WCLR (92.5 FM) is a

radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting 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 rad ...

located in

DeKalb, Illinois DeKalb ( ) is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,290 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The city is named after decorated Franconian-French war hero Johann de Kalb, who died during the Ameri ...

. The station is owned by

Educational Media Foundation Educational Media Foundation (formerly EMF Broadcasting, abbreviated EMF) is an American nonprofit Christian media ministry based in Franklin, a suburb of Nashville. EMF is the parent company of K-LOVE and Air1—the world's largest contempor ...

, and airs a

Christian contemporary Contemporary Christian music (CCM), also known as Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music, is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christian faith an ...

format, as an affiliate of

K-Love K-Love (stylized as K-LOVE) is an American Christian radio network. Owned by the Educational Media Foundation (EMF), a non-profit Christian ministry, it primarily broadcasts contemporary Christian music. As of June 2019, the network's progr ...

. The station's signal can be heard from Rockford to Joliet and includes the Fox Valley region.

History

WLBK-FM

The station began broadcasting on December 17, 1961, and broadcast at 99.1 MHz.Ghrist, John R. (1996). ''Valley Voices: A Radio History''. Crossroads Communications. p. 419-420. The station was originally WLBK-FM and simulcast AM 1360

WLBK WLBK (1360 AM) is an American radio station licensed to serve the community of DeKalb, Illinois. The station, established in 1947, is owned and operated by DeKalb County Broadcasters, Inc. The station was assigned the call sign "WLBK" by the ...

during the day.
1963 Broadcasting Yearbook
',

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), ...

, 1963. p. B-57. Retrieved October 8, 2018. The station was locally owned and operated in DeKalb. On May 25, 1962, the station's frequency was changed to 92.5 MHz. Gradually in the 1970s, the station added a progressive program known as "Headquarters" at night beginning at 6:00 p.m. and ending with sign-off at 2:00 a.m.

WDEK

In October 1976, the station's call sign was changed to WDEK. The station aired an automated

Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is a list of the 40 currently 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. "To ...

format during the day and a live

album-oriented rock Album-oriented rock (AOR, originally called album-oriented radio) is an FM radio format created in the United States in the late 1960s that focuses on the full repertoire of rock albums and is currently associated with classic rock. US rad ...

format at night. In 1979, the station became a full-time AOR station.WDEK Ups Power, AOR Slant
, ''

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 advertis ...

''. January 27, 1979. p. 29. Retrieved December 8, 2018. WXRT Chicago mid-day jock John Bell was hired as the first Program Director. By late 1984, the station had adopted a Top 40/CHR format as "All Hit WDEK".
Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1985
', Broadcasting/Cablecasting, 1985. p. B-81. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
Chicagoland Radio Waves
', MediaTies. Spring-Summer 1989. Retrieved December 8, 2018. WDEK was also an affiliate of ''The Rockin' America Top 30 Countdown'' with

Scott Shannon Michael Scott Shannon (born July 25, 1947) is an American radio disc jockey best known as the announcer of '' The Sean Hannity Show''. He also hosted the morning show for WCBS-FM in New York City from 2014 to 2022 as well as ''Scott Shannon Pres ...

(later replaced by ''American Top 40'' with Shadoe Stevens and then by ''Rick Dees Weekly Top 40''), ''The Dr. Demento Show'', and ''Hot Mix'' during its Top-40 days.

92 Kiss FM

In February 1999, the station's local owners sold WDEK to Big City Radio. The station became "92 Kiss FM", retaining its CHR format and began simulcasting 92.7 WKIE in Arlington Heights and 92.7 WKIF in Kankakee.

Melissa Forman Melissa Forman is an American television and radio personality. She grew up in Northbrook, Illinois, where she attended Glenbrook North High School. She went on to graduate college from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. In 2008 Mel ...

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 an Adult contemporary music, adult contemporary format. Its studios are located at the Illinois Center complex in the Chicago Loop, ...

in 2001. Rosenthal, Phil.
Melissa Forman out at WLIT-FM -- again
, ''

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 ...

