WTBC-FM (100.3 MHz) is a radio station licensed to Chicago, Illinois, with a rhythmic adult hits format, focusing on music from 1990 to 2015. The station is owned by Hubbard Broadcasting, Its studios are located at One Prudential Plaza, with transmitter facilities atop the John Hancock Center downtown.
The station has had multiple owners since coming on the air in 1948, but has usually carried lighter music depending on industry trends, never veering too far towards any type of hard rock or rap format and specifically programmed to appeal to office listeners, and since 1997, additionally has been structured playlist-wise to avoid any competition with its higher-rated sister station WTMX.
History Beautiful music era The station began broadcasting in 1948 as WFMF, owned by Field Enterprises."Field Music Service Via FM Bucks Muzak", Billboard. December 31, 1949. p. 6. Retrieved September 21, 2018. WFMF aired a beautiful music format, and its programming was used for over the air background music in stores, including Field's own department stores.O'Connor, Richard. (2009). A Brief History of Beautiful Music Radio, Percy Faith Pages. Retrieved September 21, 2018."FM Units Double in Two Year Period", Broadcasting. February 20, 1961. p. 82. Retrieved February 16, 2019. The station's studios and transmitter were originally located at the Carbide & Carbon Building. In 1957, WFMF was sold to Maurice, Lois, Jerome, and Lucille Rosenfield, for $125,000."Ownership Changes", Broadcasting - Telecasting. September 30, 1957. p. 105. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
By the mid-1950s, it had the fifth most listeners of any Chicago station during evening hours. In 1955, the FCC attempted to force stations airing "functional music" to confine such programming to subcarriers."Functional Music, Inc. v. Federal Communications Commission, Functional Music, Inc. v. United States of America, Federal Communications Commission, 274 F.2d 543 (D.C. Cir. 1959)", United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Argued June 10, 1958. Decided November 7, 1958. Filed October 12, 1959. Court Listener. Retrieved September 22, 2018."FCC-to-FM Ops: 'You Must Stop Simplex Music'", Billboard. October 13, 1958. pp. 14, 18. Retrieved September 22, 2018."FCC to Appeal Court Functional Music Okay", Billboard. November 24, 1958. p. 13. Retrieved September 22, 2018. WFMF's owners successfully challenged this FCC rule in court, with the station's large listenership among the general public being cited by the United States Court of Appeals in their 1958 ruling. In 1959, WFMF became the first beautiful music FM station to be listed in a Hooper Ratings book.
In 1966, the station was sold to Century Broadcasting for $450,000."Ownership Changes", Broadcasting. March 14, 1966. p. 95. Retrieved September 22, 2018. In 1970, its transmitter was moved to the John Hancock Center, while its studios were moved there the following year.
In May 1974, the station's call sign were changed to WLOO, with the "L" often written in lower case to resemble a "1" to reflect its "FM-100" branding. The station continued to air a beautiful music format;"Stations, everywhere: a listeners' guide to the AM and FM bands", Chicago Tribune Magazine, March 4, 1979. p. 35. Retrieved September 22, 2018. mostly instrumental renditions of pop songs along with some soft vocalists. In the late 1970s, it was the second most listened to station in Chicago."The Chicago area's most popular radio stations", Chicago Tribune Magazine, March 4, 1979. p. 15. Retrieved September 22, 2018. During this time, a version of its format known as the "FM 100 Plan" was syndicated by Darrell Peters to over 100 other stations across the country.Carruthers, Michael. "Beautiful Music Programming", Broadcast Programming & Production. January/February 1978. p. 23. Retrieved September 22, 2018.Feder, Robert. "Darrel Peters 1933-2017", Robert Feder. October 19, 2017. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
Through the 1980s, WLOO continued airing an easy listening format, albeit with more vocals by adult contemporary artists and fewer by standards artists.Chicago Radio Guide. Vol. 1, No. 1. May 1985. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
WXEZ-FM In 1988, the call sign changed to WXEZ-FM, standing for "Extra Easy".Chicagoland Radio Waves, MediaTies. Summer 1988. Retrieved September 22, 2018. The station evolved to a soft adult contemporary format, playing more vocals and fewer instrumentals."WXEZ Moving To Soft AC", Radio & Records. August 18, 1989. pp. 5, 38. Retrieved September 22, 2018."WXEZ FM 100.3", Radio Chicago, Winter 1990. p. 61. Retrieved September 22, 2018. The station was simulcast on WXEZ AM 820. Its owner, Century Broadcasting, lost an age discrimination suit that was filed by announcers who they had fired and replaced with younger announcers when the station became WXEZ.Grady, William. "Court Upholds Bias Ruling", Chicago Tribune. March 25, 1992. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
WPNT-FM On November 16, 1990, the station's call sign were changed to WPNT-FM, branded as "100.3 The Point", and it began airing a hot adult contemporary format, playing hits of the 1980s and current product."WPNT FM 100.3", Radio Chicago, Winter 1991. p. 59. Retrieved September 23, 2018."100.3 The Point - 1993 jingles", Chicagoland Radio and Media. September 8, 2014. Retrieved September 23, 2018. The station was initially simulcast on 820 AM (which itself took the WPNT calls), but in early January 1991, its AM sister was taken off the air while its owner sold off that station and its transmitter site was re-located.Feder, Robert. "'Zoned' news bits - Ch. 5 to add daily cable cut-ins for suburbs", Chicago Sun-Times. January 3, 1991. p. 53."Format Changes", The M Street Journal. Vol. 8, No. 1. January 7, 1991. p. 1. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
In 1994, Steve Cochran began hosting morning drive.Kening, Dan. "Minneapolis Morning Star Jumps Into the Fray in Chicago", Chicago Tribune. January 25, 1994. Retrieved September 23, 2018. In 1996, Fred Winston replaced Cochran as morning host.
