WCFS-FM (105.9 MHz) – branded Newsradio 105.9 WBBM – is a commercial all-news radio station licensed to the Chicago suburb of Elmwood Park, Illinois. Owned by Audacy, Inc., the station services the Chicago metropolitan area, operating as a full-time simulcast of WBBM (780 AM).
WCFS-FM has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 4,100 watts.FM Query Results: WCFS-FM, fcc.gov. Retrieved March 10, 2019. The transmitter is atop the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower). The studios and newsroom are located at Two Prudential Plaza in the Loop."Contact Us", WBBM. Retrieved March 10, 2019.Feder, Robert. "WBBM Newsradio dedicates studio to Eric Brown", RobertFeder.com. June 26, 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2019. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WCFS-FM broadcasts over two HD Radio subchannels,http://hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?id=4 HD Radio Guide for Chicago and is available online via Audacy.
History WLEY The station originally held the call sign WLEY and broadcast at 107.1 MHz.Broadcasting–Telecasting Yearbook Number 1950, Broadcasting–Telecasting, 1950. p. 133. Retrieved February 2, 2019.History Cards for WCFS-FM, fcc.gov. Retrieved February 2, 2019. WLEY was founded in February 1948, with commercial broadcasts beginning in April. The "LEY" in its call letters stood for Leyden Township, which contains the city of license of Elmwood Park.Ghrist, John R. (1996). Valley Voices: A Radio History. Crossroads Communications. p. 313-314. WLEY was owned by Zeb Zarnecki. The station broadcast in English and Polish.Migała, Józef (1987). Polish Radio Broadcasting in the United States. Eastern European Monographs. pp. 151-156, 231. WLEY broadcast the "Polish Barn Dance", hosted by Zeb Zarnecki, along with other programs for the local Polish community.
Internationally known Old Time Radio Historian Chuck Schaden had his first radio broadcasts on Elmwood Park's WLEY. In the early 1950's Mr. Schaden brokered airtime from Mr. Zeb Zarnecki.
The station's studios and transmitter were located on Harlem Ave, in Elmwood Park. It had an ERP of 320 watts at a height above average terrain (HAAT) of 240 feet. In 1949, its ERP was increased to 1,000 watts and its HAAT was increased to 250 feet. In 1955, the station's ERP was increased to 32,000 watts and its frequency was changed to 105.9 MHz, after the previous occupant of that frequency, WFMT, moved to 98.7 MHz.History Cards for WFMT, fcc.gov. Retrieved February 2, 2019. WLEY was taken silent in 1956.
WXFM In 1957, the station was sold to Evelyn Chauvin Schoonfield, a school teacher from Detroit, for $22,500, and its call sign was changed to WXFM."Ownership Changes", Broadcasting – Telecasting. January 28, 1957. p. 104. Retrieved February 3, 2019. In the early 1960s, the FCC investigated several unauthorized transfers of control, which placed renewal of the station's license in jeopardy."Who's on First? Ignorance of the law may cost WXFM (FM) license renewal", Broadcasting. August 26, 1963. p. 54-55. Retrieved February 3, 2019. However, the FCC allowed Schoonfield to keep the license, and authorized the sale of the station to WXFM Inc., with controlling interest owned by Robert Victor."Teacher Wins Fight to Operate FM Station", Sponsor. July 13, 1964. p. 4. Retrieved February 3, 2019."Ownership changes", Broadcasting. September 6, 1963. p. 80. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
In the 1960s and 1970s, WXFM featured a variety of musical programming, including classical, jazz, show tunes, folk music, light classical, and MOR programs."FM Units Double in Two Year Period", Broadcasting. February 20, 1961. p. 82. Retrieved February 16, 2019.Bundy, June. "Vox Jox", Billboard. February 20, 1961. p. 37. Retrieved February 4, 2019."Music as Written", Billboard. February 8, 1960. p. 24. Retrieved February 4, 2019."FM Station Key", U.S. Radio. Vol. 5, No. 1. January 1961. p. 13. Retrieved February 3, 2019.Paige, Earl. "Chicago MOR/Classical FM Station Encouraged By Triad Programming", Billboard. May 29, 1971. pp. 32, 36. Retrieved February 4, 2019.Broadcasting Yearbook 1976, Broadcasting, 1976. p. C-59. Retrieved February 4, 2019. On October 3, 1962, it became an affiliate of the QXR Network."WXFM Will Join QXR Network on Wednesday", Chicago Tribune. September 28, 1962. p. C10.Biro, Nick. "Stereo Called FM's Most Exciting Tool", Billboard. April 13, 1963. p. 41. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
In 1966, the station's transmitter was moved to 333 North Michigan Ave. in Downtown Chicago, and in 1974 its transmitter was moved to the Sears Tower.
In 1970, Triad Radio, a freeform program, began airing on the station. Triad Radio began on March 31, 1969, as a three hour weekly program on 105.1 WEAW-FM. The program eventually aired for five hours nightly on WXFM, and continued to air on the station through 1977.Childers, Scott (2008). Chicago's WLS Radio. Arcadia Publishing. Retrieved February 5, 2019."Looking Back", The AOR Story. Radio & Records. 1978. p. 9. Retrieved February 5, 2019. In June 1977, a major change of format was announced, from progressive, including jazz and classical music, to "good hard rock and only good hard rock". Triad Radio published a free monthly magazine that was distributed through retail outlets.
Dick Lawrence, historian and radio personality, hosted "Sound of the 1920s" an original hour-long feature program of vintage music 'old scratchies' woven together by offbeat historical themes.Heise, Kenan. "Dick Lawrence, 66; Was Host of WNIB Weekly Radio Show", Chicago Tribune. March 31, 1992. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
Count Bee-Jay's "Journeys Into Music", broadcast from a truck stop at 39th and Morgan to the radio station was a daily feature on WXFM from the 70s into the early 80s.
