WCKG
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| WCKG | |
 |
|
| City of license | Elmwood Park, Illinois |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Chicago, Illinois |
| Branding | 105.9 Free FM |
| First air date | 1950s (as WXFM) 1984 (as WCKG) |
| Frequency | 105.9 FM (MHz) |
| Format | Hot talk |
| ERP | 4100 watts |
| Class | B |
| Callsign meaning | Chic(K)aGo |
| Owner | CBS Radio |
| Website | Free FM website |
WCKG, also known as 105.9 Free FM, is a youth leaning talk radio station serving the Chicago market and is owned by CBS Radio.
[edit] History
WCKG began life at WXFM on 105.9 in a non-air-conditioned three room shack behind an awning store near Grand and Harlem in Elmwood Park, Illinois. The tower is still there on the west side of Harlem Ave, but the WCKG transmitter was one of the first on the Sears Tower.
Originally a local station for Elmwood Park, WXFM was on 107.1 in the early 50s, moving to 105.9 by 1960. When the FCC shut down Chicago FM WCLM (because they broadcast horse race results on their sub-carrier), WXFM moved to the WCLM studio in the 333 N. Michigan Building, downtown.
WXFM played a mix of classical music, folk music, and broadway showtunes. Sponsors included Polk Brothers (for the overnight show). The station also featured jazz and was the original home of TRIAD - an "underground rock show. It was affiliated with the "Market One Network" a sales rep who also sold for WQXR in New York.
Announcers in the 1960s included Stu Olsen (now in California, Al Von Maisch (the overnight host) Tod Branson (later Milwaukee sportscaster) and Tom Jurek.
The callsign changed to WAGO in the mid 1980s, and now WCKG.
The station was owned by WXFM Incorporated. In 1984 the station was sold to Cox Communications. The format was changed to AOR and the call letters became WCKG. Initially the station played rock from 1964 through the then-present day, focusing on 1970s rock, but still playing a lot of current product.
By the late 1980s the station began to lean classic rock, and by 1990, WCKG was a classic rock station. The station was sold to CBS Radio on May 16, 1996. The station evolved into a talk format on July 8, 1996 with the addition of Chicago radio legend Steve Dahl, and adding The Howard Stern Show on July 22 of that year. By 1998, WCKG had evolved to a talk format outside of overnights and weekends; the remaining music would be phased out by 1999. The return of rock to overnights and weekends in 2002 resulted in the station's re-positioning as "Talk That Rocks"; the playlist initially focused on active rock which slowly evolved to mainstream rock before being removed again by 2004. On October 25, 2005, with the re-branding of Infinity-owned FM talk stations to the "Free FM" brand, WCKG became known as "105.9 WCKG, Chicago's Free FM".
With Stern's departure for Sirius Satellite Radio on December 16, 2005, Infinity announced at that time that effective January 3, 2006, WCKG would become the flagship radio station of Rover's Morning Glory. Following months of poor ratings, Rover's Morning Glory was dropped on August 1, 2006, and was replaced with the New York-based The Opie and Anthony Show. Steve Dahl continues to anchor the radio station with his afternoon drive-time show featuring newsman Buzz Kilman.
In 2006, WCKG became the flagship station of the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association. Neil Funk and Bill Wennington are the game announcers. WCKG also broadcasts some Westwood One sports programming when there is a conflicting program on WSCR.
[edit] Weekday Line-Up
- 5AM-8AM- Opie & Anthony
- 8AM-11AM- Garry Meier
- 11AM-2PM- Stan & Terry
- 2PM-7PM- Steve Dahl
- 7PM-9PM- Matt Dahl
- 9PM-12AM- Glen Beck(commentator
- 12AM-2AM- Loveline
- 2AM-5AM- John & Jeff
[edit] External link
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