WGCI-FM (107.5

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 an

urban contemporary Urban contemporary music, also known as urban music, 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 contemporary r ...

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 ...

that is licensed to

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, serving the

Chicago metropolitan area 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. ...

and

Northwest Indiana Northwest Indiana, nicknamed "The Region" after the Calumet Region, is an unofficial region of Northern Indiana, northern Indiana, United States that is located at the northwestern corner of the state. Though there is no official definition of th ...

. It is owned and operated by

iHeartMedia iHeartMedia, Inc., or CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc., formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc., a company founded by ...

(formerly known as Clear Channel Communications until September 2014). WGCI broadcasts with 3,700 watts (3.7 kilowatts) at 107.5 megahertz (

) from atop the

Willis Tower The Willis Tower, formerly and still commonly referred to as the Sears Tower, is a 110-storey, story, skyscraper in the Chicago Loop, Loop community area of Chicago in Illinois, United States. Designed by architect Bruce Graham and engineer F ...

in Downtown Chicago, and has studios located in the Illinois Center complex on Michigan Avenue. Like many Clear Channel-owned urban radio stations, it uses the slogan ''"Chicago's #1 For Hip Hop and R&B"''. In 2005, WGCI began broadcasting in

IBOC In-band on-channel (IBOC) is a hybrid method of transmitting digital radio and analog radio broadcast signals simultaneously on the same frequency. The name refers to the new digital signals being broadcast in the same AM or FM band (in-band) ...

digital radio Digital radio is the use of digital technology to transmit or receive across the radio spectrum. Digital transmission by radio waves includes digital broadcasting, and especially digital audio radio services. This should not be confused with In ...

, using the

HD Radio HD Radio (HDR) is a trademark for in-band on-channel (IBOC) digital radio broadcast technology. HD radio generally simulcast, simulcasts an existing analog radio station in digital format with less noise and with additional text information. HD R ...

system from

iBiquity iBiquity Digital Corporation was a company formed by the merger of USA Digital Radio and Lucent Digital Radio. Based in Columbia, Maryland, with additional offices in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, Los Angeles, California, and Auburn Hills, Michigan, ...

History

WFMQ

The station began broadcasting on December 4, 1958, and held the call sign WFMQ.
1964 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), ...

, 1964. p. B-47. Retrieved February 12, 2019. The station was owned by Lester Vihon and broadcast from One North LaSalle with an ERP of 11,000 watts. It initially operated from 4 p.m. to midnight."WFMQ Now Operating on a Weekday Basis", ''

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 7, 1958. WFMQ aired beautiful music, light classical, and

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...

, along with

show tunes A show tune is a song originally written as part of the score of a work of musical theatre or musical film, especially if the piece in question has become a standard, more or less detached in most people's minds from the original context. Th ...

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

, and

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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

programs.O'Connor, Richard. (2009).
A Brief History of Beautiful Music Radio
', Percy Faith Pages. Retrieved February 12, 2019. In 1960, the station's ERP was increased to 36,000 watts.

WNUS-FM

In 1965, the station sold to

Gordon McLendon Gordon Barton McLendon (June 8, 1921 – September 14, 1986Texas State Historical AssociationMcClendon, Gordon Barton/ref>) was an American radio broadcaster. Nicknamed "the Maverick of Radio", McLendon is widely credited for perfecting, during ...

for $400,000 and its call sign was changed to WNUS-FM.Demand is Heavy For FM Outlets
, ''

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 ...

''. December 5, 1964. p. 28. Retrieved February 12, 2019. The station adopted an

all-news All-news radio is a radio format devoted entirely to the discussion and broadcast of news. All-news radio is available in both local and radio syndication, syndicated forms, and is carried on both major US satellite radio networks. All-news sta ...

format, simulcasting AM 1390 WNUS.WINS to Go News Round the Clock
, ''

''. March 27, 1965. p. 62. Retrieved February 12, 2019. WNUS was the first all-news station in the United States. In 1968, the station returned to airing a beautiful music format. In 1973, the station's transmitter was moved to the Civic Opera Building.

WGCI

In February 1975, Globetrotter Communications Inc. purchased 107.5 FM and its sister station 1390 AM for $3,550,000.

WVON WVON (1690 AM "The Voice of the Nation", originally "Voice of the Negro") is a radio station serving the Chicago market, which airs an African-American-oriented talk format. WVON is operated by Midway Broadcasting Corporation via a local mark ...

's programming moved to 1390, ending the simulcast. The station's call sign was changed to WGCI later that year, and it would air a

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 ...

