WNTD (950 AM) 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 ...

licensed A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. It is owned by Relevant Radio, Inc. Its has separate day-time (1,000 watts; non-directional) and night-time (5,000 watts; directional) transmitter locations. It is currently one of three stations in the Chicago market that airs

Relevant Radio Relevant Radio (corporate name Relevant Radio, Inc.) is a radio network in the United States, mainly broadcasting talk radio and religious programming involving the Catholic Church. It is the largest Catholic radio network by owned station base. R ...

, a Catholic talk format, 24 hours a day.

History

WAAF

The station was licensed by the Department of Commerce on April 7, 1922. It was one of the first radio stations licensed. It was owned by the '' Chicago Daily Drover's Journal'', with its transmitter and studios at the

Union Stock Yards The Union Stock Yard & Transit Co., or The Yards, was the meatpacking district in Chicago for more than a century, starting in 1865. The district was operated by a group of railroad companies that acquired marshland and turned it into a central ...

.AM Histories
, '' Broadcasting - Telecasting''. October 25, 1948. p. 14. Retrieved August 27, 2018.History Cards for WNTD
fcc.gov. Retrieved August 27, 2018. Its original call letters were WAAF. The station originally broadcast at 620 and 830 kHz. By 1923, the station's frequency had been changed to 1050 kHz. By 1925 the station was broadcasting at 1080 kHz, running 200 watts.
Radio Progress
'. August 15, 1925. p. 38. Retrieved August 29, 2018. By 1927, the station's power had been increased to 500 watts, and the station's frequency was changed to 770 kHz. In 1928, the station's frequency was changed to 920 kHz. The station operated during daytime hours only. The station's programming was initially devoted to trade news, but in 1929, its programming was broadened.1922 - Year Radio's Population Soared
, ''

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 ...

''. May 14, 1962. p. 96. Retrieved August 27, 2018. The station would air a variety of music programs, along with news, live market reports, and a variety of other programs. The station's transmitter and studios were destroyed in the 1934 Stock Yards fire. The station broadcast live coverage of the fire until smoke and heat forced them to leave the building. The station's studios were moved to the

Palmer House The Palmer House – A Hilton Hotel is a historic hotel in Chicago's Loop area. It is a member of the Historic Hotels of America program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Palmer House was the city's first hotel with elevator ...

following the fire. In 1936, the station's power was increased to 1,000 watts. In 1941, the station's frequency was changed to 950 kHz. In the 1940s, the station aired

orchestral music An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, ce ...

and

popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fu ...

. In 1948, the station's studios were moved to the LaSalle-Wacker Building. In 1955, the station began airing "Juke Box Matinee", hosted by Hal Fredericks, in association with the Recorded Music Service Association and the Chicago Juke Box Operators' Association.Chi Music Trade Promotes 'Juke Matinee' on WAAF
, ''

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 adverti ...

''. May 7, 1955. p. 27. Retrieved September 11, 2018. The show featured a monthly "Hunch Tune", which would be promoted on the show and featured as the No. 1 selection in juke boxes.RMSA-WAAF Set 'Juke Box Matinee'
, ''

''. May 14, 1955. p. 84. Retrieved September 11, 2018. The first "Hunch Tune" was "Rollin' Stone" by

Eddie Fontaine Eddie Fontaine (March 6, 1927 – April 13, 1992) was an American actor and singer, best known for television roles in the 1960s and 1970s. Biography Born Edward Reardon in Springfield, Massachusetts, Fontaine signed as a vocalist with RCA in 1 ...

. In 1956, the station 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 m ...

format.Paige, Earl.
WAAF: Stock in Yards & Jazz
, ''

''. November 19, 1966. p. 36. Retrieved August 27, 2018. Personalities heard on the station during its jazz years included Marty Faye,

Daddy-O Daylie Holmes Daylie (May 15, 1920 – February 6, 2003) was a radio jock on radio stations in the 1940s and 1950s that rhymed and rapped playing bebop and was one of the early pioneers of black-appeal radio. His upbeat patter and rhyming delivery from th ...

, Olympic gold medalist

Jesse Owens James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens (September 12, 1913March 31, 1980) was an American track and field athlete who won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games. Owens specialized in the sprints and the long jump and was recognized in his lif ...

, and

Dick Buckley George R. "Dick" Buckley (August 26, 1924 – July 22, 2010) was an American radio presenter who had hosted the jazz program, ''Jazz with Dick Buckley'', on Chicago Public Radio. His program, which was on WBEZ from 1977 through 2008, tended to ...

