WCPY (92.7 FM) is a

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio st ...

licensed to

Arlington Heights, Illinois Arlington Heights is a municipality in Cook County with a small portion in Lake County in the U.S. state of Illinois. A suburb of Chicago, it lies about northwest of the city's downtown. Per the 2020 Census, the population was 77,676. Per th ...

, and serving the Chicago area. WCPY airs a

Polish language Polish (Polish: ''język polski'', , ''polszczyzna'' or simply ''polski'', ) is a West Slavic language of the Lechitic group written in the Latin script. It is spoken primarily in Poland and serves as the native language of the Poles. In addit ...

format during the daytime, as "Polski FM", while airing a

Dance Hits Dance/Mix Show Airplay (formerly Hot Dance Airplay) is a monitored electronic dance music radio chart that is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. History The chart came about as a result of the small but influential impact of electronic d ...

format at night known as "Dance Factory FM". Studios are located on Chicago's Northwest Side. During at 5am Sundays this programmed aired during Sunday Mornings as Viewpoints Radio and Radio Health Journal. The station is owned by Newsweb Corporation. WCPY transmits on a tower with

WPPN WPPN is an FM radio station licensed to Des Plaines, Illinois that targets the Chicago metropolitan area. WPPN broadcasts on 106.7 MHz with a Spanish AC format. The station's studios are located at 625 North Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago, ...

and

WPNA-FM WPNA-FM (103.1 MHz) is a Polish radio station in Chicago, Illinois. It is owned by The Polish National Alliance, through licensee Alliance Radio, LLC. The station is licensed to Highland Park, Illinois and its transmitter is located in Arlington ...

in nearby

Buffalo Grove Buffalo Grove, officially the Village of Buffalo Grove, is a village in Lake and Cook County, Illinois. A suburb of Chicago, it lies about northwest of Downtown Chicago. As of the 2020 Census, Buffalo Grove has a population of 43,212. It tota ...

at 1,800 watts.

History

WNWC

The station began broadcasting on March 10, 1960, holding the call sign WNWC ("North West Communities").Ghrist, John R. (1996). ''Valley Voices: A Radio History''. Crossroads Communications. p. 327-330. In July 1961, the station was purchased by Bob Atcher and Thomas Hogan. WNWC would air a wide variety of non-rock music. It aired four hours of country music a day before increasing it to 12 hours a day in November 1963. In 1965, Lester Vihon purchased the station for $110,000. By 1966, it was airing

hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest h ...

evenings.From the Music Capitals of the World
, ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

''. June 25, 1966. p. 36. Retrieved December 3, 2018. The station was off the air temporarily in June 1966, after a

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, althou ...

toppled its tower. In early 1968, the station was sold to auto dealer Walter Mack for $150,000.

WEXI

In April 1968, the station's call sign was changed to WEXI, and was branded "Stereo Excitement". WEXI aired

easy listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, no ...

music during the day and a

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Initi ...

format overnight. Shortly thereafter, it adopted a

top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " cont ...

format.WEXI-FM Swings to MOR Format
, ''

''. November 14, 1970. p. 26. Retrieved December 3, 2018. In November 1970, the station adopted a

beautiful music Beautiful music (sometimes abbreviated as BM, B/EZ or BM/EZ for "beautiful music/easy listening") is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in North American radio from the late 1950s through the 1980s. Easy listening, elevator mu ...

format, with the slogan "Spreading Clean Air over Chicagoland".

WWMM

In autumn 1972, the station was sold to Community Broadcasters for $230,000, and its call sign was changed to WWMM. WWMM aired contemporary middle of the road music, along with some talk programs.
1974 Broadcasting Yearbook
',

Broadcasting Broadcasting is the distribution of audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves), in a one-to-many model. Broadcasting began wi ...

, 1974. p. B-60-61. Retrieved December 4, 2018.Mahsman, David. "'New-Old' FM Station Brings 'Sexy Radio' to Town", '' The Herald''. November 3, 1972. Among the shows on WWMM in this period was "Love in the Afternoon", a sex talk program hosted by Jonathan Kingsley. By 1976, the station had adopted a

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major f ...

format.
Broadcasting Yearbook 1976
',

, 1976. p. C-56. Retrieved December 4, 2018. In 1976, the station was sold to Northwest Community Broadcasting for $500,000. By 1977, WWMM was airing a MOR- adult contemporary format, with the slogan "Radio for the Great Northwest".
Broadcasting Yearbook 1977
',

, 1977. p. C-59. Retrieved December 4, 2018.

WTCO

In spring of 1981, the station was sold to Radio Communications Group and its call sign was changed to WTCO. WTCO aired a country music format.
Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1982
', Broadcasting/Cablecasting, 1982. p. C-67. Retrieved December 4, 2018. In 1982, the station was sold to Darrell Peters Productions for $550,000.

