WLEY-FM (107.9

MHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in terms of SI base u ...

) is a radio station licensed to

Aurora, Illinois Aurora is a city in northeastern Illinois, United States. It is located along the Fox River (Illinois River tributary), Fox River west of Chicago. It is the List of municipalities in Illinois, second-most populous city in Illinois, with a popul ...

, serving Aurora, Chicago,

Naperville Naperville ( ) is a city in DuPage and Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is a southwestern suburb of Chicago located west of the city on the DuPage River. As of the 2020 census, its population was 149,540, making it the state's ...

, Joliet and much of surrounding

Northeast Illinois The Chicago metropolitan area, also referred to as Chicagoland, is the largest metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Illinois, and the Midwest, containing the City of Chicago along with its surrounding suburbs and satellite cities ...

. Owned by

Spanish Broadcasting System Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. (SBS) is an American media company specializing in Spanish-speaking audiences. It is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States. SBS is also invested in television and internet ...

, it broadcasts a

regional Mexican Regional Mexican music refers collectively to the regional subgenres of the country music of Mexico and its derivatives from the Southwestern United States. Each subgenre is representative of a certain region and its popularity also varies by ...

format branded as . WLEY's studios are located in the

Crain Communications Building The Crain Communications Building is a 39-story, 582 foot (177 m) skyscraper located at 150 North Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago, Illinois. It was also known as the Smurfit–Stone Building and the Stone Container Building. While the bui ...

in the Loop, while its transmitter is located in Bloomingdale, with its antenna located atop

WSCR WSCR (670 AM radio, AM) – branded 670 The Score – is a Commercial radio, commercial sports radio station, licensed to Chicago, Illinois, which serves the Chicago metropolitan area. Owned by Audacy, Inc., WSCR is a clear-channel station wit ...

's tower.

History

WMRO-FM

The station was first licensed in 1965, and held the call sign WMRO-FM. It was the FM sister station to AM 1280

WMRO WMRO (1560 AM, "Magic 1560") was a radio station licensed to and serving Gallatin, Tennessee. The station was locally owned by Scott, Leslie, and Sandra Bailey of Classic Broadcasting, Inc. The station's studios and transmitter facilities were ...

. Its transmitter was located atop Aurora's

Leland Tower Leland Tower is a twenty-two-story building on Stolp Island in Aurora, Illinois. Leland Tower was at one point the tallest building in Illinois outside of Chicago. Stolp Island is recognized as a Historical District by the National Register of ...

, and it had an ERP of 3,600 watts. The station broadcast a beautiful music format.Ghrist, John R. (1996). ''Valley Voices: A Radio History''. Crossroads Communications. p. 77-80. WMRO-FM was owned by Vincent Cofey and Benjamin Oswalt.Ownership changes
, ''

Broadcasting Broadcasting is the data distribution, distribution of sound, audio audiovisual content to dispersed audiences via a electronic medium (communication), mass communications medium, typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves), ...

''. October 9, 1967. p. 90. Retrieved March 3, 2019. In 1967, Vincent Cofey purchased controlling interest in the station for $35,000.

WAUR

In 1969, the station's call sign was changed to WAUR and its ERP was increased to 31,200 watts. In 1973, it was sold to Stevens Communications for $343,000.Ownership changes
, ''

''. January 8, 1973. p. 50. Retrieved March 3, 2019. In 1975, WAUR's transmitter was moved to the eastern fringes of Aurora, and its ERP was increased to 50,000 watts at a

HAAT Haat Bazaar () is an open-air market that serves as a trading venue for local people in rural areas and towns mainly in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and India. Haat bazaars are conducted on a regular basis, usually once, twice or thrice a week, a ...

of 488 feet. In the late 1970s, the station aired an

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 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...

format, playing music from the 1960s and 1970s. In the 1980s, WAUR was branded "Gold Rock", playing

oldies Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as well as for a radio format playing this music. Since 2 ...

of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, along with some currents.
Chicago Radio Guide
'. Vol. 1, No. 1. May 1985. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1983
', Broadcasting/Cablecasting, 1983. p. B-69. Retrieved March 3, 2019. In 1986, the station was sold to Midwest Broadcasting for $4 million.Unger, Rudolph.
Aurora FM Outlet to Widen Coverage to Chicago
, ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

''. December 30, 1986. Retrieved March 3, 2019. The following year, WAUR and WMRO were sold to

Beasley Broadcast Group Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc., based in Naples, Florida, is an owner/operator of radio stations in the United States. , the company owns 57 stations under the Beasley Media Group name. History The company was founded in 1961 by George G. Bea ...

for $8.7 million. Beasley Broadcast Group had been a minority owner of Midwest Broadcasting.

WYSY-FM

In March 1988, the station's call letters were changed to WYSY-FM. WYSY-FM aired an adult contemporary format and was branded "Y-108" with the slogan "Doin' It In The 'Burbs!".
Chicagoland Radio Waves
', MediaTies. Summer 1988/Spring-Summer 1989. Retrieved March 3, 2019. In December 1989, its AM sister station WMRO became WYSY, simulcasting Y-108. In September 1992, the station's transmitter was moved to

Bloomingdale, Illinois Bloomingdale is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, DuPage County, Illinois, United States, settled in 1833, and 25 miles northwest of downtown Chicago. The population was 22,382 at the 2020 census. History Bloomingdale is one of the earlies ...