WGRT

In 1967, the station was sold to a corporation formed by Ralph Atlass, for $900,000. The station's call sign was changed to WGRT ("W-Great!") and it adopted a

soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It has its roots in African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues. Soul music became ...

format. Daddy-O Daylie continued as a DJ on WGRT, hosting a morning jazz program.Daylie Gets Jazz Program With Media Reps Support
, '' Jet''. February 25, 1971. p. 57. Retrieved August 30, 2018.WGRT Specialists' Philosophy
, ''

''. February 24, 1968. p. 24. Retrieved August 30, 2018. Daylie's jazz program was initially two hours long, but was reduced to an hour and a half, and eventually a half hour in 1971. In 1971, the station's transmitter was moved to the Midland Warehouses on Western Avenue in Chicago.

WJPC

On May 29, 1973, the station was purchased by

Johnson Publishing Company Johnson Publishing Company, Inc. (JPC) was an American publishing company founded in November 1942 by African-American businessman John H. Johnson. It was headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. JPC was privately held and run by Johnson until his de ...

for $1,800,000.Duncan, James H.
Major Station Transactions:1970 to 2003
, ''An American Radio Trilogy 1975 to 2004''. Volume 1: The Markets. Duncan's American Radio. Retrieved August 27, 2018.One Big Change Deserves Another
, ''

Ebony Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus '' Diospyros'', which also contains the persimmons. Unlike most woods, ebony is dense enough to sink in water. It is finely textured and has a mirror finish when ...

''. December 1973. p. 10. Retrieved August 27, 2018. On November 1, 1973, the station's call sign was changed to WJPC. The station aired an

urban contemporary Urban contemporary music, also known as urban music, hip hop, urban pop, or just simply urban, is a music radio format. The term was coined by New York radio DJ Frankie Crocker in the early to mid-1970s as a synonym for Black music. Urban conte ...

format. Disc jockeys included

Tom Joyner Thomas Joyner (born November 23, 1949) is an American retired radio host, former host of the nationally syndicated ''The Tom Joyner Morning Show'', and also founder of Reach Media Inc., the Tom Joyner Foundation, and BlackAmericaWeb.com. Early l ...

and LaDonna Tittle. Daddy-O Daylie hosted a Sunday jazz program. In 1980, the station began nighttime operations, running 5,000 watts using a directional array.Backstage
, ''

''. May 1980. p. 22. Retrieved August 29, 2018. In the late 1980s and early 90s the station simulcast the soft urban contemporary format of its sister station 106.3

WLNR WDLX (930 AM) and WGHB (1250 AM) are radio stations broadcasting a sports format. The WDLX/WGHB simulcast is currently owned by Pirate Media Group. Licensed to Washington, North Carolina, United States, WDLX serves the Greenville-New Bern ar ...

in Lansing, Illinois, and was branded "Soft Touch".
Chicagoland Radio Waves
', MediaTies. Summer 1988 & Spring/Summer 1989. Retrieved August 28, 2018. At Noon on July 15, 1992, the station began airing an all- rap format.

106 Jamz

In 1994, Johnson Publishing sold the station, along with 106.3 WJPC-FM, to Broadcasting Partners for $8 million. In June 1994, the station became "106 Jamz", airing an urban contemporary format as a simulcast of 106.3 WJPC-FM. The station's call sign was changed to WEJM later that year, with its FM simulcast partner taking the call sign WEJM-FM. In spring of 1997, the station was sold to Douglas Broadcasting for $7.5 million. In June 1997, its FM sister station left the simulcast, adopting an

urban gospel Urban/contemporary gospel is a modern subgenre of gospel music. Although the style developed gradually, early forms are generally dated to the 1970s, and the genre was well established by the end of the 1980s. The radio format is pitched pri ...

format as 106.3 WYBA.

One-on-One Sports

On August 28, 1997, WEJM 950's format was changed to

sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...

, as a One-on-One Sports affiliate.Hirsley, Michael.
Sports Radio Network Muscles Into Mix
, ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

''. August 29, 1997. Retrieved January 23, 2019. Around this time, the station was purchased by One-on-One for $10 million. In November 1997, the station's call sign was changed to WIDB. One-On-One was headquartered in suburban Northbrook. The One-on-One Sports affiliation moved to WJKL on March 1, 1999, though the One-on-One Sports format continued to simulcast on WIDB until May 1999.Kirk, Jim.
One-on-one Sports Soon Zero For One On AM
''Chicago Tribune.'' February 24, 1999. Retrieved August 28, 2018.Format Changes & Updates
, ''The M Street Journal''. Vol. 16 No. 20. May 19, 1999. p. 2. Retrieved August 28, 2018.