WSEX

Darrell Peters Productions applied to change the station's call sign to WSEX on September 26, 1982, but the application was rejected.Sex Appeal: Illinois Asks FCC to Sanction WSEX Change
, ''

''. November 20, 1982. p. 12. Retrieved December 4, 2018. An application to reconsider was submitted, and the call sign change was approved on January 24, 1983. WSEX aired an adult contemporary format called "Love Songs & More".
Chicago Radio Guide
', Vol. 1, Issue 1. May 1985. Retrieved December 4, 2018. In January 1986, the station adopted a "Top 10" format, playing songs that had reached the top 10 within the past five years.
Chicagoland Radio Waves
', MediaTies. Summer 1988. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1987
', Broadcasting/Cablecasting, 1987. p. B-84. Retrieved December 4, 2018.

WCBR-FM

The station became "Chicago's Bear", and its call sign was changed to WCBR-FM on January 9, 1989.
Chicagoland Radio Waves
', MediaTies. Spring-Summer 1989. Retrieved December 8, 2018. WCBR-FM aired an

adult album alternative Adult album alternative (also triple-A, AAA, or adult alternative) is a radio format. See pages 9 and 10Mills, Joshua. "A New Radio Music Format: Rock for Prosperous Adults" New York Times, Feb 28 1994, p. 2. ProQuest. Web. Accessed September 4, 2 ...

format. As the 90's progressed, it began to air brokered programming nights and weekends.Kening, Dan.
Riding a New Sound Wave
, '' Chicago Tribune''. January 15, 1995. Retrieved December 5, 2018. WCBR-FM also aired

Chicago Wolves The Chicago Wolves are a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League and are the top minor-league affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League. The Wolves play home games at the Allstate Arena in the ...

hockey.Galo, Maria T.
Suburban Voice Moving
, '' Chicago Tribune''. June 25, 1999. Retrieved December 5, 2018. In 1998, the station was sold to Big City Radio for $17 million.Kirk, Jim
Channel 7 May Snag NBC Seattle News Chief
, '' Chicago Tribune''. July 2, 1998. Retrieved December 5, 2018. Many of the brokered programs that were on WCBR-FM moved to 94.3 WJKL in Elgin. Purchased by Big City Radio at the same time was 92.7 WLRA in Kankakee. When Big City Radio took control of the two stations, they stunted with a simulcast of their

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

sister station 107.1

KLYY KLYY (97.5 MHz, "José 97.5") is a commercial FM radio station located in Riverside, California, broadcasting to the Inland Empire, Greater Los Angeles areas. KLYY airs a Spanish adult hits music format. It operates from studios in Los Angeles w ...

, which aired a

modern rock Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music. Radio format Mod ...

format. WLRA's call sign was changed to WBRO shortly thereafter.Call Sign History (WVLI)
fcc.gov. Retrieved December 5, 2018.

92 Kiss FM

On November 14, 1998, at Noon, WCBR and WBRO launched their new official format, CHR as "92.7 Kiss FM", with the first song being "

Kiss A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction ...

" by

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

. Feder, Robert.
'Kiss FM' set to debut 'in your face' attitude
, ''

Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the '' Chicag ...

''. November 12, 1998. Retrieved December 5, 2018.WCBR Becomes 92.7 Kiss FM
, ''Format Change Archive''. November 14, 1998. Retrieved December 5, 2018. This would be Chicago's first true CHR station in many years and proved to be quite successful, even with the two stations' weak signals. In late December 1998, the station's call sign was changed to WKIE, while WBRO's call sign was changed to WKIF. Big City Radio also purchased

WDEK WDEK (1170 AM) is a daytimer radio station licensed to Lexington, South Carolina, and serving the Columbia metropolitan area. It is owned by The Meeting Place Church of Greater Columbia and it airs a gospel music radio format. By day, WDEK i ...

92.5 in

DeKalb, Illinois DeKalb ( ) is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. The population was 43,862 according to the 2010 census, up from 39,018 at the 2000 census. The city is named after decorated Franconia Franconia (german: Franken, ; Franconi ...

, which was airing a locally programmed CHR format at the time, and switched it to a simulcast of WKIE and WKIF in early 1999. Not long after, the moniker was adjusted to "92 Kiss FM". Melissa Forman hosted mornings on 92 Kiss FM, before moving to 93.9

WLIT-FM WLIT-FM (93.9 MHz, "93.9 Lite FM") is a radio station in Chicago, Illinois. Owned by iHeartMedia, it broadcasts a soft adult contemporary format. Its studios are located at the Illinois Center complex in the Chicago Loop, while the station trans ...

in 2001. Rosenthal, Phil.
Melissa Forman out at WLIT-FM -- again
, '' Chicago Tribune''. August 13, 2009. Retrieved December 6, 2018.

