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WIND (AM)
Encyclopedia
WIND "AM 560" is a radio station
based in Chicago, Illinois, broadcasting its talk radio
format on 560 kHz.
Its current owner is Salem Media, a company specializing primarily in Christian radio
. WIND is similar to many of Salem's other secular talk stations, airing a lineup consisting of syndicated conservative
talkers including Glenn Beck
, Michael Medved
, Dennis Prager
, Michael Savage
, Hugh Hewitt
, Mike Gallagher
, and former Saturday Night Live
star Dennis Miller
. A local show hosted by former country music disc jockey Big John Howell and Amy Jacobson airs weekday mornings. News headlines from Fox News Radio
are aired hourly.
. Atlass also started WBBM, Chicago. It was initially known as WJKS and operated on the 1360 KC frequency, sharing it with WSBT (owned by the South Bend Tribune
), and WGES
. The station moved to its present 560 KC dial spot in 1929, after Chicago stations WIBO and WPCC who were also operating at the 560 KC frequency, were shut down.
WIND's coverage map notes a 4 tower directional array located South and East of Chicago along I-80/94 near Cline Ave. The North lobe of their signal went to Milwaukee
24 hours daily. Another lobe of the directional signal extended toward Indianapolis during the day, but was shut off at sunset. At 560 on the dial, with 5000 watts, the signal easily blanketed the Chicago market.
WIND's studios were located on the 3rd floor of the South tower of the Wrigley Building
.
According to old Chicago Tribune radio schedules (found on the website JJ's radio logs) in the late 40's WIND was the "hit music" station for Chicago, mostly playing contemporary music. It also featured Cubs and Sox baseball and big band programs, including Lawrence Welk
.
WIND's programming has always been music and personality driven. In the 50's, Howard Miller (1994), a Chicago radio personality, started a longtime run as Chicago's top rated morning DJ. For the next 20 years, Miller claimed the top spot in Chicago morning radio ratings, only to be toppled in the 1970s by WGN's Wally Phillips
.
Over the years, other WIND personalities included Bernie Allen, Lee Rogers, Dick Williamson, Perry Marshall, Kassidy, Joel Sebastian (1986),, Milo Hamilton
, Doug Dalghren, Chuck Benson and Kurt Russell, Clark Weber
, Jerry G Bishop, Ron Riley, Ron Britain, Steve King
, Bill Jurek, and Connie Szerszen
.
Overnight programing began with "Night Watch" featuring Bruce Lee, several other hosts, then Larry Johnson, then Chicago Eddie Schwartz
(1946–2009) (who was also music director for a time).
From the 1940s until the demise of the music format, following the 2:00am newscast, WIND played "The Whiffenpoof Song." The station had a library of over 100 versions of this song.
In 1956, Atlass sold WIND to Westinghouse
. Westinghouse expanded the news department, adding such names as Walt Hamilton, Dick Brazie, Dick Elliott and Bernard Shaw
(later of CNN
). WIND pioneered 5 minute newscasts at the top and bottom of every hour, and a "meteorologist" (for many years, Earl Finckle) doing the weather forecast, hourly.
By the 1960s, though WIND, along with other Westinghouse stations employed a "gentle top 40" (an early version of what is now called Hot Adult Contemporary), sometimes derisively called "chicken rock" music format, WLS did much better in the ratings. Several Westinghouse stations went to an all-news format. Others like WIND evolved into adult contemporary formats by the 1970s. Instead of competing against WLS they opted to compete against WGN and its MOR/talk format.
By 1977 WIND played music during the day along with local news until 10:00 p.m. when they would switch to call-in talk programming featuring Dave Baum (called "Contact"). Similar formats were on Westinghouse sister stations like WBZ in Boston, Massachusetts, WOWO
in Fort Wayne, Indiana
and KDKA
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
.
During these years, WIND and WGN had similar formats except the latter played less music. By 1978 WIND switched to a (mostly satellite delivered) news/talk format and opted to add local talk shows in the morning.
According to Radio and Records, a radio trade publication, the WIND oldies format was strong until FM station WKFM 103.5 changed call letters to WFYR when it was purchased by RKO for one million dollars (a record price for an FM at the time) and broadcast "Drake-Chenault" automated oldies in stereo.
When WIND evolved into talk, the tape cartridges, which held the 2000+ song music library, were sent to WOWO, Fort Wayne, another Westinghouse station.
