WLIT-FM 93.9 FM, (93.9 MYfm) is a radio station licensed to Chicago, Illinois, featuring a format of Mainstream AC music. The station is currently owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. (formerly Clear Channel Communications until September 2014). WLIT has studios located at the Illinois Center complex on Michigan Avenue in Downtown Chicago, and it broadcasts from a 4kw transmitter and antenna based atop Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower). WLIT broadcasts with the maximum authorized power for a Class B FM station at the specified antenna height.
History
93.9 FM in Chicago began operation April 7, 1958, with the call sign WEBH (which stood for the Edgewater Beach Hotel, the location of its original studios), under the ownership of Buddy Black Broadcasting Co. Broadcasting Yearbook 1958 (Retrieved August 26, 2016) In 1969 the station was sold to Rich Communications Corp., a group owner of Stations WAMO AM-FM, Pittsburgh (25%); WILD(AM), Boston; WLTO(AM), Miami; and WUFO(AM), Amherst, N.Y. The new owner changed the WEBH call sign to WWEL in January 1970. The station broadcast "beautiful music", an easy listening format with mostly instrumentals and a couple of soft vocal songs per hour.
WWEL was "WW-EL" from mid 1970 to 1972, to describe the easy listening format that was broadcast. In 1971 WWEL was sold to Sudbrink Broadcasting, a group owner of Stations WAVO AM-FM, Decatur, Ga.; WZIP(AM) and WWEZ-FM, Cincinnati; WRMS(AM), Beardstown, Ill.; WRIZ(AM), Coral Gables, Fla.; KYND-FM, Pasadena, Tex.; WLYF-FM, Miami; WTOW(AM), Towson, Md.; WLIF-FM, Baltimore; and WEZW-FM, Wauwatosa, Wisc. In March 1972, the WWEL call sign was changed to WLAK. WLAK adopted the beautiful music format produced and distributed by Stereo Radio Productions, as did the other Sudbrink FM stations.
In 1978 WLAK was sold to Storer Broadcasting Co., group owner of Radio Stations KTNQ(AM)-KGBS(FM), Los Angeles; WGBS(AM), Miami; WSPD(AM), Toledo, Oh.; and WHN(AM), New York, as well as seven television stations. Storer sold WLAK to CBS Broadcasting in 1981.
In 1983, WLAK switched to Soft rock, playing 99% vocal songs and virtually no instrumentals. Core artists included Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand and others. WLAK was very successful in the format, and was one of the first in the nation preceding its sister station WLTW in New York. WLAK changed call letters in 1989 to WLIT, and rebranded as "93.9 The Lite."
In the mid-1990s, WLIT evolved out of Soft rock and into a straight soft rock format. Viacom sold its radio stations to Chancellor Broadcasting in 1997. In 1999 Chancellor restructured as AMFM Inc. In 2000, WLIT fell under the ownership of Clear Channel Communications after Clear Channel's merger with AMFM. It later became "93.9 Lite FM."
WLIT became Chicago's only adult contemporary station on August 1, 2011, when former rival WCFS-FM flipped to a simulcast of WBBM-AM. This marked the first time in years Chicago had had only one soft rock radio station.
On June 17, 2013, WLIT rebranded as "93.9 My FM". The change updated the station's playlist to be more current/recurrent-based.
Its slogan was previously "More Variety from the 80's til Now", but in 2014, the slogan was changed to "More Variety from the 90's til Now". However, despite the slogan change, the station continues to play small amounts of music from the 1980s.
Imaging
WLIT used jingles consistently to brand its station.
It started in 1994 with a custom package produced by what it was called TM Century, now TM Studios of Dallas.
In 2000, WLIT started using Reelworld Productions in Seattle, with a grand total of 5 custom packages that soon became the main formula for AC radio jingle imaging nationwide. After WLIT rebranded to 93.9 Lite FM in 2012, the station used Reelworld's Hallam FM 2006 and KMYI 2009 packages, with some Reelworld One AC cuts. The WLIT hasn't used any jingles since the rebrand to 93.9 My FM.
Imaging wise, the station used Randy Reeves from 2000-2004, and current imaging voice Cam Brainard since 2004, though WLIT used Scott Fisher and Joe Cipriano in the past. With the My FM rebrand, the station went back to Cam Brainard's voice, and the station hasn't turned to another imaging voice since. WLIT also uses Reelworld's Production Vault imaging library for all of its imaging.
HD programming
In February 2006, WLIT began broadcasting in HD Radio. WLIT's HD-2 was originally a simulcast of the now-defunct "Real Oldies" WRLL (now WVON) 1690 AM, then changed to a mix of disco music and 1970s/1980s called "Flashback." In August 2009, the format changed again, this time to a gold-based AC format known as "Chicago's Classic Lite", and later branded as Delilah.
Christmas broadcasting
From November through Christmas Day each year, WLIT changes its branding to The Holiday Lite and format to continuous Christmas music, resuming its regular branding and format on December 26. During the period between December 26 and January 2, the Christmas music moves to the HD2 channel while the main terrestrial station resumes the regular format. After the mid-2013 rebranding, the all-Christmas tradition was continued without reference to "lite".
On Air
- Kristina Kage(6AM-10AM) Weekdays
- Robin Rock (10am-3pm) weekdays
- Mick Lee (3pm-7pm) weekdays
- On with Mario Lopez (7pm-11pm) weekdays
- The Rendezvous with Simon and Angi (11pm-1am) weekdays
References
External links
- Official website
- Query the FCC's FM station database for WLIT
- Radio-Locator information on WLIT
- Query Nielsen Audio's FM station database for WLIT