Energy 92.7&5

On January 12, 2001, Clear Channel's WUBT changed formats from

rhythmic oldies Rhythmic oldies is a radio format that concentrates on the rhythmic, R&B, disco, or dance genres of music. Playlists can span from the 1960s through the 2000s and, depending on market conditions, may be designed for African-American or Hispanic a ...

to CHR as

WKSC-FM WKSC-FM (103.5 MHz) – branded "103.5 Kiss FM" – is a commercial Top 40 (CHR) radio station licensed to Chicago, Illinois. Owned by iHeartMedia, it broadcasts a Top 40 (CHR) format. Its studios are located at the Illinois Center complex o ...

"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 6, 2018. At that time, Clear Channel filed suit against Big City Radio, alleging the " Kiss FM" branding used by WKIE and its simulcasts violated its national trademark.Ross, Sean
Shebel Energizes WKIE With Dance
, ''

''. February 17, 2001. p. 63-64. Retrieved December 6, 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 Dance/Mix Show Airplay (formerly Hot Dance Airplay) is a monitored electronic dance music radio chart that is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. History The chart came about as a result of the small but influential impact of electronic d ...

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 6, 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 In accounting, insolvency is the state of being unable to pay the debts, by a person or company (debtor), at maturity; those in a state of insolvency are said to be ''insolvent''. There are two forms: cash-flow insolvency and balance-sheet ins ...

and began the process of selling all of its radio stations. In early 2003, WKIE, WKIF and WDEK were sold to

Spanish Broadcasting System Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. (SBS) is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States. SBS is also invested in television and internet properties, deriving the majority of its income from advertising through i ...

for $22 million. On January 6, 2003, the three stations adopted a

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

contemporary Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is ...

format as "Onda 92".
Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2003-2004
',

Broadcasting & Cable ''Broadcasting & Cable'' (or ''Broadcasting+Cable'') is a weekly telecommunications industry trade magazine published by Future US. Previous names included ''Broadcasting-Telecasting'', ''Broadcasting and Broadcast Advertising'', and ''Broadcasti ...

, 2003-2004. p. D-141. Retrieved December 7, 2018.

Nine FM / Dance Factory

In 2004, Spanish Broadcasting System sold WKIE, WKIF and WDEK to

Newsweb Corporation Newsweb Corporation is a printer of ethnic and alternative newspapers in the United States, based in Chicago, Illinois. The company also owns several radio stations in the Chicago area. Newsweb was founded in 1971 by Chicago entrepreneur, politica ...

for $28 million.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, WKIE and WDEK began simulcasting with its new adult hits sister station 99.9 WRZA in

Park Forest, Illinois Park Forest is a village located south of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, with a small southern portion in Will County, Illinois, United States. The village was originally designed as a planned community for veterans returning from World War II ...

, 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. 187. Retrieved December, 2018. The first song on the Nine FM simulcast was "

With or Without You "With or Without You" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the third track on their fifth studio album, ''The Joshua Tree'' (1987), and was released as the album's lead single on 16 March 1987. The song was the group's most successful singl ...

" 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 Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded dance ...

show called Dance Factory. Feder, Robert.
'Nine FM' filling void with club-style music every night of the week
, ''

'', 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. Dance Factory has continued to air overnight on the station, even as its daytime format has changed. Rosenthal, Phil.
'Nine FM' consolidates -- who's left?
, '' Chicago Tribune'', October 18, 2008. Retrieved December 7, 2018.Venta, Lance.
Chicago Liberal Talker To Shift FM Signals To Brokered Polish
, ''Radio Insight''. May 5, 2014. Retrieved December 7, 2018.

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. The Nine FM format moved to WKIF 92.7 in Kankakee. On October 27, 2008, the station changed its callsign from WKIE to WCPT-FM, to go with the format.

Polski FM

On June 2, 2014, WCPT-FM and 99.9 WCPQ broke away from the Progressive Talk simulcast and changed their daytime format to Polish, branded as "Polski FM". Feder, Robert.
Newsweb Radio streamlines WCPT talk simulcast
, robertfeder.com. Retrieved December 7, 2018. WCPT-FM then swapped callsigns with 92.5 WCPY in DeKalb, which remained part of the Progressive Talk simulcast. In 2018, 99.9 WCPQ was sold to

Bible Broadcasting Network The Bible Broadcasting Network (BBN) is a listener-supported global Conservative Christian radio network staffed and headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was founded in 1971 by Lowell Davey, who was the network's president until his dea ...

, and it adopted a Christian format as WYHI. Polski FM was then briefly simulcast on 640

WMFN WMFN (640 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a black-oriented news format. The station is owned by Birach Broadcasting. Licensed to Peotone, Illinois and currently serving Chicago, it first began broadcasting in Zeeland, Michigan in 1990 un ...

in the summer of 2018.

References

External links

Dance Factory FM
* {{coord, 42.137091, -87.982496, display=title CPY Polish-language radio stations in the United States Dance radio stations Radio stations established in 1960 1960 establishments in Illinois