WSBC (1240 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in Chicago, Illinois. It broadcasts brokered programming, mostly ethnic and religious. It is owned by Heartland Signal LLC.
WSBC transmits with 1,000 watts. Its transmitter site is on North Milwaukee Avenue at West Catalpa Avenue in Chicago.Radio-Locator.com/WSBC It shares its tower with sister station WCPT (820 AM).
Programming
WSBC features programming aimed at ethnic communities including Russian, Ukrainian, Latino, Italian, Latvian and Irish. Hosts buy time on the station and may offer their services or seek donations during their shows.
From its beginning, the station has featured a variety of ethnic programming.Knopper, Steve. "Ethnic Radio's Potent, Growing Niche", Billboard. December 21, 1996, pp. 77-78. Retrieved September 20, 2019. The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music holds the Frank Scheibenreif Slovak, Czech, and Romi Sound Recording Collection, ca. 1930-1950. This collection includes 1,001 recordings, including 753 78-R.P.M., 140 45-R.P.M., and 108 LPs; and one book documenting Eastern Europe music prior to World War II, principally from Czechoslovakia and used by Scheibenreif for the WSBC show, "Slovak American Radio Review".
History Early years
WSBC was first licensed on June 26, 1925,FCC History Cards for WSBC, fcc.gov. Retrieved September 19, 2019."Radio Programs", Radio Progress. August 15, 1925. p. 40. Retrieved September 19, 2019."Corrected List of Broadcasting Stations", Radio Age. August 1925. p. 102. Retrieved September 19, 2019. to the World Battery Company at 1219 South Wabash Avenue in Chicago, transmitting on 1430 kHz."New Stations", Radio Servcice Bulletin, July 1, 1925, page 3. Its call sign stood for "World Storage Battery Company"."What those letters on the dial mean", Chicago Tribune Magazine. March 4, 1979. p. 16. Retrieved September 20, 2019.Chicagoland Radio Waves, MediaTies. Summer 1988. Retrieved September 20, 2019. In 1926, its frequency was changed to 1040 kHz and in 1927 it was changed to 1290 kHz.
Following the establishment of the Federal Radio Commission (FRC), stations were initially issued a series of temporary authorizations starting on May 3, 1927."List of broadcasting stations issued temporary permits", Radio Service Bulletin, April 30, 1927, pages 6-14. In addition, they were informed that if they wanted to continue operating, they needed to file a formal license application by January 15, 1928, as the first step in determining whether they met the new "public interest, convenience, or necessity" standard."Extension of Broadcasting Station Licenses", Radio Service Bulletin, December 31, 1927, page 7. On May 25, 1928, the FRC issued General Order 32, which notified 164 stations, including WSBC, that "From an examination of your application for future license it does not find that public interest, convenience, or necessity would be served by granting it.""Appendix F (2): Letter to and list of stations included in General Order No. 32, issued May 25, 1928", Second Annual Report of the Federal Radio Commission for the Year Ended June 30, 1928, Together With Supplemental Report for the Period From July 1, 1928 to September 30, 1928, pages 146-149. However, the station successfully convinced the commission that it should remain licensed.
On November 11, 1928, the FRC implemented a major reallocation of station transmitting frequencies, as part of a reorganization resulting from its implementation of General Order 40. WSBC was assigned to 1210 kHz, sharing time with WCRW and WEDC."Broadcasting Stations", Second Annual Report of the Federal Radio Commission (June 30, 1928), page 175. Its studios and transmitter were located at the New Southern Hotel (later known as the Hotel Crillon) at 13th and Michigan Avenue.
WSBC hired the nation's first full-time African-American radio announcer, Jack Cooper, who on November 3, 1929, began hosting The All-Negro Hour, a vaudevillesque entertainment program.Sterling, Christopher H. (2003). Encyclopedia of Radio 3-Volume Set. Routledge. p. 639. Retrieved September 20, 2019.Bracks, Lean'tin (2012). African American Almanac: 400 Years of Triumph, Courage and Excellence. Visible Ink Press. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
On April 1, 1933, Gene Dyer purchased WSBC from C.J. Gordon, who had operated it since August 1932. At the time, Dyer also owned WGES in Chicago. In 1936, the station's studios and transmitter were moved to the West Town State Bank Building at 2400 W. Madison. In March 1941, the station, along with WCRW and WEDC, was moved to 1240 kHz, as part of the implementation of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement.
In 1944, WSBC was sold to the J. Miller Advertising Agency for $100,000."FCC Approves Sale of WSBC Chicago to J. Miller Adv. Agency for $100,000", Broadcasting. October 2, 1944. p. 66. Retrieved June 9, 2024. In 1954, the station was sold to Louis Lee for $180,000."Ownership Changes", Broadcasting. February 1, 1954. p. 88. Retrieved June 9, 2024. In 1976, control of the station was passed to Louis Lee's son, Danny Lee.Wyman, Bill. "WXRT: Sold Down the River?", Chicago Reader. March 9, 1995. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
1990s to today WSBC's owners purchased timeshare partner WCRW for $564,375, plus $160,000 for a non-compete agreement,"Changing Hands", Broadcasting & Cable. May 20, 1996. p. 50. Retrieved September 21, 2019.Application Search Details – BAL-19960501EA, fcc.gov. Retrieved September 21, 2019. and WCRW signed off for the last time on June 17, 1996."In re: WCRW (AM), Chicago, IL", correspondence from James D. Bradshaw, FCC Deputy Chief, Audio Division, Media Bureau, June 21, 2006. The second timeshare partner, WEDC, ceased operations in 1997, and WSBC began broadcasting fulltime from WEDC's transmitter site.History Cards for WEDC, fcc.gov. Retrieved September 20, 2019."Federal Communications Commission AM Broadcast License", Federal Communications Commission. April 25, 1997. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
In 1998, WSBC was sold to Newsweb Corporation for $5,550,000.Application Search Details – BAL-19971118EA, fcc.gov. Retrieved September 20, 2019."Transactions", Radio & Records. November 7, 1997. p. 6. Retrieved September 21, 2019. Some of the station's programs were simulcast on 1470 WCFJ in Chicago Heights, Illinois."Format Changes & Updates", The M Street Journal. Vol. 15, No. 33. August 19, 1998. p. 2. Retrieved August 25, 2020. In June 1998, WSBC began airing LesBiGay Radio weekday evenings.Feder, Robert. "Soap opera channel to get trial run here", Chicago Sun-Times. June 9, 1998. p. 37. The program was heard on WSBC until April 2001, and was simulcast on WCFJ.Feder, Robert. "Mancow might leave Windy City for Frisco", Chicago Sun-Times. July 17, 2001. p. 49.
In 2024, Newsweb transferred WSBC, along with station WCPT, to Heartland Signal for one dollar.
The station broadcasts in Ukrainian since 2022.
References
External links
FCC History Cards for WSBC (covering 1925-1980)