WSFS (950 AM) is a radio station licensed to Chicago, Illinois, owned by Relevant Radio, Inc. It simulcasts a Catholic talk and teaching radio format, along with WKBM (930 AM) in Sandwich, Illinois. The stations' programming comes from the Relevant Radio network.
By day, the station is powered at 1,000 watts non-directional. Its daytime transmitter site is on South Western Avenue near 15th Street in Chicago. At night, while increasing its power to 5,000 watts, it also switches to a separate transmitter using a directional antenna with a six-tower array, that tower site is off East 142nd Street near South Manistee Avenue in Burnham, Illinois.
History WAAF The United States Department of Commerce regulated the country's radio stations from 1912 until the 1927 formation of the Federal Radio Commission (FRC). Effective December 1, 1921, a regulation was adopted specifying that broadcasting stations were authorized for operation on wavelengths of 360 meters (833 kHz) for "entertainment" programs, and 485 meters (619 kHz) for "market and weather reports"."Amendments to Regulations", Radio Service Bulletin, January 3, 1922, page 10.
This station was one of the first broadcasting stations in Chicago. It was initially licensed on April 7, 1922, to the Union Stock Yards & Transit Company, with its transmitter and studios located at the yards. It was authorized to transmit on both wavelengths, and its original call sign, randomly issued from a sequential roster, was WAAF."New Stations", Radio Service Bulletin, May 1922, page 2. A few months later, ownership was changed to Chicago Daily Drovers Journal."Broadcasting Stations, By Call Signals", Radio Service Bulletin, July 1, 1922, page 9.
In 1923, WAAF's frequency was changed to 1050 kHz."Alterations and corrections", Radio Service Bulletin, September 1, 1923, page 9. In late 1924, the station began broadcasting at 1080 kHz,"Alterations and corrections", Radio Service Bulletin, December 1, 1924, page 5. with a power of 200 watts.Radio Progress. August 15, 1925. p. 38. Retrieved August 29, 2018.Citizen's Radio Callbook: A Complete Radio Cyclopedia . Vol. 6. No. 2. Fall 1925. p. 14. Retrieved August 29, 2018. By 1927, the station's power had been increased to 500 watts, and its frequency changed to 770 kHz. On November 11, 1928, under the provisions of the FRC's General Order 40, the frequency was changed to 920 kHz, limited to daytime hours only."Revised list of broadcasting stations, by frequencies, effective 3 a. m., November 11, 1928, eastern standard time", Second Annual Report of the Federal Radio Commission (June 30, 1928), page 203.
WAAF's programming was initially devoted to trade news, but in 1929 it was broadened"1922 - Year Radio's Population Soared", Broadcasting. May 14, 1962. p. 96. Retrieved August 27, 2018. to include music programs, along with news, live market reports, and a variety of other programs.Radio and Amusement Guide. Chicago Edition. Vol. 1, No. 16. Week of February 7–13, 1932. Retrieved August 30, 2018.Radio Guide. Chicago Edition. Week of June 11–17, 1933. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
WAAF's transmitter and studios were destroyed in the 1934 Stock Yards fire. The station broadcast live coverage of the fire until smoke and heat forced them to leave the building. The station's studios were moved to the Palmer House following the fire.