''. August 13, 2009. Retrieved December 7, 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. The playlists spans from the 1960s through the 2000s. They depend on market conditions and may be designed for African-American or Hispani ...

to CHR as

WKSC-FM WKSC-FM (103.5 MHz) – branded "103.5 Kiss FM" – is a commercial contemporary hit radio station licensed to Chicago, Illinois. Owned by iHeartMedia, its studios are located at the Illinois Center complex on Michigan Avenue in Downtown Ch ...

"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 7, 2018. At that time, Clear Channel filed suit against Big City Radio, alleging the " Kiss FM" branding used by WDEK and its simulcasts violated its national trademark.Ross, Sean
Shebel Energizes WKIE With Dance
, ''

''. February 17, 2001. p. 63-64. Retrieved December 7, 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. The chart came about as a result of the small but influential impact of electronic dance musi ...

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 7, 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 in ...

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

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 ...

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 countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

contemporary Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from about 1945 to the present. In the social sciences, contemporary history is also continuous with, and related t ...

format as "Onda 92".

Nine FM / Dance Factory

In 2004, Spanish Broadcasting System sold WDEK, WKIE, and WKIF 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 AM 750 WNDZ. Newsweb was founded in 1971 by Chicago entrepreneur, political activist, and philanthropis ...

for $28 million.Lazaroff, Leon.
Democratic donor plans to purchase 3 stations
, ''

'', July 27, 2004. Retrieved December 7, 2018. At 9 a.m. November 29, 2004, WDEK and WKIE began simulcasting with its new adult hits sister station 99.9 WRZA in

Park Forest, Illinois Park Forest is a village and south suburb of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States, with a small southern portion in Will County, Illinois, Will County. The village was originally designed by Loebl Schlossman & Hackl, Loebl Schlossman & ...

, as " Nine FM", with the slogan "We Play Anything".Kampert, Patrick.
Nine FM rolls out 'anything' format on 3 frequencies
, ''

'', December 02, 2004. Retrieved December 7, 2018.Devine, Cathy (2005-2006).
The Radio Book
'. p. 192. 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 music, 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 succes ...

" 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 piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded dance musi ...

show called Dance Factory.

Feder, Robert Robert Feder (born May 17, 1956) is an American media blogger who was the television and radio columnist for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1980 until 2008, a blogger for Vocalo.org from 2009 until 2010, and a blogger for ''Time Out Chicago'' fr ...

.
'Nine FM' filling void with club-style music every night of the week
, ''

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

'', 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.

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. Rosenthal, Phil.
'Nine FM' consolidates -- who's left?
, ''

'', October 18, 2008. Retrieved December 7, 2018. The Nine FM format moved to WKIF 92.7 in Kankakee. On October 27, 2008, the station's call sign was changed to WCPY. On June 2, 2014, WCPQ and WCPT-FM broke away from the Progressive Talk simulcast and changed their daytime format to

Polish language Polish (, , or simply , ) is a West Slavic languages, West Slavic language of the Lechitic languages, Lechitic subgroup, within the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family, and is written in the Latin script. It is primarily spo ...

programming as "Polski FM".

.
Newsweb Radio streamlines WCPT talk simulcast
, robertfeder.com. Retrieved December 7, 2018. The latter station swapped callsigns with this station shortly thereafter.

K-Love

In autumn of 2018, the station was sold to

for $1.6 million,Venta, Lance.
EMF Acquires WCPT-FM
, ''RadioInsight''. September 26, 2018. Retrieved December 2, 2018. and the station adopted a

format, as an affiliate of

. The sale was consummated on November 30, 2018, at which point the station's call sign was changed to WCLR.

References

External links

* {{coord, 41.875444, -88.754806, region:US-IL_type:landmark, display=title CLR (FM) Radio stations established in 1961 1961 establishments in Illinois K-Love radio stations Educational Media Foundation radio stations CLR DeKalb, Illinois Contemporary Christian radio stations in the United States