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.
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.Radio-Locator.com/WYHI
History WKAK The station signed on the air on January 5, 1962.Broadcasting Yearbook 1976, Broadcasting, 1976. p. C-60. Retrieved July 9, 2018. From its launch until 1975, the station had the call sign WKAK.History Cards for WYHI, fcc.gov. Retrieved July 8, 2018. It was originally owned by Kenneth Baker, Willis Maltby, and Claude Baker. 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. It was Kankakee's first FM station.Benoit, Caleb. "Schrock calls 1,800th game on local radio", Daily Journal, March 27, 2009. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
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.Hall, Claude. "Vox Jox", Billboard, July 13, 1968. p. 23. Retrieved July 8, 2018."WKAK-FM in Shift", Billboard, April 12, 1969. p. 28. Retrieved July 8, 2018. By 1972, the majority of the station's playlist was popular music, with standards comprising a quarter of the station's playlist."Changing Formats", Broadcasting, June 26, 1972. p. 31. Retrieved July 8, 2018. In June 1972, the station's format was changed to country music. In late 1974, Claude Baker and Luella Feller sold the station to Harry Fitzgerald, Howard Dybedock, and Benedict Cerven Sr. for $132,315."Changing Hands", Broadcasting, November 18, 1974. pp. 50-51. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
WBYG On April 7, 1975, the station's call sign was changed to WBYG. The station's branding called it "The Big One".Ghrist, John R. (1996). Valley Voices: A Radio History. Crossroads Communications. p. 293-298. As WBYG, the station began airing an adult contemporary format. 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.
By 1979, WBYG began airing an album-oriented rock format."AOR", Radio & Records, September 16, 1983. p. 58. Retrieved July 9, 2018.Broadcasting Cablecasting Yearbook 1985, Broadcasting/Cablecasting, 1985. p. B-83. Retrieved July 9, 2018."Milner Buys WBYG", Radio & Records, January 20, 1984. p. 3. Retrieved July 10, 2018. In early 1984, Harry Fitzgerald, Howard Dybedock, and Ben Cerven sold the station to Gene Milner Broadcasting for $1.2 million."Application Search Details", fcc.gov. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
The Bus On February 15, 1985, the station's call sign was changed to WBSW. It was branded as "The Bus"."Pilot Alert: Beware of Flying Bus", The Southern Illinoisan. June 17, 1985. p. 3.Chicagoland Radio Waves, MediaTies. Summer 1988. Retrieved July 14, 2018.Chicago Radio Guide, Vol. 1, Issue 1. May 1985. Retrieved August 9, 2018. The Bus continued WBYG's album rock format."Regional AOR Activity", Radio & Records, July 26, 1985. p. 66. Retrieved August 9, 2018.Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1986, Broadcasting/Cablecasting, 1986. p. B-88. Retrieved August 9, 2018. 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.
Soon thereafter, the Bus flipped to a CHR/Top 40 format.Broadcasting/Cable Yearbook 1989, Broadcasting/Cable, 1989. p. B-93. Retrieved July 9, 2018.Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1996, Broadcasting & Cable, 1996. p. B-129. Retrieved July 9, 2018."Radio Station Index by Format", Radio Chicago, Spring 1991. p. 2. Retrieved July 9, 2018. The station's call sign was changed to WBUS on April 1, 1987. The station aired Casey's Top 40 on Sunday mornings."WBUS FM 99.9", Radio Chicago, Fall 1990. p. 49. Retrieved July 14, 2018."Weekend & Varied Programming Schedules", Chicago Airwaves. November/December 1993. December 1993. p. 17. Retrieved July 14, 2018.Brown, Lana. "Lana Brown: Local memories of Casey Kasem", Daily Journal, June 21, 2014. Retrieved July 10, 2018. It also played dance mixes at night."WBUS FM 99.9", Radio Chicago, Winter 1991. p. 49. Retrieved July 11, 2018. The Bus lasted until 1996, when Milner Broadcasting sold the station to Z-Spanish Network for $7 million.The M Street Journal, July 3, 1996. p. 8. Retrieved July 9, 2018. "The Bus" branding would return to a CHR station in the area in 1998, on 100.7 WBVS in Coal City, Illinois."Format Changes & Updates", The M Street Journal. Vol. 15 No. 14. April 8, 1998. p. 1. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