-oriented format.Stations, everywhere: a listeners' guide to the AM and FM bands
, '' Chicago Tribune Magazine''. March 4, 1979. p. 37. Retrieved February 12, 2019.All things black and beautiful
, '' Chicago Tribune Magazine''. March 4, 1979. p. 37. Retrieved February 12, 2019. The station was branded "Studio 107". In 1977, Globetrotter Communications was purchased by Combined Communications Corporation. The following year, Combined Communications merged with Gannett Co. WGCI shifted away from disco in 1980, in favor of a more broad

format. In 1983, WVON flipped its callsign to WGCI to match its FM partner, and 107.5's call sign was changed to WGCI-FM.Call letters
, ''

''. October 17, 1983. p. 82. Retrieved February 12, 2019. In the mid-1980s, Tom Joyner, was simultaneously working for both a morning show at ''K-104'' KKDA-FM in

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

and an afternoon show at WGCI.'Hello, Dallas, Hello, Chicago, It's Tom Joyner Here, Live and in Person'
, ''

People The term "the people" refers to the public or Common people, common mass of people of a polity. As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. I ...

''. January 20, 1986. Retrieved February 13, 2019. Instead of choosing between the two, Joyner chose to take both jobs, and for years he commuted daily by plane between the two cities, earning the nicknames "The Fly Jock" and "The Hardest Working Man in Radio". Doug Banks was morning drive host on WGCI from 1986 until 1993, when he was replaced by Tom Joyner's syndicated morning show. In 1997, comedian

George Wallace George Corley Wallace Jr. (August 25, 1919 – September 13, 1998) was an American politician who was the 45th and longest-serving governor of Alabama (1963–1967; 1971–1979; 1983–1987), and the List of longest-serving governors of U.S. s ...

co-hosted WGCI's morning show with Jeanne Sparrow. In 1997, Gannett sold both WGCI-FM and WGCI 1390 to Chancellor Media. Chancellor merged with Capstar and restructured as AMFM, Inc. in 1999, and in 2000, merged with

Clear Channel Communications iHeartMedia, Inc., or CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc., formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc., a company founded by ...

. In 2001, the station's transmitter was moved to the

Sears Tower The Willis Tower, formerly and still commonly referred to as the Sears Tower, is a 110- story, skyscraper in the Loop community area of Chicago in Illinois, United States. Designed by architect Bruce Graham and engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan ...

. In 2006 WGCI won a Marconi Award for Best Radio Station for Hip-Hop and R&B. The Crazy Howard McGee Show was replaced by the

Steve Harvey Broderick Stephen Harvey Sr. Also aired August 16, 2015. (born January 17, 1957) is an American comedian, television host, actor, writer, and producer. He hosts ''The Steve Harvey Morning Show'', ''Family Feud'', ''Celebrity Family Feud'', '' ...

Morning Show on August 1, 2007. Rosenthal, Phil.
WGCI looks to future with Steve Harvey
, ''

''. August 12, 2007. Retrieved February 13, 2019. Harvey had previously hosted mornings on WGCI from 1996 to 1997. In March 2009, Harvey moved to WVAZ, replacing Tom Joyner. On April 1, "The Morning Riot" debuted starring Tony Sculfield, Leon Rogers and Nina Chantele. Nina also did middays at Clear Channel sister station WKSC-FM. In January 2015, WGCI began airing a new morning show hosted by Leon Rogers, Kyle Santillian and Kendra G.Venta, Lance.
WGCI Launches New Morning Show
, ''RadioInsight''. January 27, 2015. Retrieved February 13, 2019. WGCI-FM formerly simulcast on

XM Satellite Radio XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. (XM) was one of the three satellite radio ( SDARS) and online radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Holdings. It provided pay-for-service radio, analogous to subscription cable ...

channel 241.Venta, Lance.
SiriusXM Adjusting Lineup: Z100/KIIS-FM Come to Sirius
, ''RadioInsight''. October 15, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2019. Station owner Clear Channel sold off its ownership stake in

Sirius XM Radio Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting corporation headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. The company was formed by the 2008 merger ...

during the second quarter of fiscal year 2013.Venta, Lance.
Clear Channel Sells SiriusXM Stake; Stations to Leave Service
, ''RadioInsight''. August 2, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2019. As a result of the sale, nine of Clear Channel's eleven XM stations, including the simulcast of WGCI FM, ceased broadcast over XM Satellite Radio on October 18, 2013.

References

External links

* * {{IHeartMedia GCI-FM Urban contemporary radio stations in the United States IHeartMedia radio stations Radio stations established in 1958 1958 establishments in Illinois