WKBM (930

kHz 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 uni ...

) is an American AM radio station broadcasting a

Catholic radio Christian radio refers to Christian media radio formats that focus on Christian religious broadcasting or various forms of Christian music. Many such formats and programs include contemporary Christian music, gospel music, sermons, radio dramas, ...

format. It is licensed to Sandwich, Illinois, and largely

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) ...

s with

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 ...

WNTD 950 AM Chicago. They are owned by

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. Relevant Radio broadcasts "talk radio for Catholic life" over a ...

, based in Lincolnshire, Illinois. By day, WKBM is powered at 2,500 watts. At night, it increases power to 4,500 watts. To protect other stations on 930 AM from interference, it uses a

directional antenna A directional antenna or beam antenna is an antenna that radiates or receives greater radio wave power in specific directions. Directional antennas can radiate radio waves in beams, when greater concentration of radiation in a certain directio ...

with a five-

tower array A tower array is an arrangement of multiple radio towers which are mast radiators in a phased array. They were originally developed as ground-based tracking radars. Tower arrays can consist of free-standing or guyed towers or a mix of them. Tower ...

. The

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 ...

is on Legion Road at Immanuel Road in

Yorkville, Illinois Yorkville is a city within the Chicago metropolitan area, Chicago Metropolitan Area and is the county seat of Kendall County, Illinois, Kendall County, Illinois, United States. It is a western suburb of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. The population ...

. Programming is also heard on 34-watt

FM translator A broadcast relay station, also known as a satellite station, relay transmitter, broadcast translator (U.S.), re-broadcaster (Canada), repeater ( two-way radio) or complementary station (Mexico), is a broadcast transmitter which repeats (or tr ...

W256DU at 99.1

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 ...

in Cloverdale, Illinois.

History

Full service era

The station began broadcasting in .
The Broadcasting Yearbook 1991
',

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), ...

. 1991. p. B-96. Retrieved August 30, 2018. The original

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 WBYG.Call Sign History
fcc.gov. Retrieved August 31, 2018. The station was originally owned by Larry Nelson.Ghrist, John R. (1996). ''Valley Voices: A Radio History''. Crossroads Communications. p. 78. On April 11, 1988, the station's call sign was changed to WAUR. From the late 1980s until 1990 aired a full service format with

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 ...

and news, information, and talk programming.
Chicagoland Radio Waves
', MediaTies. Summer 1988 & Spring/Summer 1989. Retrieved August 30, 2018.WAUR AM 930
, ''Radio Chicago''. Summer 1990. p. 38. Retrieved August 30, 2018. In 1990 the country music was replaced with

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 ...

, with the station airing full-service format with a strong emphasis on local issues.Doyle, Mary K.
On The Air - Larry Nelson Stations Himself At The Forefront In Local Broadcasting
, ''

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 31, 1993. Retrieved August 30, 2018. It continued to air this format until its sale to the Children's Broadcasting Corporation in 1997.Format Changes & Updates
, ''The M Street Journal''. Vol. 14 No. 1. January 8, 1997. p. 2. Retrieved August 30, 2018.

Children's Broadcasting Corporation

On February 5, 1997, the station was purchased by Children's Broadcasting Corporation for $3.9 million, and it became the Chicago affiliate of the " Radio AAHS" network, airing children's programming. After Radio AAHS discontinued operations in January 1998, Children's Broadcasting Corporation, began leasing time on its stations until it could find buyers.M Street Bazaar: People Products and Programming
, ''The M Street Journal''. Vol. 14 No. 1. February 25, 1998. p. 10. Retrieved August 31, 2018. In February 1998, WAUR, along with the other nine CBC stations, became an outlet for "

Beat Radio Beat Radio originally was an unlicensed radio station in Minneapolis, Minnesota that played dance music. Founded by local radio DJ and programmer, Alan Freed, in 1996, the station served downtown Minneapolis and surrounding neighborhoods and ...

", which broadcast

electronic dance music Electronic dance music (EDM), also referred to as dance music or club music, is a broad range of percussive electronic music genres originally made for nightclubs, raves, and List of electronic dance music festivals, festivals. It is generally ...

12 hours each night.

Catholic Radio Network

In late 1998, the station was sold to Catholic Radio Network, later known as Catholic Family Radio, and it began airing a Catholic oriented talk format. In late 1999, Catholic Radio Network had entered into an agreement to the station to Saul Acquisition Co. for $4.4 million. Feder, Robert.
New station to offer training for disabled
, ''

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 ...

''. October 26, 1999. Retrieved August 31, 2018.Elsewhere
, ''The M Street Journal''. Vol. 16 No. 43. October 27, 1999. p. 8. Retrieved August 31, 2018. The plans were for the station to be operated by Radio Center for People with Disabilities, with Catholic Family Radio continuing to air temporarily during certain time-slots. However, the sale was never consummated, ownership reverted to Catholic Family Radio, and the station was taken off the air temporarily in spring of 2001.

Victory 930

In spring 2001, Catholic Family Radio entered into a

local marketing agreement In North American broadcasting, a local marketing agreement (LMA), or local management agreement, is a contract in which one corporation, company agrees to operate a radio station, radio or television station owned by another party. In essence, it ...

with Michigan based religious broadcaster Midwest Broadcasting (now known as Christian Broadcasting System), and the station returned to the air broadcasting a religious format. The station was branded "Victory 930". In late 2001, Midwest Broadcasting entered into an agreement to purchase the station for $4 million. However, the Radio Center for People with Disabilities filed a challenge with the Federal Communications Commission to block the sale of the station, on the basis that the purchaser was not a member of a minority, and the sale was never consummated.

Relevant Radio

In 2004, WAUR was sold to Starboard Broadcasting for $3.5 million, and the station began airing its current Catholic format as an affiliate of Relevant Radio.Advance Acquisition, Inc. Ownership
, fcc.gov. Retrieved August 31, 2018. The station changed its call sign to the current WKBM on June 18, 2014.

References

External links

Radio 930 AM
{{Relevant Radio 1986 establishments in Illinois Catholic radio stations KBM Radio stations established in 1986 KBM Relevant Radio stations Sandwich, Illinois