In spring 1997, WPNT was sold to Evergreen Media for $73 million in a transaction brokered by Bob Heymann and Jack Minkow. At this time, the station was branded "Chicago's 100.3" with the slogan "The Radio Station That Picks You Up & Makes You Feel Good", airing a hot AC format, including 1980s and 1990s hits, along with currents.
When Evergreen acquired WPNT, Chancellor and Evergreen were in the process of completing their merger."Chancellor Media Takes Flight; Pilots In Place", Radio & Records. September 12, 1997. pp. 1, 26. Retrieved September 23, 2018. The newly formed Chancellor would own too many stations in the Chicago market per FCC ownership limits.Jones, Tim. "Evergreen Switching Stations", Chicago Tribune. April 11, 1997. Retrieved September 23, 2018. As a result, WLUP and WPNT were sold to Bonneville International, which already owned hot AC station WTMX.
WNND-FM As WPNT would provide in-house competition to the higher-rated WTMX, on October 6, 1997, WPNT adopted a differentiating adult contemporary format of its own as "Windy 100"."Format Changes & Updates", The M Street Journal. Vol. 14 No. 40. October 8, 1997. p. 1. Retrieved September 23, 2018. That month, the station's call letters were changed to WNND to match the new moniker. The first song on "Windy" was "Forever Young" by Rod Stewart. On December 10, 2002, the station rebranded as "100.3 WNND" and shifted to an 80s/90s hits format. WNND also carried the nighttime request and dedication show "Love Notes", hosted by John Symons."John Symons' 'Love Notes' aircheck - WNND-FM 10/15/04", Chicagoland Radio and Media. October 15, 2014. Retrieved September 23, 2018."WNND - John Symons Signoff - 11/04/04", Chicagoland Radio and Media. April 13, 2012. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
WILV On November 5, 2004, at 7a.m., the station adopted a rhythmic AC/rhythmic oldies format as "100.3 Love FM", and its call sign was changed to WILV."WNND/Chicago Falls in Love", Radio & Records. November 12, 2004. pp. 3, 12. Retrieved September 23, 2018.Devine, Cathy (2005). The M Street Radio Directory. 2005-2006 Edition. p. 191. Retrieved September 23, 2018. In 2006, Tommy Edwards joined "Love FM" as afternoon host, moving to mornings in 2007."Love Finds Tommy Edwards In Chicago", All Access Music Group. October 20, 2006. Retrieved September 23, 2018.Feder, Robert. "Edwards set to move up to mornings on Love FM", Chicago Sun-Times. February 13, 2007. Retrieved September 23, 2018. Edwards would later host weekends before leaving for 104.3 WJMK in 2011."WJMK-FM Hires Famed Chicago DJ Tommy Edwards", Chicagoland Radio and Media. March 21, 2011. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
In 2008, the station again became known as "Chicago's 100.3" and it aired an adult contemporary format.Devine, Cathy (2009). The Radio Book. Eighteenth Edition. p. 201. Retrieved September 23, 2018.Venta, Lance. "WILV Rewound No More", Radio Insight. December 1, 2013. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
On June 7, 2010, at 1p.m., WILV became "Rewind 100.3", airing a 1980s based classic hits format, along with some music from 1970s and 1990s.
Bonneville announced the sale of WILV, as well as 16 other stations, to Hubbard Broadcasting on January 19, 2011. The sale was completed on April 29, 2011.
On December 1, 2013, WILV rebranded back to the "Chicago's 100.3" moniker.Feder, Robert. "Station breaks from ‘Rewind’ branding", Robert Feder. December 8, 2013. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
WSHE-FM On March 2, 2015, the station rebranded as "SHE 100.3", and changed their call sign from WILV to WSHE-FM, retaining the same fulltime air staff. By coincidence, Hubbard also holds the same set of calls on the other side of the Mississippi River for KSHE, a heritage classic rock station in St. Louis.
In May 2021, WSHE shifted its format from adult contemporary to adult hits, dropping currents and recurrents from their playlist.
On July 29, 2022, at 10a.m., WSHE shifted its adult hits format to emphasize 90's and 2000s music, branded as "The NEW 100.3...SHE Loves the 90s and 2000s".
WTBC-FM On May 2, 2024, WSHE-FM rebranded as "Throwback 100.3". With the change, the station added some early 2010s music to the playlist; the station otherwise remains unchanged in either pre-2015 playlists and on-air staff.WSHE Goes Millennial Hits as Throwback 100.3 The station's calls were changed to WTBC-FM on June 6 to reflect its slogan, with the WSHE calls warehoused on the former WWFD in the Washington, D.C. area.
The station's current, weekday airstaff included Brooke & Jeffrey (mornings), Randi West (middays), Rick Hall (afternoons) and Ginger Jordan (evenings).
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