WCLR (92.5 FM) 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.

History WLBK-FM The station began broadcasting on December 17, 1961, and broadcast at 99.1 MHz.Ghrist, John R. (1996). Valley Voices: A Radio History. Crossroads Communications. p. 419-420. The station was originally WLBK-FM and simulcast AM 1360 WLBK during the day.1963 Broadcasting Yearbook, Broadcasting, 1963. p. B-57. Retrieved October 8, 2018. The station was locally owned and operated in DeKalb. On May 25, 1962, the station's frequency was changed to 92.5 MHz. Gradually in the 1970s, the station added a progressive program known as "Headquarters" at night beginning at 6:00 p.m. and ending with sign-off at 2:00 a.m.

WDEK In October 1976, the station's call sign was changed to WDEK. The station aired an automated Top 40 format during the day and a live album-oriented rock format at night. In 1979, the station became a full-time AOR station."WDEK Ups Power, AOR Slant", Billboard. January 27, 1979. p. 29. Retrieved December 8, 2018."WDEK Rockin' DeKalb at 92 1/2 FM 24 Hours of Rock...", Daily Chronicle. April 14, 1979. WXRT Chicago mid-day jock John Bell was hired as the first Program Director. By late 1984, the station had adopted a Top 40/CHR format as "All Hit WDEK".Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1985, Broadcasting/Cablecasting, 1985. p. B-81. Retrieved December 8, 2018.Chicagoland Radio Waves, MediaTies. Spring-Summer 1989. Retrieved December 8, 2018. WDEK was also an affiliate of The Rockin' America Top 30 Countdown with Scott Shannon (later replaced by American Top 40 with Shadoe Stevens and then by Rick Dees Weekly Top 40), The Dr. Demento Show, and Hot Mix during its Top-40 days.WDEK-FM (Top-40) Aircheck (December 9th, 1985). (20:00: The Rockin' America Top-30 Countdown Clip)

92 Kiss FM

In February 1999, the station's local owners sold WDEK to Big City Radio.Application Search Details - BAL-19980424GG, fcc.gov. Retrieved December 7, 2018."Big City Buys Four More In Chicago", Radio & Records. April 24, 1998. p. 4. Retrieved December 7, 2018. The station became "92 Kiss FM", retaining its CHR format and began simulcasting 92.7 WKIE in Arlington Heights and 92.7 WKIF in Kankakee."Format Changes & Updates", The M Street Journal. Vol. 16, No. 9. March 3, 1999. p. 2. Retrieved December 7, 2018. Melissa Forman hosted mornings on 92 Kiss FM, before moving to 93.9 WLIT-FM in 2001.Rosenthal, Phil. "Melissa Forman out at WLIT-FM -- again", Chicago Tribune. August 13, 2009. Retrieved December 7, 2018.

Energy 92.7&5 On January 12, 2001, Clear Channel's WUBT changed formats from rhythmic oldies to CHR as WKSC-FM "Kiss 103.5"."M Street Bazaar... People, Products, and Programming", The M Street Journal. Vol. 18, No. 03. January 17, 2001. p. 8. Retrieved December 7, 2018. At that time, Clear Channel filed suit against Big City Radio, alleging the "Kiss FM" branding used by WDEK and its simulcasts violated its national trademark.Ross, Sean "Shebel Energizes WKIE With Dance", Billboard. February 17, 2001. p. 63-64. Retrieved December 7, 2018. However, Big City Radio had already planned on changing the formats of these stations. On January 26, 2001, 92 Kiss-FM signed off, and the three stations adopted a dance hits format as "Energy 92.7&5"."Format Changes & Updates", The M Street Journal. Vol. 18, No. 05. January 31, 2001. p. 1-2. Retrieved December 7, 2018. The station's airstaff remained intact. The new format was designed by 92 Kiss FM's program director, Chris Shebel, who has stated that the dance hits format is something he had dreamed of doing for a long time.

