WCFL
Simulcasts WBGL, Champaign
Broadcast areaSouth and West Suburban Chicago
LaSalle, Illinois
Pontiac, Illinois
Kankakee, Illinois
Frequency104.7 MHz
Programming
FormatChristian AC
Ownership
Owner
WBGL, WCIC, WIBI
History
First air date
May 24, 1962 (1962-05-24)[1]
Former call signs
WRMI-FM 1962-1977[1]
WCSJ-FM 1977[1]-1988
WUEZ-FM 1988-1990[2][3]
Technical information
Licensing authority
FCC
ClassB
ERP50,000 watts
HAAT137 meters (449 ft)
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen Live
Websitewbgl.org

WCFL (104.7 MHz) is a non-commercial FM radio station licensed to Morris, Illinois, and serving the Western suburbs of the Chicago metropolitan area. It airs a Christian Adult Contemporary radio format and is owned by the University of Northwestern – St. Paul. WCFL simulcasts the programming of 91.7 WBGL in Champaign, Illinois. It is listener-supported and holds periodic on-the-air fundraisers to pay for station expenses.

WCFL has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 50,000 watts, the maximum for most stations in Illinois. The transmitter is off Stockdale Road in Morris.[4]

History

WRMI, WCSJ-FM, WUEZ

The station was first licensed May 24, 1962.[1] Its original call sign was WRMI-FM, which stood for Radio Morris Illinois. It largely simulcast sister station WCSJ 1550 AM (now WAUR).

In the 1960s and 70s, WRMI-FM and WCSJ had a Middle of the Road (MOR) format.[5][6] In 1977 the station's call sign was changed to WCSJ-FM to match 1550 AM.[1] WCSJ-FM initially simulcast the MOR format of WCSJ 1550.[7]

By 1983, the stations were airing a country music format.[8] In 1988, 104.7 FM separated its programming from 1550 AM and changed its call letters to WUEZ-FM.[3] As WUEZ-FM, the station aired an easy listening format.[9][10] The station was automated, playing quarter-hour sweeps of mostly instrumental cover versions of popular adult songs along with some soft vocals.

WCFL

In 1990, the station changed its call sign to WCFL and adopted an Oldies format with the branding "Super CFL". It used slogans and jingles which harkened back to the Top 40 days of WCFL AM 1000, when it was popular among teens.[10] The original WCFL-FM air staff included Gary Rivers, Bob Zak, Tom Kapsalis, Don Beno, and Jeff Andrews.[10] WCFL played the hits of 1965 to 1979, with the goal of capturing the sound of the original WCFL.[10][11]

The oldies format lasted until January 1994, when the station began simulcasting the Soft AC programming of co-owned WCSJ 1550.[12] At that point, its owners were looking to sell WCFL.

Christian Radio

In late 1993, the station was sold to the Illinois District Council of the Assemblies of God.[13][14] In February 1994, the station went silent while the sale was being finalized.[15] WCFL adopted its present Contemporary Christian music format in May 1994.[16][17] By 2003, the station was simulcasting WBGL full-time.[18]

In a complaint filed with the Federal Communications Commission in 2017, WCFL claimed that its signal has been subjected to co-channel interference from translator W284DA, which relays WRDZ. The translator is operated by Polnet Communications Ltd. of Chicago.[19]

In August 2019, the Illinois Bible Institute reached an agreement to sell the entire WBGL/WCIC New Life Media Network (including WCFL) to the University of Northwestern – St. Paul. The university owns and operates Northwestern Media, a network of Contemporary Christian stations and another network of Christian talk and teaching stations. The sale price was $9,901,558.34.[20][21][22][23] While the station remains Contemporary Christian, the format and programming are overseen by the University of Northwestern - St. Paul, based in Minneapolis.

WBGL station logo.png

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 History Cards for WCFL, fcc.gov. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  2. ↑ The History of WCSJ FM 103.1 WCSJ-FM. Accessed September 1, 2012
  3. 1 2 Call Sign History FCC.gov. Accessed September 1, 2012
  4. ↑ Radio-Locator.com/WCFL
  5. ↑ 1972 Broadcasting Yearbook, Broadcasting, 1972. p. B-65. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  6. ↑ Broadcasting Yearbook 1977, Broadcasting, 1977. p. C-65. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  7. ↑ Broadcasting Yearbook 1979, Broadcasting, 1979. p. C-68. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  8. ↑ Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1983, Broadcasting/Cablecasting, 1983. p. B-76. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  9. ↑ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook '89, Broadcasting & Cable, 1989. p. B-95. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Feder, Robert. "Radio's new WCFL will return to oldies". Chicago Sun Times. April 16, 1990
  11. ↑ Steele, Jeffrey. "'CFL Still The Rebel The 2nd Time Around", Chicago Tribune, May 30, 1993. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Format Changes & Updates", The M-Street Journal. Vol. 11 No. 1. January 5, 1994. p. 2. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  13. ↑ Application Search Details fcc.gov. June 16, 1993. Accessed September 1, 2012
  14. ↑ "Proposed Station Transfers", The M-Street Journal. Vol. 10 No. 43. October 26, 1993. p. 6. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Format Changes & Updates", The M-Street Journal. Vol. 11 No. 6. February 9, 1994. p. 1. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  16. ↑ "About WCFL". WCFL. Archived from the original on August 6, 2002. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Format Changes & Updates", The M-Street Journal. Vol. 11 No. 20. May 18, 1994. p. 1. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  18. ↑ "About WCFL". WBGL. Archived from the original on March 1, 2003. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  19. ↑ Vernon, Tom (June 8, 2017). "WCFL Asks FCC to Shut Down Chicago Translator". Radio World. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  20. ↑ "Northwestern Media Acquires WBGL/WCIC In Illinois", Radio Insight. August 6, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  21. ↑ "U. of Northwestern Buys 13 Stations From Illinois Bible Institute", HisAir.net. August 5, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  22. ↑ "Northwestern Media Moves to Buy New Life Media", All Access Music Group. August 5, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  23. ↑ "U. of Northwestern Buys 13 Stations From Illinois Bible Institute", Inside Radio. August 6, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2019.

41°21′17″N 88°29′55″W / 41.3547541°N 88.4986806°W / 41.3547541; -88.4986806

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