. For a while in 1993, the station played

hot AC 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 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, ...

days and

hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...

metal A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...

at night. In late 1993, WYSY-FM was sold to

Cox Communications Cox Communications, Inc. (also known as Cox Cable and formerly Cox Broadcasting Corporation, Dimension Cable Services and Times-Mirror Cable), is an American digital cable television provider, telecommunications and home automation services comp ...

for $9 million. In January 1994, the station switched to a classic hits format featuring rock, pop, R&B, and

disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...

hits of the 1970s, with the slogan "The Greatest Hits of the '70s". The station was briefly branded "Star 107.9", but changed its branding to "Y107.9" because

WZSR WZSR (105.5 FM, "Star 105.5") is a radio station broadcasting a hot adult contemporary format. Licensed to Woodstock, Illinois, United States, it serves Chicago's northwest suburbs. The station is currently owned by Alpha Media. The station's ...

had registered the "Star" moniker with the state. In 1996, WYSY-FM and 105.9

WCKG WCKG (1530 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Elmhurst, Illinois, and serving the Chicago metropolitan area. It broadcasts a sports radio format and is owned by DuPage Radio, LLC. WCKG is a Fox Sports Radio Network affiliate. ...

were acquired by

Infinity Broadcasting Infinity Broadcasting Corporation was a radio company that existed from 1972 until 2005. It was founded by Michael A. Wiener and Gerald Carrus. It became associated with popular radio personalities like Howard Stern, Opie and Anthony, Don Im ...

as part of a station swap. At the end of the year, Infinity Broadcasting was purchased by the parent company of

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

. This caused CBS/Infinity to exceed the FCC's ownership limits, requiring the sale of two stations. CBS/Infinity decided to sell WYSY-FM and

AM 820.CBS Closes Windy City Deals
, ''

Radio & Records ''Radio & Records'' (''R&R'') was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It started as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006 and became a relaunched sister ...

''. April 11, 1997. p. 9. Retrieved March 3, 2019. In 1997, WYSY was sold to Spanish Broadcasting System for $33 million. On April 14, 1997, at 6 p.m., after playing " Last Dance" by

Donna Summer Donna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the "Queen of Disco", while her music ...

and " Last Song" by

Edward Bear Edward Bear was a Toronto-based Canadian pop-rock group. The band is best known for its chart-topping singles, "You, Me and Mexico", " Last Song", and " Close Your Eyes", used as the signing-off song for Delilah's radio show. History The Edward ...

, WYSY-FM dropped its 1970s hits format and began stunting with a 4-to-5 hour loop of songs primarily from the

format (the first song on the loop being "

Everyday Is A Winding Road "Everyday Is a Winding Road" is the second single from American singer and songwriter Sheryl Crow's 1996 eponymous album. Neil Finn, lead singer of Crowded House, provides backing vocals. Paul Hester, another member of Crowded House, was the ins ...

" by

Sheryl Crow Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She is noted for her Optimism, optimistic and Idealism, idealistic subject matter, and incorporation of genres including Rock music, rock, Po ...

). The format was helmed in a way that served as essentially a predecessor to the future adult hits format, as it was "deejayed" by a voice deemed only as "Bill", who claimed he borrowed a number of CDs and records and was playing "some of isfavorite songs."

WLEY-FM

On July 4, 1997, after almost 3 months of stunting, WYSY adopted a

format branded "". Its call sign was changed to WLEY-FM later that month. By coincidence, WLEY's calls originated on

WCFS-FM 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 ...

(105.9) in the 1950s, standing for Leyden Township. On August 21, 2018, WLEY-FM HD2 began broadcasting ''95.1 Clubsteppin'', an

Urban oldies Urban adult contemporary, often abbreviated as urban AC or UAC, (also known as adult R&B,) is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have hip hop music on ...

format focused on

Chicago stepping Chicago-Style Stepping (also known as Steppin') is a dance that originated in Chicago and continues to evolve nationwide and overseas, while defining its unique style and culture. within urban community. "Chicago-Style Stepping" makes reference ...

. The format was programmed by Lamont Watts. Clubsteppin was simulcast on 95.1 FM by the translators W236CF in Chicago and W236CG in Bolingbrook, which formerly aired a rock format as "The Hound". WLEY-FM HD2 was also simulcast on 103.9 W280EM until May 2020. W280EM's owner, Windy City Broadcasting, was fined $8,000 in March 2022, following an informal objection filed by Albert David, as its owner had never informed the FCC that the translator had switched from rebroadcasting

WTMX WTMX (101.9 FM "The Mix") is a hot AC radio station in Chicago, Illinois. Licensed to Skokie, it is owned by Hubbard Broadcasting. WTMX has its studios located at One Prudential Plaza and its transmitter co-located atop Willis Tower (the for ...

HD2 to WLEY-FM HD2 or of it being taken silent in May 2020.Jacobson, Adam.
A Chicago LPFM Operator Gets Fine for Unauthorized Silence
, ''Radio & Television Business Report''. March 15, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2023.

Boosters

References

External links

* {{Spanish Broadcasting System Mexican-American culture in Illinois LEY-FM LEY-FM Spanish Broadcasting System radio stations Radio stations established in 1965 1965 establishments in Illinois Aurora, Illinois