[38], WXOL aired a blues oriented format, and its appearance on the dial sparked an immediate increase in the sales of blues records in the Chicago area. WVON RADIO PERSONALITY Pam Morris with her grandaughter, Chloe Morris, 6 The doctors remained concerned about Morris. [11][15] Though the station was initially geared strictly to a black audience, by 1968 its playlist had expanded to include songs by white artists that were compatible with the station's sound, in an effort to reach a wider audience. Get in touch Location 800 S. Wells St., Suite 170 Chicago, IL 60607 Contact Us Phone : (773) 247-6200 Our Hours MON - FRI 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM SAT - SUN CLOSED Follow Us The rise of FM radio in the 1970s, however, reduced WVON's audience and clout, precipitating several changes of ownership and shifts of position on the dial. I jumped on that wave early in the game, although I didnt understand how effective and cool it would be for my job. What Ive done is always remember who I am and where I plan to go. Melody Spann-Cooper. Working with different people, you sometimes come across personalities that are less than favorable. It meant everything: a way to air your views. Broadcasting first on WGPR in Detroit, Mojo challenged ideas about the role of a radio jockey. Melvin Lindsey, the originator of the "Quiet Storm" late-night music programming format and Washington D.C air personality the 1970-1980s. WVON was one of the greatest (and some will argue THE greatest) big-city black radio stations of the 60's/70's era. The station played an active role during the Civil Rights Movement during this era. Jack Diamond hosted the Jack Diamond Morning Show in Washington, DC for ABC radio for 30 years! [48] The WRLL call letters were assigned to Midway's half of the time-share on 1450 at Cicero, Illinois. Upon his release when he was hired to host his own show, Rapping With Petey Greene, at WOL in Washington D.C. His success led him to television where he hosted his own Emmy Award-winning show, Petey Greenes Washington, on local WDCA-TV and BET. Jack Diamond Show. And I tell my sales staff, "We're not counting the people we reach, we're reaching the people that really count. We could put a record on and play it a couple of days, it would start selling like crazy, if it was a good record. The Patty Vasquez Show, WGN-AM, weeknights, 11 p.m. - 2 a.m. And you'll see that blacks are not a monolith in our opinions. But that's true of most of the reading and listening areas of communication. If you can never get enough true crime Congratulations, youve found your people. In the volatile world of radio, almost nothing lasts half a century. Sunday: 12:00 AM - 03:00 AM & 06:00 AM - 07:00 AM. I was born and raised in Chicago. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. WVON 1690 AM Lincoln University (MO) About I am an Emmy award winning Journalist, and Media Professional committed to providing information that's current, on-trend, and marketable for all. It knows its audience. There are very few stations that can say they have chronicled the progress of black people in this country from the '60s to now. 'Baby' Shows Face in Chicago, Chicago Radio: Kings Remain Assumptive; Heirs Presumptive, Love, Peace and Soul: Behind the Scenes of America's Favorite Dance Show Soul Train: Classic Moments, WVON's Bell Urges All Stations to Fight Bias, WVON, Chicago Station, To Be Sold for $9 Mil, Classics on AM in Heavy Return to Chi Territory, Gannett Plans to Buy Combined Communications, The Hits Just Keep on Coming: The History of Top 40 Radio, Waiting for Buddy Guy: Chicago Blues at the Crossroads, "It's a whole new day for WVON at 1690 AM", Cook County Board former president Todd Stroger gets WVON show, Todd Stroger joins WVON as morning co-host, Maze Jackson, Todd Stroger quit morning show at WVON, Report: Maze Jackson, Todd Stroger Quit Morning Show At WVON/Chicago, List of programming syndicated by iHeartMedia, List of radio stations owned by iHeartMedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=WVON&oldid=1130561396, News and talk radio stations in the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 30 December 2022, at 20:17. In 1998, Joyner became the first African-American inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame. WVON, in all of its glory, it has to continue that legacy of being honest, of being culturally specific. The feeling you get when you look a teammate in the eye. In the mid-1980s Parr also recorded with his band Bobby Jimmy and The Critters. In 1996, he became the second African American giant of syndication when his Russ Parr Morning Show on Radio Ones WKYS-FM became the base of operations for a network that eventually reached more than 3 million listeners daily on over 40 radio stations. I remember when Harold Washington ran for mayor. A Chicago native and Cultural Enthusiast at heart, Samantha started her Media career as a Director and Television News Producer for several local news markets across the U.S., including Missouri (CBS), Las Vegas (ABC, FOX, and CBS), and Chicago (CBS) & (WGN). All Rights Reserved. Once that job ended for me, I knew I had to be creative and innovative. It can scare people sometimes because it may seem like youre waiting until the last minute. Chicago Morning Takeover, Weekdays 6 a.m. - 10 a.m. FROM