WVON (1690 AM "The Voice of the Nation", originally "Voice of the Negro") 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 ...

serving the

Chicago market 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 citie ...

, which airs an

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

-oriented talk format. WVON is operated by Midway Broadcasting Corporation via 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 frequency owner

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 ...

. WVON's predecessor station began catering to an African-American audience in the 1940s. In 1963

Chess Records Chess Records was an American record company established in 1950 in Chicago, specializing in blues and rhythm and blues. It was the successor to Aristocrat Records, founded in 1947. It expanded into soul music, gospel music, early rock an ...

bought the station and debuted WVON, with its programming of

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

, and

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...

music becoming very popular throughout the 1960s. The station's news and commentary also played an active role during the Civil Rights Movement during this era. Its African-American-oriented talk format began in 1986. The station served as a springboard for

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

during the early days of his political career. Licensed to

Berwyn, Illinois Berwyn () is a suburban city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, Coterminous municipality, coterminous with Berwyn Township, Illinois, Berwyn Township, which was formed in 1908 after breaking off from Cicero Township, Cook County, Illinois, ...

, WVON has studios in the South Loop,Iconic WVON radio station moving from Chatham
, '' The Chicago Crusader''. October 3, 2018. Retrieved April 17, 2020. and its transmitter is located at 87th and Kedzie in Chicago's Ashburn community.

History

Station's origins

WVON's origins lie in WHFC, which began in 1926, broadcasting from the Hotel Flanders in Chicago.Ghrist, John R. (1996). ''Valley Voices: A Radio History''. Crossroads Communications. p. 358-364.AM Histories
, '' Broadcasting — Telecasting''. A Continuing Study of Major Radio Markets: Study No. 7: Chicago. October 25, 1948. p. 18. Retrieved January 18, 2020. It was owned by Richard W. Hoffman. Like many stations of the time, WHFC shared time with other stations on its frequency. Its city of license was later changed to

Cicero, Illinois Cicero is a town in Cook County, Illinois, United States, and a suburb of Chicago. As of the 2020 census, the population was 85,268, making it the 11th-most populous municipality in Illinois. The town is named after Marcus Tullius Cicero, a R ...

, and it studios and transmitter were moved to Cermak Rd. in Cicero.
Broadcasting 1935 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), ...

. 1935. p. 29. Retrieved January 18, 2020. In early years, WHFC aired pop music from singers like

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...

, and aired live band performances from Cicero's Olympic Ballroom. In 1930, WHFC moved to 1420, where it shared time with WEHS and WKBI. Hoffman bought out the other two stations, and by 1936 it operated on 1420 full-time. WHFC's frequency was changed to 1450 in 1941, as a result of the

North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement The North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement (NARBA, ; ) refers to a series of international treaties that defined technical standards for AM band (mediumwave) radio stations. These agreements also addressed how frequency assignments were d ...

. In the early 1950s, WHFC's studios and transmitter were moved to 3350 S. Kedzie, in Chicago's South Lawndale community. In the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, WHFC aired ethnic and African-American programming.

Ernie Banks Ernest Banks (January 31, 1931 – January 23, 2015), nicknamed "Mr. Cub" and "Mr. Sunshine", was an American professional baseball player who starred in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop and first baseman for the Chicago Cubs between ...

hosted a program on the station in the late 1950s. WHFC's programming was simulcast on 97.9 WEHS after WEHS's storecasting contract expired in the 1950s.

Beginnings of WVON

In 1963, WHFC became WVON when it was purchased by

Leonard Leonard or ''Leo'' is a common English language, English masculine given name and a surname. The given name and surname originate from the Old High German ''Leonhard'' containing the prefix ''levon'' ("lion") from the Greek wikt:Λέων#Greek, Λ ...

and

Phil Chess Philip Chess (born Fiszel Czyż; March 27, 1921 – October 18, 2016) was a Polish-born American record company executive, the founder of Chess Records alongside his brother Leonard. Early life Chess was born to a Polish-Jewish family in the ...

, the owners of

, for $1 million.New Chess R.&B. 'Baby' Shows Face in Chicago
, ''

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 ...

''. April 13, 1963. p. 24. Retrieved January 19, 2020.Radio Stations Hot Item in Sales Market
, ''

''. February 18, 1963. p. 106. Retrieved January 20, 2020. WEHS was included in the sale. WVON debuted on April 1, 1963, and quickly became a success playing

R&B music Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...