Spanish language formats Z-Spanish Network launched a Regional Mexican format on the station, branded "La Zeta".Riera, Alejandro. "11th Viva! Chicago Fest Should Be Among The Best", Chicago Tribune, August 20, 1999. Retrieved July 9, 2018.Elving, Bruce F. (1997). FM Atlas, Seventeenth Edition. p. 198. Retrieved July 9, 2018.Unmacht, Robert; McCrummen, Pat (1998). The M-Street Radio Directory. p. 213. Retrieved July 9, 2018. On September 23, 1996, the station's call sign was changed to WRZA. In 2000, Z-Spanish Network was acquired by Entravision Communications."Signs of the Times", Radio & Records, 30th Anniversary Issue. 2003. p. 113. Retrieved July 11, 2018. 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.Obejas, Achy. "All Mexican, All The Time", Chicago Tribune, January 05, 2001. Retrieved July 27, 2018.Jacobson, Adam. "Entravision Exits Windy City", Radio & Records, January 23, 2004. p. 4. Retrieved July 10, 2018.Apel, Steve; Devine, Cathy (2001-2002). The M-Street Radio Directory. p. 190. Retrieved July 10, 2018. In May 2001, the station's city of license was changed from Kankakee to Park Forest, Illinois.Technical Statement Concerning Application for Modification of License, du Treil, Lundin & Rackley, Inc. fcc.gov. May 11, 2001. Retrieved July 9, 2018. In 2004, Entravision Communications sold the station, along with 750 AM WNDZ, to Newsweb Corporation for $24 million.Lazaroff, Leon. "Democratic donor plans to purchase 3 stations", Chicago Tribune, July 27, 2004. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
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".Devine, Cathy (2005-2006). The Radio Book. p. 202. Retrieved July 10, 2018.Kampert, Patrick. "Nine FM rolls out 'anything' format on 3 frequencies", Chicago Tribune, December 02, 2004. Retrieved July 10, 2018. 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. 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.Dance Factory, Nine FM. Internet Archive. Archived June 14, 2006. Retrieved July 11, 2018.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. Initially airing overnight on Saturdays, the program was expanded to seven nights a week on May 14, 2007. Dance Factory continued to air overnight until Newsweb sold the station, even as the station's daytime format changed.
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."Nine FM/Chicago To Simulcast WCPT Talk", All Access Music Group. October 17, 2008. Retrieve July 10, 2018.Rosenthal, Phil. "'Nine FM' consolidates -- who's left?", Chicago Tribune, October 18, 2008. Retrieved July 10, 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 July 11, 2018. The station's call sign was changed to WCPQ on October 27, 2008.
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".Venta, Lance. "Chicago Liberal Talker To Shift FM Signals To Brokered Polish", Radio Insight. May 5, 2014. Retrieved December 7, 2018.Feder, Robert. "Newsweb Radio streamlines WCPT talk simulcast", robertfeder.com. Retrieved July 10, 2018. After the station's sale to Bible Broadcasting Network, Polski FM briefly moved to WMFN AM 640.
Bible Broadcasting Network On March 20, 2018, Newsweb announced it would sell WCPQ to the Bible Broadcasting Network for $5,099,000."Polski Parting Now Official", Radio+Television Business Report. June 1, 2018. Retrieved July 10, 2018.Venta, Lance. "Bible Broadcasting Acquires WCPQ Park Forest IL", Radio Insight. March 20, 2018. Retrieved July 10, 2018.Asset Purchase Agreement, fcc.gov. Retrieved July 10, 2018. The sale was consummated on May 31, 2018."Application Search Details", fcc.gov. Retrieved July 10, 2018. On that day, the new owners changed the station's call sign to WYHI. The station joined the Bible Broadcasting Network on June 12, 2018.WYHI – Park Forest / Chicago - 99.9 FM, Bible Broadcasting Network. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
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