WBMX (104.3
FM, "104.3 Jams") is a
commercial
Commercial may refer to:
* (adjective for) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and services
** (adjective for) trade, the trading of something of economic value such as goods, services, information or money
* a dose of advertising ...
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 ...
in
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 ...
. The station is owned by
Audacy, Inc.
Audacy, Inc. is an American broadcasting company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1968 as Entercom Communications Corp., it is the second largest radio company in the United States, owning over 220 radio stations across 47 media ...
and airs a
classic hip hop
Classic hip hop is a music radio format focusing primarily on hip hop music from the 1980s, 1990s, and the early to mid-2000s.
Although stations with such a format date back as far as 2004, the format was first popularized in October 2014, after ...
radio format
A radio format or programming format (not to be confused with broadcast programming) describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. The radio format emerged mainly in the United States in the 1950s, at a time when Radio broadcasting, ...
.
WBMX's studios and offices are located at
Two Prudential Plaza
Two Prudential Plaza is a 64-story skyscraper located in the Chicago Loop, Loop area of Chicago, Illinois. At tall, it is the seventh-tallest building in Chicago and the List of tallest buildings in the United States, 28th-tallest in the U.S. ...
in the
Chicago Loop
The Loop is Chicago's central business district and one of the city's 77 municipally recognized Community areas in Chicago, community areas. Located at the center of downtown Chicago on the shores of Lake Michigan, it is the second-largest busi ...
. The station has an
effective radiated power
Effective radiated power (ERP), synonymous with equivalent radiated power, is an IEEE standardized definition of directional radio frequency (RF) power, such as that emitted by a radio transmitter. It is the total power in watts that would ha ...
(ERP) of 4,100
watt
The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of Power (physics), power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantification (science), quantify the rate of Work ...
s, with its
transmitter
In electronics and telecommunications, a radio transmitter or just transmitter (often abbreviated as XMTR or TX in technical documents) is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna (radio), antenna with the purpose of sig ...
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 ...
(formerly Sears Tower). WBMX broadcasts in 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 ...
format, with its HD2 signal
simulcast
Simulcast (a portmanteau of "simultaneous broadcast") is the broadcasting of programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simultaneously) ...
ing the
sports radio
Sports radio (or sports talk radio) is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sport, sporting events. A widespread programming genre that has a narrow audience appeal, sports radio is characterized by an often-low comed ...
format on co-owned
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 ...
.
From 1974 to 1988, the call letters WBMX were held by 102.7 FM,
licensed
A license (American English) or licence (Commonwealth English) 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 part ...
to
Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, adjacent to Chicago. It is the List of municipalities in Illinois, 26th-most populous municipality in Illinois, with a population of 54,318 as of the 2020 census. Oak Park was first se ...
(now
urban AC
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 ...
station
WVAZ
WVAZ (102.7 FM, "V103") is an urban adult contemporary radio station serving the Chicago metropolitan area and Northwest Indiana. Licensed to Oak Park, Illinois, WVAZ is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc., alongside sister stations WCHI-FM, WGCI-F ...
). On December 4, 2017, the call letters were transferred from
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
to 104.3 FM in Chicago.
History
WSEL
The station began broadcasting in September 1953, holding the call sign WSEL.
It aired
beautiful music, light
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 ...
, recorded music and show tunes along with news reports. The station had an
ERP of 40,000 watts, and its transmitter was located atop Chicago's
Randolph Tower.
WSEL was owned by Chicago Skyway Broadcasting Company.
A previous station in Chicago had briefly operated on 104.3 MHz in 1949. WCFL-FM, owned by the
Chicago Federation of Labor
The Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL) is an umbrella organization for Trade union, unions in Chicago, Illinois, US. It is a subordinate body of the AFL–CIO, and as of 2011 has about 320 affiliated member unions representing half a million union ...
, broadcast from 3 to 9 p.m. as a 400-watt simulcast of
WCFL, but the owners surrendered the station's license, as it was not profitable.
In 1958, WSEL's transmitter was moved to the Willoughby Tower at 8 South Michigan Avenue.
In 1960, the station was sold to
Plough Broadcasting for $50,000, and it was taken silent.
WJJD-FM
The station returned to the air January 2, 1961, with its call sign changed to WJJD-FM.
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-56. Retrieved January 20, 2019. It was co-owned with 1160
WJJD by Plough Broadcasting. At the time, 1160 WJJD was a
daytimer
A clear-channel station is a North American AM radio station that has the highest level of protection from interference from other stations, particularly from nighttime skywave signals. This classification exists to ensure the viability of cross ...