, becoming the second most listened to Chicago station during evening hours by early 1964.Reich, Howard.
WVON timeline
, ''

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 ...

''. March 29, 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2020.Biro, Nick.
Chicago Radio: Kings Remain Assumptive; Heirs Presumptive
, ''

''. March 28, 1964. p. 12. Retrieved January 20, 2020. WEHS's call sign was changed to WHFC, and simulcast WVON's programming until 1965, when 97.9 adopted a jazz format as WSDM.
1964 Broadcasting Yearbook
',

, 1964. p. B-48. Retrieved January 19, 2020. WVON ran 1,000 watts during the day and 250 watts at night. Though the station was initially geared strictly to a black audience, by 1968 its playlist had expanded to include songs by white artists that were compatible with the station's sound, in an effort to reach a wider audience. WVON was a "heritage" station to Chicago's black community featuring great Black air personalities like Moses "Lucky" Cordell, Bruce Brown, Herb Kent "The Cool Gent", E. Rodney Jones, Cecil Hale, Joe "Youngblood" Cobb,Danois, Ericka Blount (2013).
Love, Peace and Soul: Behind the Scenes of America's Favorite Dance Show Soul Train: Classic Moments
'.

Rowman & Littlefield Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group is an American independent academic publishing company founded in 1949. Under several imprints, the company offers scholarly books for the academic market, as well as trade books. The company also owns ...

. Retrieved January 20, 2020. Ed "Nassau Daddy" Cook, Bill "Butterball" Crane,

Pervis Spann Pervis Spann (August 16, 1932 – March 14, 2022) was an American broadcaster, music promoter, and radio personality. He was a disc jockey on WVON and was influential in the development of blues music in Chicago, Illinois. Early life Spann wa ...

, Don Cornelius, Sid McCoy (who would accompany Cornelius when he formed ''

Soul Train ''Soul Train'' is an American musical variety television show. After airing locally on WCIU-TV in Chicago, Illinois, for a year, it aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. In its 35-year history, the show primarily featu ...

''), Richard Pegue, Bernadine C. Washington, Jay Johnson, newsmen Roy Wood and Jim Moloney, a very young reporter/engineer Larry Langford and many others. WVON became well known outside the Chicago area as well.

Berry Gordy Berry Gordy III (born November 28, 1929), also known as Berry Gordy Jr., is an American retired record executive, record producer, songwriter, film producer and television producer. He is best known as the founder of the Motown record label and i ...

, the president of

Motown Records Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...

, sent every song he produced immediately to WVON before any other station. Other similar stations across the country took inspiration from WVON's format. The station also had an active role during the Civil Rights Movement, covering it extensively. Rev.

Jesse Jackson Jesse Louis Jackson (Birth name#Maiden and married names, né Burns; born October 8, 1941) is an American Civil rights movements, civil rights activist, Politics of the United States, politician, and ordained Baptist minister. Beginning as a ...

called into the station to report the

assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr., an American civil rights activist, was fatally shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, at 6:01 p.m. CST. He was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:05& ...

Sale to Globetrotter and move to 1390

After Leonard Chess died in 1969, the Chess family decided to sell WVON to Globetrotter Communications, owned by George N. Gillett Jr. and Potter Palmer for $9 million.$9-million Chicago sale OK'd by FCC
, ''

''. September 28, 1970. p. 30. Retrieved January 20, 2020. The sale was consummated in 1970. In 1975, Globetrotter bought WNUS-AM-FM from the McLendon interests for $4,450,000; they moved WVON from 1450 to the 5,000-watt former WNUS signal on 1390 on February 5 of that year at 3:30 p.m., which increased WVON's coverage area significantly. The 1450 frequency was left silent for a time. On August 24, 1976, FM classical music station

WFMT WFMT (98.7 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station in Chicago, Illinois, with a classical music radio format. It is part of Window to the World Communications, Inc, in the same company as Chicago's PBS member station WTTW. WFMT seeks donations ...

was allowed to simulcast on 1450 as an interim operator while the

Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...

(FCC) evaluated applications for a new license for the frequency. WVON reduced its news and community programming beginning in 1974, but continued to air a weekly broadcast by Jesse Jackson. In 1977, Combined Communications Corporation purchased Globetrotter Communications, and the following year Combined Communications merged with Gannett Co. In 1982, Yvonne Daniels joined WVON as morning drive host.

