WCFL
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WCFL (1000 kHz Chicago, Illinois) was a 50,000-watt AM radio station located in Chicago. The station was originally owned by the Chicago Federation of Labor giving the station its callsign WCFL, as well as its slogan "The Voice of Labor."
WCFL first took to the air in test broadcasts on June 19, 1926. In 1927, WCFL broadcast the Gene Tunney-Jack Dempsey championship boxing match at Soldier Field, challenging the National Broadcasting Company's exclusive claim to the event. This led to an arrangement whereby WCFL became one of three affiliates in Chicago of the Blue Network of NBC; WCFL broadcast non-sponsored, or sustaining, NBC programs not carried by WENR or WLS, as well as selected major sporting events and any broadcast speeches by union leaders aired by the network. When the Federal Communications Commission forced NBC to sell the Blue Network, WCFL's affiliation continued with the network through its new identity as the American Broadcasting Company, ending with the merger of WENR and WLS in 1959. WCFL was also to become an affiliate of the Amalgamated Broadcasting System in 1933, but that network folded after only a month of operations, prior to its planned westward expansion from New York.
WCFL was also involved in early experimental television broadcasts, and operated a shortwave repeater station, W9XAA, in the 1930s.
The original transmitter for WCFL was located at Chicago's Navy Pier, using facilities that had been built by the U.S. Navy for use during World War 1. WCFL's final transmitter site was located in Downers Grove west of Chicago and, at night, the signal was most intense to the east toward the city, according to FCC rules. The nighttime signal took it east to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania due to the directional antenna pattern.
Some famous announcers on WCFL included Larry Lujack, Art Roberts, Ron Britain, Clark Weber, Ron Riley, Barney Pip, Fred Winston, Jim Bohannon, Howard Miller, Wolfman Jack and Dick Biondi.
After deciding its profit margin was too small for the Chicago Federation of Labor to maintain, WCFL was sold in 1979 to the Mutual Broadcasting System, at the time a subsidiary of the Amway Corporation. WCFL was sold by Mutual to Statewide Broadcasting, which unsuccessfully used the station to broadcast religious programming. At the end of 1986, Statewide merged with Heftel Broadcasting, owners of FM radio station WLUP, or The Loop, named after a section of downtown Chicago. In 1987, the call sign of the station was changed to WLUP, and its FM sister became WLUP-FM. In 1993, its call sign was once again changed, to WMVP, or "Most Valuable Player," to reflect the station's new emphasis on sports programming. In 1999, the station was sold to the American Broadcasting Company, which continues to operate it today from studios at the intersection of State and Lake in the heart of Chicago.
The call sign WCFL has been used in recent years by a small FM radio station in Morris, Illinois, the station at 104.7 on the dial programmed a high-energy oldies format reminiscent of the programming that WCFL-AM did during its Top 40 days in the early 70's The FM station station with its weaker signal that could not penetrate the entire Chicago metro. Although those that were able to receive it loved the style the station presented. That oldies format lasted from April 1990-Late 1993. At that time, it went into a receivership, was sold and has since switched its policy to broadcasting religious programming relayed from another station in the Champaign area.
Beginning in 2004, a small low-powered FM station, KCFL-LP 104.5 FM in Fall City, Washington is a tribute to the 60s/70s-era WCFL, using the old "SuperCFL" slogan and vintage WCFL jingles. [1] (http://www.cflfm.com/)