. WJJD-FM initially aired
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 ...
,
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 ...
,
folk music
Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...
, 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 ...
.
On February 15, 1965, WJJD adopted a
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
format, and WJJD-FM
simulcast
Simulcast (a portmanteau of "simultaneous broadcast") is the broadcasting of programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simultaneously) ...
1160 WJJD, with WJJD-FM continuing WJJD's country programming after sunset.
In 1971, the station's transmitter was moved to the
Prudential Building, and its ERP was reduced to 14,100 watts.
WJEZ
In February 1977, the station's call sign was changed to WJEZ'.
The station adopted a "beautiful country" format, playing easy listening country music, with large amount of instrumentals, in an approach patterned on the
beautiful music format.
[Penchansky, Alan.]
In Chicago, WJEZ -FM Going After Highly Rated WMAQ-AM
, ''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 23, 1978. pp. 38, 58. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
In September 1978, the station adopted a "modern country" format, with a playlist that was approximately 80% country, 20%
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 ...
.
[Stations, everywhere: a listeners' guide to the AM and FM bands]
, ''Chicago Tribune Magazine
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 radio and WGN tele ...
'', March 4, 1979. p. 37. Retrieved January 20, 2019. The station was branded "Z-104".
In 1982, WJEZ gained competition as
WUSN
WUSN (99.5 FM) is a country music radio station in Chicago, Illinois. Owned by Audacy, Inc. and branded as "US✶99", it is based at Two Prudential Plaza in the Chicago Loop, Loop, and transmits from atop the John Hancock Center with an HD Ra ...
also adopted a country format.
[Kirby, Kip.]
Country Clicks for WUSN
", ''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 ...
''. July 3, 1982. pp. 20, 49. Retrieved January 20, 2019. At that point, WJJD 1160 adopted an
adult standards
Adult standards (also sometimes known as the nostalgia or Big Band format) is a North American radio format heard primarily on AM or class A FM stations.
Adult standards started in the 1950s and is aimed at "mature" adults, meaning mainly tho ...
format, known as "The
Music Of Your Life
Music of Your Life is an American syndicated music radio format featuring adult standards music. First created by recording executive Al Ham in 1978, the format achieved popularity in the 1980s among AM radio stations in the United States and Ca ...
".
In 1984,
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 ...
acquired WJEZ and WJJD for $13.5 million.
Oldies era

In early August 1984, the station adopted an
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 ...
format as "Magic 104" and its
call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally as ...
was changed to WJMK.
[WJEZ Switches to Gold Format]
", ''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 ...
''. August 3, 1984. pp. 3, 32. Retrieved January 21, 2019. Dick Biondi
Richard Orlando Biondi (September 13, 1932 – June 26, 2023) was an American Top 40 and oldies disc jockey. Calling himself The Wild I-tralian, he was one of the original "screamers," known for his screaming delivery as well as wild antics on a ...
was the first disc jockey heard on "Magic 104".
Ron Britain was also one of WJMK's original DJs.
Initially, "Magic 104" included a few currents in its playlist, but by early 1985, all songs from the current decade were dropped, with the station playing music from the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s.
Chicago Radio Guide
''. Vol. 1, No. 1. May 1985. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
In 1987, 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 ...
, and its ERP was reduced to 4,100 watts.
In 1991, the station's moniker was changed to "Oldies 104.3". In early September 1993,
John Records Landecker
John Records Landecker (born March 28, 1947) is an American Top 40/oldies disc jockey with a trademark saying "Records truly is my middle name" who created ''Boogie Check'', ''Americana Panorama'', and satirical songs and bits based on current e ...
joined WJMK as morning drive DJ, remaining with the station until 2003.
[Kening, Dan.]
`Big 89' Star John Landecker Back On The Air At WJMK
", ''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 ...
''. January 11, 1994. Retrieved January 21, 2019.[10 Questions with ... John Records Landecker]
", ''All Access Music Group''. March 19, 2013. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
In 1996, 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 ...
.
In 1999, with competition from the new
Jammin' 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 ...
format of
WUBT
WUBT (101.1 FM, "101.1 The Beat") is an American mainstream urban radio station broadcasting in the Nashville, Tennessee market, under ownership of iHeartMedia. Though the station is licensed to Russellville, Kentucky, its studios are located ...
, WJMK increased the number of 1970s songs playing 3 to 4 per hour on the station while reducing the number of 1950s songs to about 2 per hour, and playing a total number of pre-1964 to about 3 per hour. The station added several dozen 80s songs playing about 1 every 2 hours. By 2002, the station had replaced the All Request Saturday Night oldies show with a 1970s and early 80s program.
