WSSR
Westwood One | |
Ownership | |
---|---|
Owner |
|
WCCQ, WERV-FM, WJOL, WXLC, WZSR | |
History | |
First air date | February 6, 1960 (as WJOL-FM)[1] |
Former call signs | |
Call sign meaning | "Star" |
Technical information[4] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
Facility ID | 62240 |
Class | A |
ERP | 3,100 watts |
HAAT | 142 meters (466 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 41°36′1.1″N 87°58′44.2″W / 41.600306°N 87.978944°W |
Links | |
Public license information | |
Webcast | Listen live |
Website | www |
WSSR (96.7
History
WJOL-FM
The station first signed on the air on February 6, 1960, as WJOL-FM, sister station to AM 1340 WJOL.[1] The station shared its studios and transmitter site with the AM in Joliet, where it broadcast with an ERP of 1,000 watts at a height above average terrain (HAAT) of 125 feet.[2] Initially, WJOL-FM simulcast the programming of the AM part of the day, but aired beautiful music, classical music, and standards separate from the AM station during evening hours and weekends.[5][6] The station was owned by Joseph Novy and Jerome Cerny.[7][8]
By 1964, its programming was separate from its AM sister station, and the station was one of the first in the area to broadcast in stereo.[9] That year, WJOL-AM-FM were sold to Publishing Enterprises, owned by Jack Harris and family, for $560,000.[7][8] A year later, its ERP was increased to 3,000 watts and its HAAT was increased to 300 feet.[2]
WLLI-FM
In 1974, the station's call letters were changed to WLLI, an anagram for Will County, the primary county in its coverage area, and it aired a country music format.[10][2][11] Later that decade, the station switched to a MOR format,[12] and then a top 40 format.[13] By 1980, WLLI had returned to a MOR format.[14]
In 1984, the station switched to a top 40/CHR format.
In early 1995, WLLI was sold to Barden Broadcasting, which changed the station's format to
Will Rock

In January 1997, WLLI adopted a
In 1998, the station was sold to Pride Communications.[28][29] In 2000, the station was sold to NextMedia Group.[30][31]
Star 96.7
On February 2, 2004, while playing "
In 2008, WSSR moved its transmitting antenna from Joliet (where it was co-located on WJOL's tower) to a 350-foot tower located at 159th Street & Cedar Road in Homer Glen.[34][35] The move solidified the stations signal coverage in the I-88 and I-355 corridor as well as the southwest suburbs.
WSSR and NextMedia's 32 other radio stations were sold to Digity, LLC for $85 million; the transaction was consummated on February 10, 2014.[36] Effective February 25, 2016, Digity, LLC and its 124 radio stations were acquired by Alpha Media for $264 million.[37][38]
Scott Childers joined WSSR in 2008 as afternoon drive host, and became program director in 2012.[39] In April 2019, Childers was replaced in his weekday afternoon and evening shift by Eddie Volkman.[40][41]
HD programming
WSSR transmits in HD Radio and provides a multicast (extra) channel, which carries sister station, WJOL-AM 1340 on HD 2. The main HD channel, HD 1 simulcasts the over-the-air (analog) channel.[42]
References
- ^ a b 1961-62 Broadcasting Yearbook, Broadcasting, 1961-1962. p. B-54. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
- ^ a b c d History Cards for WSSR, fcc.gov. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
- ^ a b Call Sign History, fcc.gov. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WSSR". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ "FM Station Key", U.S. Radio. Vol. 4, No. 7. July 1960. p. 47. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
- ^ "FM Station Key", U.S. Radio. September 1961. p. 65. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
- ^ a b "Changing hands", Broadcasting. May 11, 1964. p. 87. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
- ^ a b "Ownership changes", Broadcasting. May 11, 1964. p. 96. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
- ^ 1964 Broadcasting Yearbook, Broadcasting, 1964. p. B-50. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
- ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1975, Broadcasting, 1975. p. C-58. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
- ^ a b Chicagoland Radio Waves, MediaTies. Summer 1988/Spring-Summer 1989. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
- ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1977, Broadcasting, 1977. p. C-64. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
- ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1978, Broadcasting, 1978. p. C-66. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
- ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1980, Broadcasting, 1980. p. C-69. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
- ^ Bornstein, Rollye. "Vox Jox", Billboard. December 22, 1984. p. 21. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
- ^ "Transactions", Radio & Records. April 24, 1987. p. 12. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
- ^ Public Notice Comment – BALH-19870414HW, fcc.gov. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
- ^ "WLLI FM 96.7", Radio Chicago, Spring 1991. p. 54. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
- ^ The Broadcasting Yearbook 1991, Broadcasting & Cable, 1978. p. B-102. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
- ^ "Format Changes & Updates", The M Street Journal. Vol. 12, No. 13. March 29, 1995. p. 1. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
- ^ Public Notice Comment – BALH-19950104GH, fcc.gov. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
- ^ "Changing Hands", Broadcasting & Cable. January 30, 1995. p. 44. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
- ^ Taylor, Chuck. "Vox Jox", Billboard. January 20, 1996. p. 81. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
- ^ "Format Changes & Updates", The M Street Journal. Vol. 14, No. 2 . January 15, 1997. p. 1. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
- ^ a b "96.7 Will Rock". WLLI. Archived from the original on March 4, 2000. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
- ^ "Jox Box". WLLI. Archived from the original on March 4, 2000. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- ^ "Lonny Tyler Sits in All 75,000 Seats!", Chicagoland Speedway. June 18, 2001. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- ^ "Special Report", Broadcasting & Cable. February 2, 1998. p. 47. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
- ^ Mannion, Annemarie. "Voice of Joliet May Grow Quiet", Chicago Tribune. February 5, 1998. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
- ^ "Combos", Broadcasting & Cable. July 9, 2000. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- ^ Kirk, Jim. "Suburban Radio Signals Scooped Up By Colorado's NextMedia Group", Chicago Tribune. July 4, 2000. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- ^ a b "Chicago Media Headlines". DJHeadlines.com. February 3, 2004. Archived from the original on November 2, 2006. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- ^ "The format flip of WLLI-FM 96.7 'Will Rock' to WSSR-FM 'Star 96-7'". DJHeadlines.com. February 2, 2004. Archived from the original on June 17, 2006. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- ^ WSSR Transmitter Site Map[dead link], fcc.gov. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- ^ Application Search Details – BLH-20080402AAF, fcc.gov. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- ^ "NextMedia Radio Stations Now Owned And Operated By Digity", Chicagoland Radio and Media. February 10, 2014. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- ^ "Alpha Media Closes Purchase of Digity Radio Stations!", Alpha Media. February 25, 2016. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- ^ "With Digity, Alpha Is Now Fourth-Largest Radio Co.", InsideRadio. February 26, 2016. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- ^ "Scott Childers Promoted To PD of WSSR-FM", Chicagoland Radio and Media. January 19, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
- ^ "Scott Childers Exits PD/Afternoons At WSSR (Star 96.7)/Joliet, IL", All Access Music Group. April 12, 2019. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
- ^ "Eddie Volkman Joins WSSR (Star 96.7)/Joliet", All Access Music Group. April 15, 2019. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
- ^ http://www.hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?id=3 Archived October 6, 2014, at the Wayback Machine HD Radio Guide for Chicago
External links
- Star 96.7 WSSR official website
- Facility details for Facility ID 62240 (WSSR) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- WSSR in Nielsen Audio's FM station database