In 1981, when WIND added all-news blocks between 6:00-9:00 a.m. and 3:00-7:00 p.m. the station did not perform as well as sister stations. In 1985 Westinghouse sold WIND to Tichenor Radio for $6 million and left the Chicago market. The radio station then moved to the 625 N. Michigan building.
Westinghouse later returned to the area by purchasing WMAQ-AM 670 from NBC
in 1987.
In 1985 WIND became a Spanish adult contemporary music station, including Spanish-language news and talk show
s. WIND evolved into Spanish news and talk by 1990, but eventually brought back music. In 1998 Tichenor merged with Heftel Broadcasting (which Clear Channel Communications
had acquired controlling interest in 1996) to form Hispanic Broadcasting, in which Clear Channel retained a minority stake. Five years later, when Hispanic Broadcasting merged with Univision
, Clear Channel relinquished its minority stake in the company, which was renamed Univision Radio
.
In 2004 Univision Radio swapped stations with Salem. Univision Radio wanted to move their music format to an FM station, while Salem wanted a major AM station as an outlet for its syndicated talk radio
programming. This resulted in Salem owning WIND while Univision Radio got WPPN
106.7. WIND once again became an English-language talk station.
to carry Fighting Illini
football and men's basketball games, as well as the coaches shows, through the Illini Sports Radio Network.
WIND is also the alternate station of the Chicago Blackhawks
during baseball season/the Stanley Cup Playoffs
during scheduling conflicts in lieu of WGN
(720), as the Chicago Cubs
have contractual priority to air their games on WGN over the Blackhawks.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
based in Chicago, Illinois, broadcasting its talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
format on 560 kHz.
Its current owner is Salem Media, a company specializing primarily in Christian radio
Christian radio
Christian radio is a category of radio formats that focus on transmitting programming with a Christian message. In the United States, where it is more established, many such broadcasters play popular music of Christian influence, though many programs have talk or news programming covering...
. WIND is similar to many of Salem's other secular talk stations, airing a lineup consisting of syndicated conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
talkers including Glenn Beck
Glenn Beck
Glenn Edward Lee Beck is an American conservative radio host, vlogger, author, entrepreneur, political commentator and former television host. He hosts the Glenn Beck Program, a nationally syndicated talk-radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks...
, Michael Medved
Michael Medved
Michael Medved is an American radio host, author, political commentator and film critic. His Seattle, Washington-based nationally syndicated talk show, The Michael Medved Show, airs throughout the U.S...
, Dennis Prager
Dennis Prager
Dennis Prager is an American syndicated radio talk show host, syndicated columnist, author, and public speaker. He is noted for his conservative political and social views emanating from conservative Judeo-Christian values. He holds that there is an "American Trinity" of essential principles,...
, Michael Savage
Michael Savage (commentator)
Michael Savage is a conservative American radio host, author, and political commentator. He is the host of The Savage Nation, a nationally syndicated talk show that airs throughout the United States on Talk Radio Network...
, Hugh Hewitt
Hugh Hewitt
Hugh Hewitt is an American radio talk show host with the Salem Radio Network, lawyer, academic, and author. An outspoken Republican, evangelical Christian, he comments on society, politics, and media bias in the United States. Hewitt is also a law professor at Chapman University School of Law.-...
, Mike Gallagher
Mike Gallagher
Mike Gallagheris an American radio host and conservative political commentator. He is the host of The Mike Gallagher Show, a nationally-syndicated radio program that airs throughout the United States on Salem Radio Network and is also a FOX News Channel Contributor and guest host...
, and former Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
star Dennis Miller
Dennis Miller
Dennis Miller is an American stand-up comedian, political commentator, actor, sports commentator, and television and radio personality. He is known for his critical assessments laced with pop culture references...
. A local show hosted by former country music disc jockey Big John Howell and Amy Jacobson airs weekday mornings. News headlines from Fox News Radio
Fox News Radio
Fox News Radio is an American radio network programmed by Fox News Channel.- History :In 2003, Fox News began syndicating one minute radio updates to radio stations via syndication service Westwood One. On June 1, 2005, Fox News Radio employed 60 people and provided five minute newscasts at the top...
are aired hourly.
History
WIND first signed on in 1927. It was started by Ralph Atlass, originally licensed to Gary, IndianaGary, Indiana
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...
. Atlass also started WBBM, Chicago. It was initially known as WJKS and operated on the 1360 KC frequency, sharing it with WSBT (owned by the South Bend Tribune
South Bend Tribune
The South Bend Tribune is a newspaper distributed in the Michiana region. There are five editions for distribution in southwestern lower Michigan, Mishawaka , Marshall County, and the South Bend Metro area. The South Bend Tribune has a daily circulation of 70,703 and Sunday circulation of...
