. 14. April 8, 1998. p. 1. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  32. ↑ Riera, Alejandro. "11th Viva! Chicago Fest Should Be Among The Best", Chicago Tribune , August 20, 1999. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  33. ↑ Elving, Bruce F. (1997). FM Atlas , Seventeenth Edition. p. 198. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  34. ↑ Unmacht, Robert; McCrummen, Pat (1998). The M-Street Radio Directory . p. 213. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  35. ↑ "Signs of the Times", Radio & Records , 30th Anniversary Issue. 2003. p. 113. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  36. ↑ Obejas, Achy. "All Mexican, All The Time", Chicago Tribune , January 05, 2001. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  37. 1 2 Jacobson, Adam. "Entravision Exits Windy City", Radio & Records , January 23, 2004. p. 4. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  38. ↑ Apel, Steve; Devine, Cathy (2001-2002). The M-Street Radio Directory . p. 190. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  39. ↑ Technical Statement Concerning Application for Modification of License, du Treil, Lundin & Rackley, Inc. fcc.gov. May 11, 2001. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  40. 1 2 Lazaroff, Leon. "Democratic donor plans to purchase 3 stations", Chicago Tribune , July 27, 2004. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  41. 1 2 Devine, Cathy (2005-2006). The Radio Book . p. 202. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  42. 1 2 3 Kampert, Patrick. "Nine FM rolls out 'anything' format on 3 frequencies", Chicago Tribune , December 02, 2004. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  43. 1 2 Dance Factory, Nine FM. Internet Archive. Archived June 14, 2006. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  44. 1 2 Feder, Robert. "'Nine FM' filling void with club-style music every night of the week", Chicago Sun-Times , May 10, 2007. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  45. 1 2 Rosenthal, Phil. "'Nine FM' consolidates -- who's left?", Chicago Tribune , October 18, 2008. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  46. 1 2 Venta, Lance. "Chicago Liberal Talker To Shift FM Signals To Brokered Polish", Radio Insight. May 5, 2014. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  47. ↑ "WCPT/Chicago Gets FM Simulcasts". Radio Ink. October 17, 2008. Archived from the original on October 27, 2008.
  48. ↑ "Nine FM/Chicago To Simulcast WCPT Talk", All Access Music Group. October 17, 2008. Retrieve July 10, 2018.
  49. ↑ Rosenthal, Phil. "Harvey Wells to step down from Newsweb Radio in February", Chicago Tribune , December 15, 2009. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  50. ↑ Feder, Robert. "Newsweb Radio streamlines WCPT talk simulcast", robertfeder.com. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  51. ↑ "Polski FM - 92.7 FM & 640 AM - Chicago". Polski FM. Archived from the original on July 12, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
  52. ↑ "Polski Parting Now Official", Radio+Television Business Report. June 1, 2018. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  53. ↑ Venta, Lance. "Bible Broadcasting Acquires WCPQ Park Forest IL", Radio Insight. March 20, 2018. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  54. ↑ Asset Purchase Agreement, fcc.gov. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  55. ↑ "Application Search Details", fcc.gov. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  56. ↑ WYHI – Park Forest / Chicago - 99.9 FM, Bible Broadcasting Network. Retrieved July 11, 2018.

41°18′04″N87°49′35″W / 41.301109°N 87.826395°W / 41.301109; -87.826395

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.