Onda 92 In late 2002, Big City Radio became insolvent and began the process of selling all of its radio stations."Big City Radio Announces Auction Of Stations", HispanicAd.com. October 05, 2002. Retrieved December 6, 2018. In early 2003, WDEK, WKIE, and WKIF were sold to Spanish Broadcasting System for $22 million.Oppelaar, Justin. "Spanish B'casting picks up Chi trio", Variety. January 3, 2003. Retrieved December 6, 2018. On January 6, 2003, the three stations adopted a Spanish contemporary format as "Onda 92"."Analysts React To Big City Sell-Off", Radio & Records. pp. 4 & 6. January 10, 2003. Retrieved December 7, 2018.Devine, Cathy (2003). The M Street Radio Directory. Twelfth Edition. p. 193. Retrieved December 7, 2018."Latin Music 6 Pack", Billboard. February 22, 2003. p. LM-2. Retrieved December 7, 2018.

Nine FM / Dance Factory In 2004, Spanish Broadcasting System sold WDEK, WKIE, and WKIF to Newsweb Corporation for $28 million."SBS Closes $28 Million Sale of Chicago FMs to Newsweb", RadioWorld. November 30, 2004. Retrieved December 7, 2018.Lazaroff, Leon. "Democratic donor plans to purchase 3 stations", Chicago Tribune, July 27, 2004. Retrieved December 7, 2018. At 9 a.m. November 29, 2004, WDEK and WKIE began simulcasting with its new adult hits sister station 99.9 WRZA in Park Forest, Illinois, as "Nine FM", with the slogan "We Play Anything".Kampert, Patrick. "Nine FM rolls out 'anything' format on 3 frequencies", Chicago Tribune, December 02, 2004. Retrieved December 7, 2018.Devine, Cathy (2005-2006). The Radio Book. p. 192. Retrieved December, 2018. The first song on the Nine FM simulcast was "With or Without You" by U2. Sky Daniels was the original program director for Nine FM. When he left in 2005, he was replaced by Matt DuBiel.

In 2006, Chris Chudzik began leasing air time for a dance music show called Dance Factory.Feder, Robert. "'Nine FM' filling void with club-style music every night of the week", Chicago Sun-Times, May 10, 2007. Retrieved December 7, 2018. Initially airing overnight on Saturdays, the program was expanded to seven nights a week on May 14, 2007.

Chicago's Progressive Talk Newsweb Corporation dropped the Nine FM programming on all three signals on October 20, 2008, and replaced it with a simulcast of sister station WCPT from 5 a.m. until 9 p.m.Rosenthal, Phil. "'Nine FM' consolidates -- who's left?", Chicago Tribune, October 18, 2008. Retrieved December 7, 2018. The Nine FM format moved to WKIF 92.7 in Kankakee.Rosenthal, Phil. "Harvey Wells to step down from Newsweb Radio in February", Chicago Tribune, December 15, 2009. Retrieved December 7, 2018. On October 27, 2008, the station's call sign was changed to WCPY.

On June 2, 2014, WCPQ and WCPT-FM broke away from the Progressive Talk simulcast and changed their daytime format to Polish language programming as "Polski FM".Feder, Robert. "Newsweb Radio streamlines WCPT talk simulcast", robertfeder.com. Retrieved December 7, 2018. The latter station swapped callsigns with this station shortly thereafter.

K-Love In autumn of 2018, the station was sold to Educational Media Foundation for $1.6 million,Finlon, Katie. "DeKalb station WCPT-FM bought out by Educational Media Foundation", Daily Chronicle. September 28, 2018. Retrieved December 2, 2018.Venta, Lance. "EMF Acquires WCPT-FM", RadioInsight. September 26, 2018. Retrieved December 2, 2018. and the station adopted a Christian contemporary format, as an affiliate of K-Love. The sale was consummated on November 30, 2018, at which point the station's call sign was changed to WCLR.

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