In 1978, Herb Kent began hosting a show on WXFM."Inside Track", Billboard. July 8, 1978. p. 82. Retrieved February 4, 2019.Moser, Whet. "RIP Herb Kent: Cool Gent, King of the Dusties (and Former Classical and Punk DJ)", Chicago. October 26, 2016. Retrieved February 4, 2019."Herb Kent aircheck, WXFM-FM 7/13/81", Chicagoland Radio and Media. February 28, 2017. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
In the early 1980s, jazz began to dominate WXFM's schedule.Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1983, Broadcasting/Cablecasting, 1983. p. B-73. Retrieved February 4, 2019.McCormick, Moria. "Count B.J. Out of Work as WXFM Abandons Jazz", Billboard. February 11, 1984. p. 14. Retrieved February 4, 2019."Cox Picks Jeffries as WXFM's PD", Radio & Records. March 2, 1984. pp. 1, 32. Retrieved February 4, 2019. Personalities on the station at this time included Daddy-O Daylie and Dick Buckley.Reich, Howard. "Air-Waives", Chicago Tribune. February 21, 1993. Retrieved February 4, 2019. Pervis Spann hosted an overnight blues show.Baker, Cary. "WXOL Chicago Plays The Blues", Billboard. May 16, 1981. p. 27. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
WAGO In 1984, the station was sold to Cox Communications for $9 million."Cox Pays $9 Million For WXFM/Chicago", Radio & Records. August 19, 1983. p. 3. Retrieved February 4, 2019.Application Search Details – BALH-19830912HC, fcc.gov. Retrieved February 4, 2019. On April 2, 1984, Cox launched a contemporary hits format on the station, and its call sign was changed to WAGO.Bornstein, Rollye. "Vox Jox", Billboard. April 14, 1984. p. 14. Retrieved February 4, 2019. The station was branded "G-106"."Chicago's WAGO Switches: Outlet Now AOR-Formatted WCKG", Billboard. March 16, 1985. p. 14. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
WAGO featured John Records Landecker in mornings, who had made a name for himself on 890 WLS.Bornstein, Rollye. "Vox Jox", Billboard. September 8, 1984. p. 12. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
Rock era On March 4, 1985, the station's format was changed to album oriented rock (AOR) and its call letters were changed to WCKG. John Records Landecker continued hosting the morning show on WCKG until 1986, when he returned to 890 WLS.Chicago Radio Guide. Vol. 1, No. 1. May 1985. Retrieved February 4, 2019.Freeman, Kim. "Vox Jox", Billboard. March 22, 1986. p. 26. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
By 1987, WCKG had transitioned into a classic rock format.Chicagoland Radio Waves, MediaTies. Summer 1988/Spring-Summer 1989. Retrieved February 4, 2019."Winter '87 Arbitron Ratings", Billboard. May 2, 1987. Retrieved February 4, 2019.Freeman, Kim. "Winter Arbs Hot and Cold", Billboard. May 2, 1987. p. 81. Retrieved February 4, 2019. On-air personalities included Stephanie Miller, John Howell, Mitch Michaels, Allan Stagg, Joe Thomas, Debbie Alexander, and Rich Koz."WCKG FM 105.9", Radio Chicago. Fall 1989. p. 34. Retrieved February 4, 2019."WCKG FM 105.9", Radio Chicago. Winter 1990. p. 51. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
WCKG picked up the syndicated Howard Stern Show for mornings in March 1995. After Stern tried to foment a local rivalry with the locally-based Mancow Muller on WRCX by attacking the personality, his boss, and their families, Cox dropped the show in October 1995. The station blamed issues with "some of Howard's on-air content", and one day later, it was picked up by WJJD, then owned by Infinity Broadcasting, who distributed the show.
In an ironic twist, WCKG would sold to Infinity Broadcasting and become WJJD's sister station in 1996, with Cox acquiring Infinity stations in Orlando in exchange."Transactions", Radio & Records. May 24, 1996. p. 6. Retrieved February 5, 2019. At the end of the year, Infinity Broadcasting was purchased by the parent company of CBS."Westinghouse to Change Name to CBS After Spinoff", Bloomberg News. Los Angeles Times. February 6, 1997. Retrieved March 10, 2019. This would then clear the way for Stern to return to 105.9 after one year on the AM band.
Hot talk era
The station began evolving to a hot talk format in July 1996 with the addition of Steve Dahl in the afternoons and Stern returning to mornings, while classic rock continued to air in the remainder of the schedule.Kirk, Jim. "Contract Talks With Brandmeier, Dahl, Stern a Hot Topic for Infinity", Chicago Tribune. June 4, 2000. Retrieved February 5, 2019. In 1998, Jonathon Brandmeier began hosting middays on WCKG, and the station further moved into a hot talk format. During this time, the station was branded "105.9 The PaCKaGe".
In 2002, rock music was re-added to the station's schedule in certain hours, and its slogan became "Talk That Rocks". On April 1, 2002, Kevin Matthews joined WCKG as midday host.Mowatt, Raoul V. "WCKG-FM feels a lot like home to Kevin Matthews", Chicago Tribune. April 19, 2002. Retrieved February 5, 2019. Other personalities and programs during this era include, Patti Haze & Mary Pat LaRue, Pete McMurray, Opie and Anthony, Karen Hand and Dr. Kelly Johnson, Bill O'Reilly, Jim Cramer, Buzz Kilman, Wendy Snyder, Frankie "Hollywood" Rodriguez, Bob Sirott, Marianne Murciano, Little Steven's Underground Garage, and The House of Blues Radio Hour with Elwood Blues. The rock music was removed from the station's schedule by early 2005.