Shared-time on 1450

The FCC process of assigning a license for the vacant 1450 AM frequency resulted in a shared-time arrangement, as applicants Midway Broadcasting Corporation and Migala Communications reached an agreement to split the broadcast day. Two former WVON personalities,

and Wesley South, were the principals of Midway Broadcasting. They accepted the random issue call sign WXOL, while Migala chose WCEV ("We're Chicagoland's Ethnic Voice") as their call sign.History Cards for WXOL
fcc.gov. Retrieved January 20, 2020.History Cards for WCEV
fcc.gov. Retrieved January 20, 2020. Jan Under the agreement, WCEV would operate from 1p.m. to 10p.m. Monday through Friday, with WXOL taking the rest of the hours. Both stations were on the air by October 1979 and shared a transmitting tower.
Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1981
',

Broadcasting & Cable ''Broadcasting & Cable'' (''B&C'', or ''Broadcasting+Cable'') was a telecommunications industry monthly trade magazine and, later, news website published by Future US. Founded in 1931 as ''Broadcasting'', subsequent mergers, acquisitions and ...

, 1981. p. C-68. Retrieved January 20, 2020.Penchansky, Alan.
Black Stations Give Blues Another Look
, ''

''. November 3, 1979. pp. 6, 82. Retrieved January 20, 2020. The tower was located at the old WVON site at 3350 South Kedzie Avenue. WXOL broadcast from studios at that location, while WCEV built its own facilities on the northwest side of Chicago. WXOL aired a

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

oriented format, and its appearance on the dial sparked an immediate increase in the sales of blues records in the Chicago area. WGCI (107.5 FM) was also programmed to appeal to black audiences, and it and other FM stations won away many of WVON's listeners. Zorn, Eric. "WGCI Alphabet Change Doesn't Soup Up Listener Ratings", ''

''. February 4, 1985. WGCI became so successful that Gannett changed the call letters of 1390 from WVON to WGCI in 1983.Call letters
, ''

''. October 17, 1983. p. 82. Retrieved May 8, 2019. Midway Broadcasting immediately filed a request with the FCC to change WXOL's call sign to WVON, and on March 28, 1984, the WVON call letters returned to their former home at 1450.Call Sign History 42068
fcc.gov. Retrieved January 20, 2020. The station experienced a 50% increase in its audience after the call sign change. In 1986, WVON adopted its current black-oriented

talk radio 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 ...

format. In 2002, then State Senator

filled in for vacationing Cliff Kelley. Roland Martin hosted a program on WVON from October 2005 to October 2008.

Move to 1690

On September 18, 2006, the station got another signal upgrade when WVON's call letters and programming moved to 1690 AM broadcasting with 10,000 watts during the day. This happened when Midway Broadcasting took over management of the station using an LMA (like a lease agreement) on the frequency licensed to

, and owned by Clear Channel Communications (now known as

). The move displaced the

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 of Clear Channel-operated WRLL on 1690. The WRLL call letters were assigned to Midway's half of the time-share on 1450 at Cicero, Illinois. In 2007, the station's studios were moved from their longtime home at 3350 S. Kedzie to the former Soft Sheen Products Building on 87th Street in Chicago's Chatham neighborhood. In late 2018, its studios were moved to the South Loop. In May 2019,

Todd Stroger Todd H. Stroger (born January 14, 1963) is the former president of the Cook County, Illinois Board and a former alderman for the 8th ward in Chicago. Stroger is a member of the Democratic Party. In 2001, he was appointed to the Chicago City C ...

, a former Cook County Board President, joined the station as morning co-host. In summer 2020, Stroger left WVON, along with his co-host Maze Jackson, after being told by station management that they could no longer discuss Mayor

Lori Lightfoot Lori Elaine Lightfoot (born August 4, 1962) is an American politician and attorney who was the mayor of Chicago#List of mayors, 56th mayor of Chicago from 2019 until 2023. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, she ...

, and to disconnect any callers who were critical of her, immediately joining 1570 WBGX in the same time slot.Report: Maze Jackson, Todd Stroger Quit Morning Show At WVON/Chicago
, ''All Access''. July 7, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2021.

Notes

References

External links

* {{Portal bar, United States, Chicago, Radio

VON The term () is used in German surnames either as a nobiliary particle indicating a noble patrilineality, or as a simple preposition used by commoners that means or . Nobility directories like the often abbreviate the noble term to ''v.'' ...

News and talk radio stations in the United States IHeartMedia radio stations Radio stations established in 2003 2003 establishments in Illinois Berwyn, Illinois