Any idea what floor WLS was located on (360 North Michigan Ave)?
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WLS 360 North Michigan Ave
- Thread starter chuckmcmillan
- Start date
Fifth floor. They were still there as late as my first visit to Chicago in 1985, but 13-year-old me couldn't talk my way past the front door.
Thanks, Fybush.
Didn't they know who you were?
I do not recall if that was the 1962 location when I visited. They let me sit in the lobby and get each jock’s autograph as they arrived or left their shift. I was 15 at the time.
I got to visit in 1975, Jim Smith the MD took a group of us on a tour. The record co flew us in to meet Roger Daltrey and hear his new tune. WLS was part of the visit! The station was impressive but pretty normal looking. They had an ironing board up to make WLS T Shirts on, with iron on decals!
WLS moved from the Prairie Farmer Building at 1230 W. Washington Boulevard to the 5th floor at 360 North Michigan Avenue in August of 1960
Paul Harvey did his show from the same building, but one floor down. He remained there until 1990 when he moved across the street:
www.chicagotribune.com
TOP OF THE WORLD
Paul Harvey is sitting on top of the radio world in his new Michigan Avenue studios-and don`t ask him to look down. ”I`m afraid I suffer from a kind of internal acrophobia,” said the na…
www.chicagotribune.com
Stone Container building Michigan & Wacker Dr.. WLS used to have visiting hours every Saturday around 10AM to 2PM. Used to be able to see who ever was on the air through the glass panels of the visiting area.
Then that was where I visited, as I definitely would have remembered the Prairie Farmer building!
I wonder how many stations had a window that you could sit there and watch the DJ like you would watch monkeys at the zoo. Only one station I was at had that but you had to come into the lobby to look at the DJ through a big plate glass window. At least they gave us curtains to close so you could have some privacy. I felt bad for the receptionists, there were some really strange looking people coming in to watch you and there was nothing between her and them except a desk. Guess if they started any weird crap she could have conked them with the big ass phone on her desk.
Personally, I would have been more interested in seeing the WDAI section of the 5th floor, during the AOR era.
WXIL Parkersburg WV was a Mall. They had a window looking at the on air and production studios. I always questioned that selection because how many sales "decision makers" where at the stores in the Mall?
I believe WDAI was on the 4th floor where Paul Harvey and the ABC Radio Network's Chicago studios were located.
Never knew that. I haven't seen Tom Graye in a long time. I'll ask him.
The "Radio Reloj" stations in all the major markets in Colombia had studios facing the street and live DJs 24/7. The format was hit Colombian music and time checks after ever song and both before and after every commercial break. The studios had a metal rail in front of bullet proof glass windows and people would lean on the rail and watch the DJ for a while.
Here is the Radio Reloj station in Medellín in a picture I took in 1963.
Pretty neat. I'm pretty sure nowadays you'd never find them at street level, bulletproof glass or not. Any stations that still or did have them, probably moved the DJ or whomever was in there to a more secure location. Too many crazies out there that'd try to shoot them up or something because you wouldn't play their "Rubber Duckie" song request or something equally stupid.
Wonder how many Shakira requests they play…
From not too long ago, WGN Radio's Michigan Ave street level studio. The WGN street level studio was built in 1986 after the station's move from Bradley PL on Chicago's North West Side in late 1986. WGN Radio moved out of the Tribune Tower in 2018.
Attachments
WMVP still has a streetfront studio on State Street.
ESPN CHICAGO - Slideshow: ESPN Chicago fans at the Cadillac State St. Studio
ESPN Chicago fans at the Cadillac State St. Studio
www.espn.com