In 1936, the power was increased to 1,000 watts. In the 1940s, the station aired orchestral music and popular music."AM Histories", Broadcasting - Telecasting. October 25, 1948. p. 14. Retrieved August 27, 2018. In March 1941, WAAF moved to its current frequency of 950 kHz., with the implementation of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement."Arrangement between the United States of America, Canada, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Mexico, comprising recommendations of the North American Regional Radio-Engineering Meeting (supplemental to North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement)", page 1426. In 1948, studios were moved to the LaSalle-Wacker Building."WAAF: A New Home For Chicago's Oldest Call Letters", Broadcasting - Telecasting. October 25, 1948. p. 15. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
In 1955, WAAF began airing "Juke Box Matinee", hosted by Hal Fredericks, in association with the Recorded Music Service Association and the Chicago Juke Box Operators' Association."Chicago Music Ops Assn. In Full Week Radio Show", Cash Box. May 14, 1955. p. 43. Retrieved September 11, 2018."Chi Music Trade Promotes 'Juke Matinee' on WAAF", Billboard. May 7, 1955. p. 27. Retrieved September 11, 2018. The show featured a monthly "Hunch Tune", which would be promoted on the show and featured as the No. 1 selection in juke boxes."RMSA-WAAF Set 'Juke Box Matinee'", Billboard. May 14, 1955. p. 84. Retrieved September 11, 2018. The first "Hunch Tune" was "Rollin' Stone" by Eddie Fontaine. In 1956, the station adopted a jazz format.Paige, Earl. "WAAF: Stock in Yards & Jazz", Billboard. November 19, 1966. p. 36. Retrieved August 27, 2018. Personalities heard on the station during its jazz years included Marty Faye, Daddy-O Daylie, Olympic gold medalist Jesse Owens, and Dick Buckley."Holmes "Daddy-O" Daylie", Rich Samuels. Retrieved August 27, 2018."Jesse Owens to Switch Chicago Disc Jockey Spots", Jet. April 21, 1960. p. 58. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
WGRT
In 1967, WAAF was sold to a corporation formed by Ralph Atlass, for $900,000."Corn Belt Pub. Sells WAAF", Billboard. December 17, 1966. p. 32. Retrieved August 27, 2018. Previously, the station had boasted that it held "Chicago's Oldest Call Letters". However, under the new owners, the call sign was changed to WGRT ("W-Great!") and it adopted a soul music format.Pruter, Robert (1992). Chicago Soul. University of Illinois Press. p. 17. Retrieved August 27, 2018. Daddy-O Daylie continued as a DJ on WGRT, hosting a morning jazz program."Daylie Gets Jazz Program With Media Reps Support", Jet. February 25, 1971. p. 57. Retrieved August 30, 2018."WGRT Specialists' Philosophy", Billboard. February 24, 1968. p. 24. Retrieved August 30, 2018. Daylie's jazz program was initially two hours long, but was reduced to an hour and a half, and eventually a half-hour in 1971. In 1971, the station's transmitter site was moved to the Midland Warehouses on Western Avenue in Chicago.
WJPC On May 29, 1973, the station was purchased by Johnson Publishing Company for $1,800,000,Duncan, James H. "Major Station Transactions:1970 to 2003", An American Radio Trilogy 1975 to 2004. Volume 1: The Markets. Duncan's American Radio. Retrieved August 27, 2018.One Big Change Deserves Another", Ebony. December 1973. p. 10. Retrieved August 27, 2018. and on November 1, 1973, the call sign was changed to WJPC. The station aired an urban contemporary format.Stations, everywhere: a listeners' guide to the AM and FM bands Chicago Tribune Magazine. March 4, 1979. Retrieved August 28, 2018. Disc jockeys included Tom Joyner and LaDonna Tittle. Daddy-O Daylie hosted a Sunday jazz program."WJPC Hosts Big Bash to Kickoff New Name Change", Jet. November 15, 1973. p. 13. Retrieved August 30, 2018. In 1980, the station began nighttime operations, running 5,000 watts using a directional array."Backstage", Ebony. May 1980. p. 22. Retrieved August 29, 2018. In the late 1980s and early '90s the station simulcast the