From 1924 to 2014, WGN Radio was owned by Tribune Media, which owned the Chicago Tribune, whose "World's Greatest Newspaper" slogan served as the basis for the WGN Radio call sign.
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28 Facts About WGN Radio
2.
WGN Radio is a clear channel, Class A station, broadcasting at the maximum power of 50,000 watts, and using a non-directional antenna.
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3.
WGN Radio is responsible for the activation of the Chicago metropolitan area Emergency Alert System when hazardous weather alerts, disaster area declarations, and child abductions are issued.
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4.
WGN Radio is one of the few talk stations in the US to broadcast all local talk shows during the day and evening.
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5.
WGN Radio was the longtime Chicago outlet for Paul Harvey from 1951 until his death on February 28,2009.
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6.
WGN Radio had a long association with the MLB Chicago Cubs from 1925 to 2014, the last 56 years of that period as the exclusive flagship station.
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7.
On September 1,2020, WGN Radio dropped ABC News Radio in favor of being an "audio news hub" for the co-owned NewsNation TV channel.
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8.
WGN Radio is broadcast in four states, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Indiana, it is broadcast in its local area of the Chicago metro, and in Northern Illinois and parts of Central Illinois, and is broadcast in Southeast and Northeast Wisconsin, parts of Eastern Iowa, and Northwest Indiana.
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9.
The original WGN Radio began operating on the evening of March 29,1924, after the newspaper took over programming of the former WJAZ.
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10.
The WGN call sign had been assigned to a Great Lakes vessel, SS Carl D Bradley.
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11.
On September 1,1928 the Federal WGN Radio Commission ruled that this was two stations too many, and ordered that their operations be consolidated.
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12.
In 1934, WGN Radio became a founding member of the Mutual Broadcasting System.
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13.
WGN Radio joined with WOR New York City, WXYZ Detroit and WLW Cincinnati to form the network, a rival to NBC and CBS.
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15.
Over many decades, WGN was a "full service" radio station.
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16.
Some former well-known personalities on WGN Radio include longtime morning hosts Wally Phillips, Bob Collins, Spike O'Dell, Paul Harvey and Roy Leonard.
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17.
WGN-TV and WGN Radio would remain with the original entity, which was renamed Tribune Media and was restructured to focus on the company's broadcasting, digital and real estate properties; the newspaper division – which, in addition to the Chicago Tribune, included publications such as the Los Angeles Times, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and the Baltimore Sun – was spun off into the standalone entity Tribune Publishing.
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18.
However, WGN Radio-TV continues to maintain a content partnership with the Tribune.
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19.
That year, morning host Spike O'Dell retired from radio; WGN then moved the station's midday host at the time, John Williams to the morning slot.
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20.
On May 22,2009, WGN Radio announced the cancellation of The Kathy and Judy Show effective after that day's broadcast.
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21.
In June 2010, WGN Radio announced the hiring of longtime Cincinnati-based host Mike McConnell from WLW for the late morning slot, shifting Williams back to his original midday time slot on August 9,2010.
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22.
On December 2,2011, WGN Radio announced that Jonathon Brandmeier was named the new morning drive time host, effective December 9.
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23.
On December 17,2012, WGN Radio executives announced that the long-running program "Extension 720", hosted by Dr Milton J Rosenberg, would end its 39-year run three days later on December 20.
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24.
On May 21, WGN Radio announced that their schedule would change again effective May 27,2014, which includes the return of John Williams to the airwaves of WGN Radio that he will pretty much do the show live from Minneapolis, while still doing his afternoon show on WCCO 830.
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25.
On November 20,2014, Chicago media blogger Robert Feder reported that WGN Radio management planned to end operation of both WGWG-LP and internet station WGN Radio.
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26.
WGN Radio said he plans to focus on The Content Factory, his Evanston-based national syndication and new media company, and to expand into the area of sports representation.
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27.
On July 25,2017, it was reported that WGN Radio would leave Tribune Tower in 2018 and relocate to a new studio and office across the Chicago River.
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28.
On February 14,2018, WGN Radio was named the new flagship station of the Chicago White Sox, who were left without a station after Cumulus Media voided their contract to air on WLS as part of their Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.
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