LEFT: Leon Rogers,Kendra GandKyle Santillian, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Pat Cassidy,FeliciaMiddlebrooks,Keith Johnson,Kris Kridel, TOP ROW, FROM LEFT: Josh Liss, Nancy Harty, Jeff JoniakBOTTOM ROW, FROM LEFT:Len Walter, Steve Miller,Rob Hart, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: RegineSchlessinger, Craig Dellimore,Bernie Tafoya,Bob Roberts. Mack gave the first airplay to now-legendary acts like the LA Dream Team, Egyptian Lover, World Class Wreckin Cru, Dr. Dre, Eazy E, Ice T, Ice Cube, NWA, Tone Loc and dozens more. Afternoon Drive, Weekdays 2 p.m. - 6 p.m. Berry Gordy, the president of Motown Records, sent every song he produced immediately to WVON before any other station. Jack cherishes his long-standing relationships with many Hall of Fame athletes, including Joe Theismann, Darrell Green, Charles Mann, Art, Monk, and many others from the Washington football team. But Macks aggressive programming of rap music made KDAY the first station to embrace rap as a core part of its programming and helped launch the L.A. rap scene. Samantha eventually created her own media lane, and in 2014 started the initial concept of her Web-Series, SmallTALK With Samantha. I always knew I wanted to attend college away from home. And they were saying how we should stop the riots. But the elections have been criticized over logistical failings and violence that suppressed the vote. The Opening Bell, Weekdays 5 a.m. - 6 a.m. & The Steve Cochran Show. Follow her on social media @DanieSandersOfficial. Rufus Thomas was the preeminent DJ of Memphis WDIA, the nations first radio station with an all-Black air staff. Not in Motown, at WVON. Good Sport dives into worlds like F1 racing, table tennis, NBA shooting, and beyond. I'm very clear that while 'VON is a radio station, quote unquote, (that's) not what keeps us in business. I'm not so arrogant as to believe that 'VON is a larger portion of it, but I'll tell you this: We are better because we are here. Chuck Leonard, air personality in New York City in 1960-1970s on WWRL, WABC, WXLO, WRKS, WBLS and others. Martha Jean The Queen Steinberg (September 9, 1930 January 29, 2000) was an influential African-American radio broadcaster and later was also the pastor of her own church. After starting as a DJat WGES in Chicago in 1952, Cordell moved to WGRY in Gary before working at WVON in Chicago. What time of day are you most creative? Call sign: WVON Frequency: 1690 AM City of license: Berwyn, IL Format: News/Talk Owner: Pollack Broadcasting Area Served: Chicago Sister stations: V103 102.7 FM, 93.9 LITE FM, 103.5 KISS FM Chicago, Inspiration 1390, 107.5 WGCI, Rock 95.5 Contact Shes also had a long-standing career, and I think its partly because shes so real. Jack cherishes his long-standing relationships with many Hall of Fame athletes, including Joe Theismann, Darrell Green, Charles Mann, Art, Monk, and many others from the Washington football team. Herb Kent and that whole entourage of personalities were very impactful in getting the word out through music and through our culture on WVON. $19.99. Deeb, Gary. Artists like Mary J. Blige, Jill Scott, and Erykah Badu are a few of my favorites. Contacts; WVON 1690 AM reviews. Thank you! She said Lucky Cordell headed upstairs after the fire started and the two became trapped, she said. Copyright 2009-2018, New York Public Radio. So I counteract negative energy when Im faced with it, with some positive energy. We mixed that in there. "WVON celebrates 50th birthday with celebs, pols". Doesn't have to be overassimilated. Copyright 2021 Midway Broadcasting All Rights Reserved, Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, elects Bola Tinubu as the new president, A man charged with killing 3 officers was found dead in his jail cell, Wray publicly comments on the FBI's position on COVID's origins, adding political fire. The Bill Leff and Wendy Snyder Show, Weekdays 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.; 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. [4] In the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, WHFC aired ethnic and African-American programming. They don't play it safe. It had monster ratings, ruled the soul music scene and became a radio legend -- all with only 1000 watts days and 250 watts at night on 1450. Almost twenty years after his death, WHUR jock Marvin Lindseys Quiet Storm playlist remains an inspiration for imitators at radio stations across the country. Sometimes I don't like your hosts' opinions. The Steve Cochran Show,Weekdays 6 a.m. - 10 a.m. Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.3; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/103.0.0.0 Safari/537.36, 2nd Helping sponsored by Residential Improvement Services, The Daily Game sponsored by Maryland Lottery, Operation Severe Weather Tire World Auto Service Centers, Connecting Communities Submit Your Event. Williams currently hosts her own daytime TV talk show. Self-effacing where Magic was brash, Red Alert became a beloved figure of listeners and rappers alike. And one of the reasons was to give a different view of black life to the general public, the radio-listening public. And to be back home in Chicago is definitely a plus. How do you want to improve yourself in the next year? And for a young person just coming out of the Army and returning to school and the civil rights movement was at a fever pitch I used to listen to "Hot Line," which was hosted by Wesley South. Youre responsible for you, so I keep that in mind daily. They didn't know we were all black. [4][7][8] In 1930, WHFC moved to 1420, where it shared time with WEHS and WKBI. "We are part of this nation, so we are the voice of a nation.". Youre such a fashionista! The Matt McGilf Show will air weekdays from 1pm until 3 right before . FROM LEFT:Producer Gabe (Gabe Ramirez),ShowbizShelley (Michelle Menaker) andJ-Niice(Jamar McNeil). [35][36][38][39] The 317-foot tower was located at the old WVON site at 3350 South Kedzie Avenue. New York rival 98.7 Kiss-FM answered Frankie Crockers hiring of Mr. Magic when they asked Kool DJ Red Alert to craft his own rap show on weekends. [4][5][9] Ernie Banks hosted a program on the station in the late 1950s. But a great Chicago radio station WVON-AM 1690 has managed the feat: The institution marks its 50th anniversary Monday and celebrates with a concert featuring Toni Braxton at the Chicago Theatre on Saturday. You will have some strong feedback supporting or in opposition. When we first went on, we were absolutely the most listened-to radio station in the city of Chicago. The station's transmitter was located in Chicago's Ashburn neighborhood, near the Evergreen Park, Illinois border, and operated as a diplexed operation from one of the towers of its sister station, WGCI (now WGRB). Check your inbox now to confirm your subscription. Owned and operated by Pollack Broadcasting . My family is pretty close. So I married my love of talking, food, and TV news and in 2014 came up with the concept of SmallTALK. [4] WHFC's frequency was changed to 1450 in 1941, as a result of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement. That was important, because at that time the (other) stations had very, very few African-Americans that were participating. It's a very learned audience. I knew that I had more experience in television, so I operated in that vision. Yes, my work ethic has been tested. If I had a superpower it would probably be telepathy. We needed a black talk-radio station, because they got into all kinds of things. But even more so in the African-American community, because so many of the earlier listeners are now older people. Verneda Scott. [12] WVON debuted on April 1, 1963 and quickly became a success playing R&B music, becoming the second most listened to Chicago station during evening hours by early 1964. Officers also tried to rescue the Cordells but could not make it into the room where they were trapped because ofthe heat, authorities said. I began filling in as needed as the traffic/weather and news anchor, and things took off from there. Frank Ski has been an integral part of our local Atlanta . I would watch shows like A Different World and movies like School Daze, and would get excited each time I watched. All Rights Reserved. Jack Diamond Morning Show, was a radio show that aired for 24 years on WRQX Mix 107.3 weekdays from 5 am to 10 am and Saturdays 6 am to 10 am in Washington, DC. Licensed to Berwyn, Illinois, WVON has studios in the South Loop,[3] and its transmitter is located at 87th and Kedzie in Chicago's Ashburn community. The station served as a springboard for Barack Obama during the early days of his political career.[2]. For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here: Next in Downtown, South Loop & River North. "Quite frankly, as 'VON continues to evolve, we get away from the psychological segmentation of who we are. His decision to. We were just the hottest thing in Chicago. WBBM 780 AM/105.9 FM Newsradio CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Pat Cassidy, Felicia Middlebrooks, Keith Johnson, Kris Kridel TOP ROW, FROM LEFT: Josh Liss, Nancy Harty, Jeff Joniak BOTTOM ROW, FROM LEFT: Len. Their aggressive and culturally mixed personas quickly surpassed Howard Stern for the number one spot among young listeners. Samanthas flair for not having interviews, but conversations. [19] Other similar stations across the country took inspiration from WVON's format. They were taken to the U. of C. medical center in serious-to-critical condition, fire officials said Sunday. And he marketed us. All Rights Reserved. I'm sure they were fair, but it was always a white talk show, not completely black like this. Pamela Brown said her father and sister both underwent several surgeries. | Source: New York Daily News Archive / Getty. Martin Luther King Jr. used this station as his bully pulpit in the latter part of his life, in the years he spent in Chicago, between '66 to '68. A radio station is people." 1. WVON 1690 AM is a News/Talk radio station serving Chicago. Whatever (the station) is, it needs to do one thing: to tell the story, the authentic story. The Matt McGill Show, Weekdays 6:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. [28] WVON reduced its news and community programming beginning in 1974, but continued to air a weekly broadcast by Jesse Jackson. But we were in the food markets, vegetable markets, community centers, just everywhere. She also kept us involved in extracurricular activities like summer camps, after-school programs, and church. Pervis Spann (August 16, 1932 - March 14, 2022) was an American broadcaster, music promoter, and radio personality.
