Only for the GEEKS (and sentimental old timers)

[robgrayson]

I stood today in one of the remaining "holy places" of AM top-40 radio, the WLS-AM transmitter building. My family and I had spent most of a week sight-seeing in Chicago, and were on our way back, and I made the trek to I-80 and Highway 45 to pay homage to the site. I pulled up to the gates, and they were open! My wife encouraged me to go take a peek, and I walked up just as the engineer walked out. I told him I was a big fan back in the rock and roll days, and he told me the tower is the same, going all the way back to the 1930's. "They broadcast the Hindenburg crash on it".
Now for the real geeks... the tower is a half-wave at 870, which was their old frequency until the clear channel (the good clear channel) reshuffling back in the 40's. As I pulled up I thought I had the wrong place because it was so tall.

 

[sjs1959]

I qualify on both counts. As someone who grew up on Clark Weber, Ron Riley, and the now-deceased Art Roberts, that is awesome.

 

[fybush]

I made that same pilgrimage a few years ago. It was humbling, and then some, to stand at the base of that tower and think about everything that's gone through that steel in the last seven decades.

What, you want pictures, too?

http://www.fybush.com/sites/2004/site-041015.html

 

[mikl73]

oooh ahhhh booogie check?

 

[Meepster]

Not so much the geek, but BIG time old timer.
Larry Lujack, John "Records" Landecker and "Boogie Checks"...and to thid day, some of the coolest jingle packages ever heard!
Those were the days, my friend
I thought they'd never end!

...but they DID! :'(

 

[robgrayson]

We took the architectural boat tour, which began at Michigan and Wacker, site of their old studios. They were in the old London Guarantee buildling (later one of the three "Stone Container" Buildings... as John Landecker once said "high above the downtown Burger King"). This was the place of the "legend of the ledge" which cost the 70's Bill Bailey his job. It is across the river from the Wrigley and Tribune buildings.

 

[sjs1959]

Here's alink to some of those old jingles...

http://user.pa.net/~ejjeff/jeffwls3.html

 

[radiosaur]

I've seen KHJ but never WLS. I'm jealous.

Actually, 30 years in this market and I've never seen WHBQ's transmitter!

 

[robgrayson]

Another interesting note... In their collective heydays, WLS and their chief competition, WCFL, were within line-of-sight of each other. Their respective studios, WLS at 360 N. Michigan, and WCFL in the Marina City complex, were positioned more or less diagonally across the Chicago River from each other.

 

[robgrayson]

And, in a not totally unrelated aside, I was disappointed to know that Tom Kent was taking leave of his host duties on "Into The 70's" (locally on 95.3). But I was elated to hear that his replacement is John "Records" Landecker!