On February 15, 2002, WJMK returned to its former moniker, "Magic 104.3", and its playlist was shifted to include more 1980s music, while further reducing the music played from the '50s and early '60s.
In July 2003, the station once again changed monikers, going back to "Oldies 104.3" and its playlist was refocused on music of the '60s and '70s.
In 2004, the station dropped the "Oldies" moniker and became known simply as "104.3 WJMK" with the slogan "The Greatest Hits of the 60s and 70s".
Jack FM
On June 3, 2005, at 4pm, WJMK switched to an
adult hits format known as "
Jack FM
Jack FM is a radio network brand that is licensed by Sparknet Communications, with the exception of the European Union where it is licensed by Oxis Media. It plays an adult hits radio format, format, in most cases not using disc jockey, DJs.
F ...
". On the same day, veteran oldies station
WCBS-FM
WCBS-FM (101.1 FM) is a radio station owned and operated by Audacy, Inc. licensed to New York, New York, and broadcasting a classic hits format. The station's studios are in the combined Audacy facility in the Hudson Square neighborhood in ...
in New York City made the same switch exactly one hour later at 5 pm.
[Schmeltzer, John.]
Random radio fights back with 'Jack FM'
", ''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 ...
''. June 7, 2005. Retrieved January 22, 2019. The station had a 1980s centric playlist, along with some titles from the 1960s, 1970s, 1990s, and 2000s.
It usually had no live DJs and instead used sarcastic remarks voiced by Howard Cogan during breaks.
Though WJMK's previous oldies format continued to be streamed online and on the WJMK's second
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 ...
subchannel, complaints about WJMK's switch were numerous.
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 ...
.
Legendary Dick Biondi Back to Spinning Oldies
", ''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 ...
''. November 2, 2006. Retrieved January 22, 2019.[Sotonoff, Jamie.]
An oldie and a goodie - legendary Chicago DJ Dick Biondi
", '' Daily Herald''. December 7, 2006. Retrieved January 22, 2019. In July 2006, in a cost-cutting move by CBS Radio, the entire DJ staff of WJMK-HD2 was laid off.
Shortly thereafter, 94.7
WZZN, which had recently switched to an oldies format, hired several of WJMK's former airstaff.
With a format change on
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. ...
from
hot 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. They may feature monologues, dialogues between the hosts, Interview (jo ...
to
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 ...
,
Steve Dahl
Steven Robert Dahl (born November 20, 1954) is an American radio personality. He is the owner and operator of the Steve Dahl Network, a Subscription business model, subscription-based podcasting network. Dahl gained a measure of national attention ...
and Buzz Kilman moved to WJMK to host mornings on November 5, 2007. Dahl was dismissed on December 5, 2008. With the exception of Dahl and Kilman, Chicago's Jack FM had no live personalities.
WJMK's ratings plummeted after the switch to Jack FM, and the station saw further ratings erosion when
Bonneville International
Bonneville International Corporation is a media and broadcasting company, wholly owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) through its for-profit arm, Deseret Management Corporation. It began as a radio and TV networ ...
debuted "Rewind 100.3" (a mostly 1980s-based format) on rival
WILV in June 2010.
[Chicago's WJMK-FM flipping to KHITS](_blank)
", ''Radio & Television Business Report''. March 10, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
K-Hits
On March 10, 2011, CBS Radio announced the station would return to their previous classic hits format as "104.3 K-Hits", setting the time of relaunch for the following Monday, March 14, at 1:04 pm; at 12:30 that afternoon, after playing "
Goodbye to You" by
Scandal
A scandal can be broadly defined as the strong social reactions of outrage, anger, or surprise, when accusations or rumours circulate or appear for some reason, regarding a person or persons who are perceived to have transgressed in some way a ...
,
[Venta, Lance.]
K-Hits Coming to Chicago
", ''Radio Insight''. June 20, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2019. the station began
stunting with a 34-minute montage of songs and pop culture clips, demarked year by year from 1966 to 1989; at the time promised, "K-Hits" was then launched with "
Beginnings
Beginnings may refer to:
Literature
* ''Beginnings'' (collection), a 1988 collection of short stories and poems by Gordon R. Dickson
* ''Beginnings'' (Honorverse), a 2013 collection of short stories in the Worlds of Honor series
* ''Beginnings ...
" by, fittingly,
Chicago
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 ...
.