), and WGES
WGRB
WGRB, 1390 AM, is a radio station in Chicago owned by Clear Channel Communications. It airs a gospel music format targeted to Chicago's African-American religious community...
. The station moved to its present 560 KC dial spot in 1929, after Chicago stations WIBO and WPCC who were also operating at the 560 KC frequency, were shut down.
WIND's coverage map notes a 4 tower directional array located South and East of Chicago along I-80/94 near Cline Ave. The North lobe of their signal went to Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
24 hours daily. Another lobe of the directional signal extended toward Indianapolis during the day, but was shut off at sunset. At 560 on the dial, with 5000 watts, the signal easily blanketed the Chicago market.
WIND's studios were located on the 3rd floor of the South tower of the Wrigley Building
Wrigley Building
The Wrigley Building is a skyscraper located directly across Michigan Avenue from the Tribune Tower on the Magnificent Mile...
.
According to old Chicago Tribune radio schedules (found on the website JJ's radio logs) in the late 40's WIND was the "hit music" station for Chicago, mostly playing contemporary music. It also featured Cubs and Sox baseball and big band programs, including Lawrence Welk
Lawrence Welk
Lawrence Welk was an American musician, accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted The Lawrence Welk Show from 1955 to 1982...
.
WIND's programming has always been music and personality driven. In the 50's, Howard Miller (1994), a Chicago radio personality, started a longtime run as Chicago's top rated morning DJ. For the next 20 years, Miller claimed the top spot in Chicago morning radio ratings, only to be toppled in the 1970s by WGN's Wally Phillips
Wally Phillips
Walter Phillips was an American radio personality best known for hosting WGN's morning radio show from Chicago for 21 years from January 1965 until July 1986, and was number one in the morning slot from 1968 until he left for an afternoon radio slot in 1986.Phillips was a pioneer of the radio...
.
Over the years, other WIND personalities included Bernie Allen, Lee Rogers, Dick Williamson, Perry Marshall, Kassidy, Joel Sebastian (1986),, Milo Hamilton
Milo Hamilton
Leland Milo Hamilton is an American sportscaster, best known for calling play-by-play for seven different Major League Baseball teams since 1953...
, Doug Dalghren, Chuck Benson and Kurt Russell, Clark Weber
Clark Weber
Clark Weber has been an American radio personality in Chicago, Illinois. He runs his own radio advertising consultancy, Clark Weber Associates. In July 2008 he published a book, Clark Weber's Rock and Roll Radio: The Fun Years, 1955-1975...
, Jerry G Bishop, Ron Riley, Ron Britain, Steve King
Steve King (radio)
Steve King is a radio personality who has been heard on several different stations, almost all in the Chicago area. For more than 25 years, King and his wife, Johnnie Putman, have hosted on "The Steve and Johnnie Show" overnights on WGN....
, Bill Jurek, and Connie Szerszen
Connie Szerszen
Connie Szerszen is an American female radio personality, currently heard on www.ChicagoRadioOnLine.com, hosting the Classic Hits Channel with legendary DJ Fred Winston. Szerszen is a native Chicagoan of Polish ancestry. While she was Talent Coordinator at WCFL, Szerszen was discovered by air...
.
Overnight programing began with "Night Watch" featuring Bruce Lee, several other hosts, then Larry Johnson, then Chicago Eddie Schwartz
Ed Schwartz
Ed Schwartz was a Chicago media personality who hosted local late-night radio programs from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s. He was nicknamed "Chicago Ed."-Early life and education:...
(1946–2009) (who was also music director for a time).
From the 1940s until the demise of the music format, following the 2:00am newscast, WIND played "The Whiffenpoof Song." The station had a library of over 100 versions of this song.
In 1956, Atlass sold WIND to Westinghouse
Westinghouse Electric (1886)
Westinghouse Electric was an American manufacturing company. It was founded in 1886 as Westinghouse Electric Company and later renamed Westinghouse Electric Corporation by George Westinghouse. The company purchased CBS in 1995 and became CBS Corporation in 1997...
. Westinghouse expanded the news department, adding such names as Walt Hamilton, Dick Brazie, Dick Elliott and Bernard Shaw
Bernard Shaw (journalist)
Bernard Shaw is a retired American journalist and former news anchor for CNN from 1980 until his retirement in March 2001.-Early years:...