soft urban contemporary format of its sister station 106.3 WLNR in Lansing, Illinois, and was branded "Soft Touch".Chicagoland Radio Waves, MediaTies. Summer 1988 & Spring/Summer 1989. Retrieved August 28, 2018."WLNR FM 106.3", Radio Chicago. Fall 1989. p. 43. Retrieved January 4, 2014."WLNR FM 106.3", Radio Chicago. p. 54. Spring 1991. Retrieved August 30, 2018. At noon on July 15, 1992, the station began airing an all-rap format.Nelson, Havelock. "Rap and black radio", Billboard. November 28, 1992. p. R-6. Retrieved August 28, 2018."Format Changes", The M Street Journal. Vol. 9, No. 27. July 8, 1992. p. 1. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
106 Jamz In 1994, Johnson Publishing sold the station, along with 106.3 WJPC-FM, to Broadcasting Partners for $8 million."Elsewhere", The M Street Journal. Vol. 11 No. 24. June 15, 1994. p. 6. Retrieved August 28, 2018. In June 1994, the station became "106 Jamz", airing an urban contemporary format as a simulcast of WJPC-FM."Format Changes", The M Street Journal. Vol. 11 No. 25. June 22, 1994. p. 1. Retrieved August 28, 2018.Heise, Kenan. "Isadore Pink, WEJM Rap Deejay Pinkhouse", Chicago Tribune. November 8, 1996. Retrieved August 28, 2018. The station's call sign was changed to WEJM later that year, with its FM simulcast partner taking the call sign WEJM-FM. In the spring of 1997, the station was sold to Douglas Broadcasting for $7.5 million."Evergreen to Sell 3 Radio Stations for $64.1 Million", The New York Times. April 9, 1997. p. D 4. Retrieved August 28, 2018.Jones, Tim. "Radio Shuffle Continues", Chicago Tribune. April 9, 1997. Retrieved August 28, 2018. In June 1997, its FM sister station left the simulcast, adopting an urban gospel format as 106.3 WYBA."Format Changes & Updates", The M Street Journal. Vol. 14 No. 22. June 4, 1997. p. 1. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
One-on-One Sports On August 28, 1997, WEJM's format was changed to sports, as a One-on-One Sports affiliate.Hirsley, Michael. "Sports Radio Network Muscles Into Mix", Chicago Tribune. August 29, 1997. Retrieved January 23, 2019."Format Changes & Updates", The M Street Journal. Vol. 14 No. 35. September 3, 1997. p. 2. Retrieved August 28, 2018. Around this time, the station was purchased by One-on-One for $10 million."Elsewhere", The M Street Journal. Vol. 14 No. 35. September 3, 1997. p. 10. Retrieved August 28, 2018. In November 1997, the station's call sign was changed to WIDB. One-On-One was headquartered in suburban Northbrook. The One-on-One Sports affiliation moved to WJKL on March 1, 1999, though the One-on-One Sports format continued to simulcast on WIDB until May 1999.Kirk, Jim. "One-on-one Sports Soon Zero For One On AM" Chicago Tribune. February 24, 1999. Retrieved August 28, 2018."Format Changes & Updates", The M Street Journal. Vol. 16 No. 20. May 19, 1999. p. 2. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
WNTD In 1999, the station was sold to Radio Unica for $16,750,000."Radio Unica Scores In Chicago With WIOB-AM Buy", Radio & Records. February 26, 2018. p. 6. Retrieved August 28, 2018. In May 1999, the station began airing a Spanish-language news-talk format as Radio Unica.Lose a pet? Tractor to sell?", Chicago Tribune. March 02, 2003. Retrieved August 28, 2018.The M Street Radio Directory. Ninth Edition. 2000. p. 224. Retrieved August 28, 2018. The station's call sign was changed to WNTD that month. Personalities heard on Radio Unica included Paul Bouche and Dra. Isabel, among others."Radio Unica 2002 Programming Line-up." HispanicAd.com. December 09, 2001. Retrieved August 28, 2018. Ricardo Brown was news director. In 2004, Multicultural Radio Broadcasting acquired Radio Unica's 15 radio stations for $150 million."Radio Unica vende 15 estaciones AM por 150 millones de dólares", Laredo Morning Times. October 6, 2003. Retrieved June 30, 2019."Chapter 11 Written for Radio Unica", Radio & Records. December 19, 2003. p. 6. Retrieved June 30, 2019.Application Search Details – BAL-20031015AEP, fcc.gov. Retrieved June 30, 2019.