Chicago radio personalities Ed Volkman and Joe "Bohannon" Colborn (Eddie and JoBo) hosted the station's morning show, along with Gary Spears in middays, Bo Reynolds in afternoon
drive time
Drive time is the daypart in which radio broadcasters can reach the most people who listen to car radios while driving, usually to and from work, or on public transportation. Drive-time periods are when the number of radio listeners in this c ...
and George McFly heard in the evening.
Weekend hosts included
Tommy Edwards
Thomas Jefferson Edwards (February 17, 1922 – October 23, 1969) was an American singer and songwriter. His most successful record was the multi-million-selling song " It's All in the Game", becoming the first African-American to reach No. 1 ...
, Ken Cocker, and John Calhoun.
Eddie and JoBo were released on December 6, 2012, with the station citing low ratings as the main factor. Mornings were then hosted by
Dave Fogel, formerly of WLS-FM. Tommy Edwards retired from radio on September 12, 2014. The rest of the station's final airstaff included Brian Peck in middays and Jeffrey T. Mason in afternoon drive.
In its last year, WJMK primarily played music from the 1970s and 1980s.
104.3 Jams
On February 2, 2017, CBS Radio announced it would merge with
Entercom
Audacy, Inc. is an American broadcasting company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1968 as Entercom Communications Corp., it is the second largest radio company in the United States, owning over 220 radio stations across 47 media ...
. The merger was approved on November 9, and was consummated on November 17.
On November 17, at 10am, after playing "
The Long and Winding Road
"The Long and Winding Road" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1970 album '' Let It Be''. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. When issued as a single in May 1970, a month after the Beat ...
" by
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
and "
Changes
Changes may refer to:
Books
* '' Changes: A Love Story'', 1991 novel by Ama Ata Aidoo
* ''Changes'' (The Dresden Files) (2010), the 12th novel in Jim Butcher's ''The Dresden Files'' Series
* ''Changes'', a 1983 novel by Danielle Steel
* ''Chan ...
" by
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
, WJMK began stunting with sound effects and clips of a man giving occasional comments, such as "What's going on here?" and "It's almost time to start."
One hour later, WJMK flipped to
classic hip-hop
Classic hip hop is a music radio format focusing primarily on hip hop music from the 1980s, 1990s, and the early to mid-2000s.
Although stations with such a format date back as far as 2004, the format was first popularized in October 2014, after ...
, branded as "104.3 Jams", which began with an introduction by legendary rapper, actress, radio DJ, and station voice
MC Lyte
Lana Michele Moorer (born October 11, 1970), better known by her stage name MC Lyte, is an American rapper. Considered one of the pioneers of female rap, MC Lyte first gained fame in the late 1980s, becoming the first female rapper to release a ...
. The first song on "Jams" was "
Hypnotize" by
The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in the New York rap scene and gangsta rap tradi ...
Entercom applied to move the WBMX
call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally as ...
to 104.3 from its
sister station
In broadcasting, sister stations or sister channels are radio or television stations operated by the same company, either by direct ownership or through a management agreement.
Radio sister stations will often have different formats, and somet ...
in
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
to match the new format; the change took effect on December 4, 2017.
The WBMX call letters had previously been used by new rival
WVAZ
WVAZ (102.7 FM, "V103") is an urban adult contemporary radio station serving the Chicago metropolitan area and Northwest Indiana. Licensed to Oak Park, Illinois, WVAZ is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc., alongside sister stations WCHI-FM, WGCI-F ...
from 1974 to 1988.
Call Sign History (WVAZ)
, fcc.gov. Retrieved January 23, 2019. In addition to WVAZ, WBMX also competes with WPWX
WPWX (92.3 FM) is an urban contemporary radio station licensed to Hammond, Indiana and serving the Chicago metropolitan area in addition to Northwest Indiana, and is owned by Crawford Broadcasting. The station broadcasts from a transmitter a few ...
and WGCI in the urban
Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to:
* Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas
* Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities
Urban may also refer to:
General
* Urban (name), a list of people ...
radio market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area (DMA), television market area, or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same (or similar) television and radio station offerings, and may also incl ...
.
WBMX is the second station in Chicago to use the "Jams" moniker, the first station being WEJM in the mid-1990s.[Heise, Kenan.]
Isadore Pink, WEJM Rap Deejay Pinkhouse
", ''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 ...
''. November 8, 1996. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
References
External links
*
{{Entercom
Radio stations established in 1953
1953 establishments in Illinois
BMX
BMX, an abbreviation for bicycle motocross or bike motocross, is a cycle sport performed on BMX bikes, either in competitive BMX racing or freestyle BMX, or else in general street or off-road recreation.
History
BMX began during the ea ...
Classic hip-hop radio stations in the United States
Audacy, Inc. radio stations