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AM Frequency of the week: 890

cyberdad

cyberdad

Far northwest suburban Chicago....

WLS 24/7 owns 890. On a few rare occasions, I've heard faint unidentifiable Spanish under WLS. I assume it's R. Progreso from Cuba, but I'm far from sure about that.

Other locations: As posted previously, I've heard WLS on both coasts as well as Hawaii. As well as on a couple of European SDRs. Including the Arctic Circle rig.

Coincidences: As it turns out we're landing on 890 on the week when ABC flipped WLS to top-40 Thathistoric moment in rock music radio happened May 1, 1960.

Also, as some of you may have heard, one of the seven original WLS top 40 jocks from when the flip took place, passed away just this past week. Jim Dunbar, who was only with WLS for about two years. He had the 10am-noon time slot, sandwiched in between "Don MacNeil's Breakfast Club" and a half-hour noon news bloc. Dunbar, of course, went on to bigger and better things....a hall of fame career at WLS' sister station KGO in San Francisco. He's widely credited with playing a major role in inventing the modern radio talk show format.

Dunbar's age at the time of his death, ironically enough was 89. I'm pretty sure that his passing leaves only Dick Biondi and Bob Hale as the remaining survivors from the WLS "swingin' seven". Biondi has been off the air (WLS-FM) for quite some time, and apparently is in poor health. Bob Hale is retired and active occasionally on a Facebook radio page.
 
From Reynoldsburg, Ohio ...
* Daytime: Nothing except slop from local daytimer on WRFD (880).
* Nighttime: Always WLS, but never quite as strong as the other Chicago 50Ks. Definitely puts up with some Cuban interference from time to time.
 
In the near north Chicago suburbs It's "The Big 89" WLS day and night.
Back in the day I used to be able to hear WLS pretty well on visits to the West Coast. Unfortunately, KDXU St George, Ut put an end to that in the mid 80s.
As Cyberdad mentioned WLS can still be heard on remote receivers from Europe to Hawaii during the fall and winter.

Yes, Bob Hale and Dick Biondi are now the last living members of the original DJ lineup beginning in May 1960.
I was at a record hop in the early 60s and Bob Hale was the MC. During his break I wandered into the lounge and talked radio with him for about 15-20 minutes.He couldn't have been nicer. Fast forward to 1985 when WLS celebrated 25 years of pop music. Bob Hale was back and taking phone calls. I reminded him of that night in the early 60s and again he was very nice.
 
Knoxville, TN: Daytime-nada
Night WLS or Radio Progreso.

Retro/other: A very weak WLS during the day in Dayton, Ohio
Lafayette, IN: WLS was the strongest out of town daytime signal in the 1990s, but became plagued with Cuba at night (at the time Radio Taino). Just after sunrise, I could null WLS and get the station in Laurel, MS, which was a news-talker at the time. It was interesting when WLS would take a call from Mississippi, and I had to think those who daytime listeners to the Mississippi station who happened on WLS at night.

Quincy, IL: A weak WLS by day, but cross the bridge into Missouri and it suddenly got stronger.
 
Here in Wood Dale, IL (near NW suburb of Chicago):

Daytime: WLS
Nightime: WLS

WLS is the farthest of the Chicago 50 kW blow torches from my location at 29 miles. I am able to get a slight null during night, which resulted in a couple DX catches (see below) as well as occasional Spanish speaking station which is presumably Cuba.

DX catches: Was able to hear KBYE (Oklahoma City, OK) during a DX Test in 1981 with a code ID making it through partially nulled WLS. Also last year had a c&w station in partially nulled WLS which I matched to a KQLX web stream. All other DX was heard with WLS being of the air: KVOZ (Laredo, TX), KDXU (St. George, UT), HJPM (Colombia), CADZ (Cuba)
 
In eastern Iowa: WLS all night and day. It's not what it once was, however. The daytime signal is not as listenable as it was when I was a kid (70s/80s) and the nighttime signal doesn't seem like the powerhouse of yesteryear, either. On the other hand, I have about 0% interest in any of their programming these days so I don't really feel particularly disappointed.
 
In the day, nothing. Except if there's some annoying station programming static and noise.

Nights: WLS.

Here in NE PA I have heard what I think (tentative) is Venezuela one night, plus the cume leader in Cuba (R.Reloj)
 
In west Houston, WLS is most likely on top at nights, but doesn't seem as strong as it used to be. Cuba overpowers them at times when conditions favor the south. In the daytime, it's all slop from locals on 880 and 900. At sunset, KTXV Radio Christiana from the Laredo area is often heard, along with Asian programming presumed to be KTXV from the Dallas area.

Back in the 1970's in Tulsa, I had a pushbutton in my first car set to the Big 89. In those days, after sunset, the signal was solid with no noticeable interference.
 
From NW San Antonio:

Daytime: It's KVOZ with a moderate signal, my Scan Button Bingo distance winner at 147 miles.

Night: WLS is in but subject to long fades, and KVOZ will sometimes mix in and take over. I can usually null out WLS by aiming NW/SE, which often allows me to hear R. Progreso. As wildthangjim noted, Progreso can dominate when conditions favor the south.

DX/Retro: I used to hear KJME in Fountain, CO, occasionally at night before it went silent. Also, a few years back I logged WHJA in Laurel, MS, and XEAK in Acámbaro once each.
 
From Laramie, WY:

Right before sunrise, La Ranchera 890 KVMX Olivehurst/Sacramento, CA
Right after sunrise, News Talk 890 KDXU St George, Utah
After sunset, WLS Chicago

At times, all come in quite well.
 
Days:::A weak, but listenable KVMX, Olivehurst, California

Nights::KIHC, Arroyo Grande, California and KDXU, Saint George, Utah battle it out. Depending on were I face my radio, I can pick up a faint KVMX if the other stations are nulled. I have tried many times to see if WLS Chicago ,can sneak in, but I'm unable to with three overlapping stations making a lot of modulation. I'm sure if I went east about a 200 miles ( Yosemite ) , that would only leave me with 1 station to deal with, and a better chance for WLS to sneak in underneath KDXU. Many people have stated they have heard WLS out here in California, but they are not under the umbrella of three stations, as I am.
 
formula72 said:
Days:::A weak, but listenable KVMX, Olivehurst, California

Nights::KIHC, Arroyo Grande, California and KDXU, Saint George, Utah battle it out. Depending on were I face my radio, I can pick up a faint KVMX if the other stations are nulled. I have tried many times to see if WLS Chicago ,can sneak in, but I'm unable to with three overlapping stations making a lot of modulation. I'm sure if I went east about a 200 miles ( Yosemite ) , that would only leave me with 1 station to deal with, and a better chance for WLS to sneak in underneath KDXU. Many people have stated they have heard WLS out here in California, but they are not under the umbrella of three stations, as I am.
Click to expand...

Keep after it. I've heard WLS several times while driving down the Bayshore Freeway. Admittedly it's been a while. But the signal is there, just tougher to sniff out.
 
cyberdad said:
Keep after it. I've heard WLS several times while driving down the Bayshore Freeway. Admittedly it's been a while. But the signal is there, just tougher to sniff out.
Click to expand...

Yes don't give up. During the winter WLS can still be heard in Hawaii on the Oahu SDR. If you can null those two stations KDXU and KIHC at least to some degree, you can probably hear WLS.
 
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