WNTD

In 1999, the station was sold to Radio Unica for $16,750,000. In May 1999, the station began airing a Spanish-language

news-talk Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featu ...

format as Radio Unica. The station's callsign was changed to WNTD that month. Personalities heard on Radio Unica included

Paul Bouche Paul Bouche is an American television host, comedian, media personality and television producer. Paul is the host, creator and producer of a variety of television and radio programs and serves as CCO (Chief Creative Officer) of Astracanada Product ...

and Dra. Isabel, among others.Radio Unica 2002 Programming Line-up.
''HispanicAd.com''. December 09, 2001. Retrieved August 28, 2018. Ricardo Brown was news director. In 2004,

Multicultural Radio Broadcasting Multicultural Broadcasting is a media company based in New York City founded by Chinese-American businessman Arthur Liu. It caters mostly to the Asian American community and owns television and radio stations in several of the top markets in mul ...

acquired Radio Unica's 15 radio stations for $150 million. WNTD was the original affiliate of

Air America Radio Air America (formerly Air America Radio and Air America Media) was an American radio network specializing in progressive talk radio. It was on the air from March 2004 to January 2010. The network was founded as a left wing alternative to counter ...

in Chicago.Left wingin' it
, ''

''. March 31, 2004. Retrieved August 27, 2018. Program hosts included

Al Franken Alan Stuart Franken (born May 21, 1951) is an American comedian, politician, media personality, and author who served as a United States senator from Minnesota from 2009 to 2018. He gained fame as a writer and performer on the television comed ...

Randi Rhodes Randi is both a given name, and a nickname in the English language, popular in North America and Norway. It is primarily a feminine name, although there is recorded usage of the name by men. It may have originated as a pet form of '' Miranda'' ...

, Janeane Garofalo,

Rachel Maddow Rachel Anne Maddow (, ; born April 1, 1973) is an American television news program host and liberal political commentator. Maddow hosts '' The Rachel Maddow Show'', a weekly television show on MSNBC, and serves as the cable network's special e ...

Lizz Winstead Lizz Winstead (born August 5, 1961) is an American comedian, radio and television personality, and blogger. A native of Minnesota, Winstead is the co-creator of ''The Daily Show'' along with Madeleine Smithberg, and served as head writer. Ear ...

and

Chuck D Carlton Douglas Ridenhour (born August 1, 1960), known professionally as Chuck D, is an American rapper, best known as the leader and frontman of the hip hop group Public Enemy, which he co-founded in 1985 with Flavor Flav. Chuck D helped creat ...

. The network launched on March 31, 2004. However, these programs ended after two weeks, on April 14, due to a payment dispute between

, then owner of WNTD, and Air America Radio. On April 15, a judge ruled that Air America had fully paid for airtime on WNTD and ordered Multicultural to broadcast Air America on the station. However, Air America would only continue on the station through the end of the month. WNTD would return to airing a Spanish language format. In 2007, the station was sold to Sovereign City Radio for $15 million. Feder, Robert.
Split Personality
, ''

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 '' Chicago ...

''. October 24, 2007. Retrieved August 28, 2018. In October 2007, Relevant Radio began to air from 6 AM to 6 PM weekdays, while brokered Spanish language programming aired the remainder of the time. From August 2009, until August 14, 2010, WNTD carried "Avenue 950", programmed by Sovereign City Radio Services, which featured an eclectic mix of jazz,

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the ...

, standards, and

adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...

from 6:00 PM to 5:00 AM.Timeless Cool/Avenue 950 Is Moving Away
, ''Chicagoland Radio and Media''. August 14, 2010. Retrieved August 28, 2018. Relevant Radio continued to air during the remainder of the station's schedule. On August 15, 2010, the station began airing Relevant Radio full time. In 2014, the station was sold to Starboard Media Foundation, Inc. for $14.4 million. The transaction was consummated on May 2, 2014.Application Search Details
fcc.gov. Retrieved August 29, 2018.

References

External links

{{Relevant Radio NTD Radio stations established in 1922 1922 establishments in Illinois Catholic radio stations Relevant Radio stations NTD Radio stations licensed before 1923 and still broadcasting