WERV-FM

WERV-FM
City Aurora, Illinois
Broadcast area West Suburban Chicago
Branding 95.9 The River
Slogan Rock 'n Roll Favorites for the Burbs
Frequency 95.9 MHz (also on HD Radio)
95.9-2 FM (WERV-2 - The Rapids!)
First air date February 12, 1961
Format Classic hits
ERP 2,850 watts
HAAT 103 meters
Class A
Facility ID 73171
Callsign meaning W E RiVer
Former callsigns WKKD-FM
Owner Alpha Media
(Alpha Media Licensee LLC)
Webcast Listen Live
Website 959theriver.fm

WERV-FM, also known as 95.9 The River, is a classic hits radio station, playing familiar rock and pop songs that span from the early 1970s through the mid 1990s. Its digital HD 2 channel "The Rapids!" plays hard rock/heavy metal from the 1970s through the late 1990s. The Aurora/Naperville, Illinois station serves the suburban Chicago market and is owned by Alpha Media, through licensee Alpha Media Licensee LLC.

WERV broadcasts two channels in the HD Radio format.[1]

History

This station was the radio dream of WLS Radio engineer Russ Salter, who put this station (then WKKD-FM); along with WKKD-AM on the air. WKKD-AM debuted in September 1960 and WKKD-FM in March 1961.[2] Both stations broadcast out of a very small building, on the east side, on Plain Avenue. At the time, this was a remote part of the Aurora area. Studios, transmitters and the towers were all at this location.

In the 1960s the stations served the Will, Kane, Kendall and DuPage County areas (hence the call letters W-K-K-D) airing a full service format that focused heavily on Country music,[3][4][5][6] with the FM extending the AM's programming into the evening hours. In 1966, veteran Chicago weathercaster Tom Skilling began his career at WKKD, while he attended High School in Aurora.[7] By the early 1970s the stations had separated and the AM station changed its calls to WFVR (Fox Valley Radio) continuing to air a country music format.[8]

WKKD-FM aired a Beautiful music format in the 1970s,[9] but this format would evolve soft AC in the 1980s. The station would keep this format into the early 1990s,[10][11] going by the handle "K-Lite 96 FM."[12] In the early 1990s, WKKD-FM again began simulcasting WKKD AM 1580.[13] Its format switched to oldies at this time and it became known as "Pure Gold 96".[13] In 1998 the station changed its branding to "Kool 95.9."[14]

In 2000, the Salter family got out of broadcasting and sold WKKD-AM & FM, as well as WRWC in Rockford, Illinois to Radioworks.[15][16] WKKD-FM & AM were sold to NextMedia Group in 2001.[17] On January 25, 2001 the new owners switched the FM to WERV "95.9 The River," [18] with the AM holding onto the WKKD calls as a local and satellite delivered news/talk outlet.

NextMedia sold WERV-FM and their 32 other radio stations to Digity, LLC at a price of $85 million; the transaction was consummated on February 10, 2014.

Effective February 25, 2016, Digity and its 124 radio stations were acquired by Alpha Media for $264 million.

WERV-FM serves the Aurora/Naperville area as well as much of DuPage, northern and eastern Cook and parts of Kane and Will counties. The River's air talent line up is the morning show of "Mackay in the Morning" with Scott Mackay and Danielle Tufano(who doubles as Program Director), Beth Reynolds in middays, the legendary Mitch Michaels "doin' the cruise" in afternoon drive and Bob Zak in the evenings from 7p - midnight. Weekend air talent includes Laura Vaughn, Jessi Barretta and Mike Sanders.

In the spring of 2005, WERV-FM became the first suburban Chicago station to broadcast a digital HD Radio signal. By 2006, the station debuted it HD-2 secondary signal. It is a hard rock gold format reminiscent of 103.5 The Blaze, called "The Rapids!"

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?id=25
  2. ↑ Salter Communications:Russell G. Salter wkkd.com. Internet Archive. April 14, 1997. Accessed January 2, 2014
  3. ↑ Folk Talent & Tunes Sachs, Bill. (p. 8) Billboard. July 10, 1961. Accessed January 2, 2014
  4. ↑ Folk Talent & Tunes Sachs, Bill. (p. 38) Billboard. July 18, 1960. Accessed January 2, 2014
  5. ↑ Folk Talent & Tunes Sachs, Bill. (p. 47) Billboard. May 16, 1960. Accessed January 2, 2014
  6. ↑ Nashville Scene Whisenhunt, Elton. (p. 50) Billboard. February 5, 1966. Accessed January 2, 2014
  7. ↑ Tom Skilling Chicago Tribune. Accessed January 3, 2013
  8. ↑ Ghrist, John R. "Valley Voices: A Radio History" 1996. (p. 106)
  9. ↑ Stations, everywhere: a listeners' guide to the AM and FM bands Chicago Tribune Magazine. March 4, 1979. Accessed January 2, 2014
  10. ↑ Radio In Du Page Wilhelmson, Brenda. Chicago Tribune. February 25, 1990. Accessed January 2, 2014
  11. ↑ The Home Team Kening, Dan. Chicago Tribune. April 07, 1992. Accessed December 30, 2013
  12. ↑ WKKD FM 95.9 Radio Chicago. Fall 1989. (p. 35) Accessed January 6, 2014
  13. 1 2 Lettermen Bring Valentine Spirit To Norris Todorovich, Lisa. Chicago Tribune. February 12, 1993. Accessed January 2, 2014
  14. ↑ Welcome to the new KOOL 95.9 web site! wkkd.com. Internet Archive. May 22, 1998. Accessed January 2, 2014
  15. ↑ Application Search Details fcc.gov. Accessed January 3, 2014
  16. ↑ Rockford Firm Adds To Its Reach Kirk, Jim. Chicago Tribune. July 28, 1999. Accessed January 3, 2014
  17. ↑ Application Search Details fcc.gov. Accessed January 3, 2014
  18. ↑ Chicago Media Headlines - January January 25, 2001. Accessed May 21, 2010

External links

Coordinates: 41°46′08″N 88°16′01″W / 41.769°N 88.267°W / 41.769; -88.267

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