WWDV
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2024) |
| Satellite of horizontal) | |
|---|---|
| HAAT | 148 meters (486 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 42°30′35.1″N 87°53′11.3″W / 42.509750°N 87.886472°W |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | www |
WWDV (96.9 FM) is a radio station in Zion, Illinois, known as "The Drive". The station is currently owned by Hubbard Broadcasting, and is a full-time simulcast of Chicago-licensed WDRV (97.1 MHz), serving the Kenosha, Wisconsin–Waukegan, Illinois, area. "The Drive" programs a broad-based classic rock format.
History
WAXO
WAXO first signed on the air on November 4, 1962; the first voice heard was that of Paul Weyrich. The station's effective radiated power then was 3,500 watts, broadcasting from a transmitter and 143-foot (44 m) tower at 6400 67th Street and studios in the Isermann Building at 616 56th Street in downtown Kenosha, Wisconsin. In 1966, WAXO built new AM/FM studios at the transmitter/tower location, and moved operations there. The building is now a medical facility, though the WAXO tower supports remain on the grounds.
WAXO was Kenosha's second modern-day radio station after WLIP and was billed as "The new voice of a new and greater Kenosha". WAXO's first station manager was longtime broadcaster Roy Ambrose of Manitowoc, Wisconsin; Paul Weyrich was the first program director and Don Jensen was the first news director. Subsequent station managers included Richard Blaha and Darrell Gorr. In a late-1968 promotional stunt, WAXO announcer Gary Anderson held a record for constant on-air broadcast duties by performing an air shift of 96.9 hours.
Service Broadcasting Corporation owned WAXO between 1962 and June 14, 1969. Arnold Johnson was president, Dr. Robert Heller was executive vice-president, and John E. Malloy Esq. was secretary-treasurer.
The company had always intended to operate an AM radio station, and there was an available AM frequency allocation on 1500 kilohertz. However, there were competing interests for the AM license, most notably from neighboring
Typical WAXO programming
- Sundial with Paul Weyrich
- The Mike is Yours with Larry Taylor
- Home Executive Club with Lida Hindley
- The Noon Report and Showtime with Don Jensen
- The Chuck Presley Show - Chuck Presley
- The Lou Rugani Show - Lou Rugani
- Sentimental Journey with Augie Gnorski (Gus Gnorski)
- Moondial with Jay Wells
- Passport to Italy with Mario Capponi
- Your Opinion Please with Roy Ambrose/Wayne Blackmon
- Sounds of Stereo (Chester Electronics) Gary Anderson/Dick Scott
- The Big Bands with Lew Strangberg
- Play By Play with Jim Wynne
- Invitation to Music with Wayne Blackmon
- The Frank Carmichael Show - Frank Carmichael
- The Hammond Organ Show with Lillian Crawford (and later, Lillian Gildenstern)
WKZN
By autumn of 1969 Zion-Benton Broadcasting had changed the call sign to WKZN (for "Waukegan-Kenosha-Zion-Newport"). The station's on-air moniker was "KZ97". The new ownership had ordered and installed a new
WNIZ
In 1983, WKZN was sold to Northern Illinois Broadcasting, the owners of WNIB (97.1 FM), which had been experiencing interference problems from WKZN's adjoining frequency. WKZN then became WNIZ-FM, and simulcast nearly all of WNIB's programming until both stations were sold in 2000 for $158 million to Bonneville International.
On February 12, 2001, WNIB would begin stunting as a prelude to a change to classic hits as WDRV "The Drive" a month later, while WNIZ-FM became a simulcast of new sister station, WTMX. The call sign for 96.9 was changed to WTNX. This simulcast did very little for WTMX's ratings, and management felt it would be more appropriate to be paired up with its neighbor at 97.1. On January 1, 2003, 96.9 became the north metro frequency for "The Drive", and the call sign was changed to WWDV. "The Drive" would slowly evolve into a broad-based classic rock format.
Bonneville announced the sale of WWDV, as well as 16 other stations, to Hubbard Broadcasting on January 19, 2011.[3] The sale was completed on April 29, 2011.[4]
HD radio
In September 2006, WWDV's HD 2 station signed on simulcasting with WDRV HD 2 featuring "Deep Tracks".[5]
References
- ^ "Call Sign History (WWDV)". Retrieved April 15, 2010.
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WWDV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ "$505M sale: Bonneville sells Chicago, D.C., St. Louis and Cincinnati to Hubbard". Radio-Info.com. January 19, 2011. Archived from the original on January 22, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2011.
- ^ "Hubbard deal to purchase Bonneville stations closes". Radio Ink. May 2, 2011. Archived from the original on March 12, 2012. Retrieved May 2, 2011.
- ^ 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
- Official website
- Facility details for Facility ID 49547 (WWDV) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- WWDV in Nielsen Audio's FM station database