(later of CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
). WIND pioneered 5 minute newscasts at the top and bottom of every hour, and a "meteorologist" (for many years, Earl Finckle) doing the weather forecast, hourly.
By the 1960s, though WIND, along with other Westinghouse stations employed a "gentle top 40" (an early version of what is now called Hot Adult Contemporary), sometimes derisively called "chicken rock" music format, WLS did much better in the ratings. Several Westinghouse stations went to an all-news format. Others like WIND evolved into adult contemporary formats by the 1970s. Instead of competing against WLS they opted to compete against WGN and its MOR/talk format.
By 1977 WIND played music during the day along with local news until 10:00 p.m. when they would switch to call-in talk programming featuring Dave Baum (called "Contact"). Similar formats were on Westinghouse sister stations like WBZ in Boston, Massachusetts, WOWO
WOWO
Located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, WOWO is an independent news/talk radio station transmitting on 1190 kHz at 50,000 watts during the daylight hours and 9,800 watts during the nighttime hours. An application is on file with the Federal Communications Commission to add a fourth tower to the three...
in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
and KDKA
KDKA (AM)
KDKA is a radio station licensed to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Created by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation on November 2, 1920, it is one of the world's first modern radio stations , a distinction that has also been challenged by other stations, although it has claimed to be the first in...
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
.
During these years, WIND and WGN had similar formats except the latter played less music. By 1978 WIND switched to a (mostly satellite delivered) news/talk format and opted to add local talk shows in the morning.
According to Radio and Records, a radio trade publication, the WIND oldies format was strong until FM station WKFM 103.5 changed call letters to WFYR when it was purchased by RKO for one million dollars (a record price for an FM at the time) and broadcast "Drake-Chenault" automated oldies in stereo.
When WIND evolved into talk, the tape cartridges, which held the 2000+ song music library, were sent to WOWO, Fort Wayne, another Westinghouse station.
In 1981, when WIND added all-news blocks between 6:00-9:00 a.m. and 3:00-7:00 p.m. the station did not perform as well as sister stations. In 1985 Westinghouse sold WIND to Tichenor Radio for $6 million and left the Chicago market. The radio station then moved to the 625 N. Michigan building.
Westinghouse later returned to the area by purchasing WMAQ-AM 670 from NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
in 1987.
In 1985 WIND became a Spanish adult contemporary music station, including Spanish-language news and talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
s. WIND evolved into Spanish news and talk by 1990, but eventually brought back music. In 1998 Tichenor merged with Heftel Broadcasting (which Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
had acquired controlling interest in 1996) to form Hispanic Broadcasting, in which Clear Channel retained a minority stake. Five years later, when Hispanic Broadcasting merged with Univision
Univision
Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
, Clear Channel relinquished its minority stake in the company, which was renamed Univision Radio
Univision Radio
Univision Radio is the radio division of media giant Univision Communications, Inc., which also ownsthe Univision television network. The company was formerly known as Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation. It is the eighth largest radio company in the United States, and the largest Hispanic radio...
.
In 2004 Univision Radio swapped stations with Salem. Univision Radio wanted to move their music format to an FM station, while Salem wanted a major AM station as an outlet for its syndicated talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
programming. This resulted in Salem owning WIND while Univision Radio got WPPN
WPPN
WPPN is an FM radio station licensed to Des Plaines, Illinois that targets the Chicago metropolitan area. WPPN broadcasts on 106.7 MHz with a Spanish AC format....
106.7. WIND once again became an English-language talk station.
Sportscasts
Effective July 1, 2005, WIND entered into a three-year agreement with the University of IllinoisUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
to carry Fighting Illini
Illinois Fighting Illini
The Fighting Illini are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The University offers 10 men's and 11 women's varsity sports....
football and men's basketball games, as well as the coaches shows, through the Illini Sports Radio Network.
WIND is also the alternate station of the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
during baseball season/the Stanley Cup Playoffs
Stanley Cup playoffs
The Stanley Cup playoffs is an elimination tournament in the National Hockey League consisting of four rounds of best-of-seven series. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records...
during scheduling conflicts in lieu of WGN
WGN (AM)
WGN is a radio station in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is the only radio station owned by the Tribune Company, which also owns the flagship television station WGN-TV, the Chicago Tribune newspaper and Chicago magazine locally. WGN's transmitter is located in Elk Grove Village, Illinois...
(720), as the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
have contractual priority to air their games on WGN over the Blackhawks.