Have you progressed in your career as you have expected? That an organic, independently owned operation could exist and be able to play in this wonderful world of multiple radio stations and television stations and media companies in the city of Chicago is amazing. Leonard (Chess) was a genius. I'm sure this will go down as one of the great black talk stations of all time, just as it was one of the great music stations. Leonard, another pioneer of Black jocks move into the mainstream, was the first African-American disc jockey on landmark pop station WABC-AM, where he stayed for 14 years doing late-night shifts before moving through a string of New York stations like WRKS, WBLS, and WJUX. It can scare people sometimes because it may seem like youre waiting until the last minute. [48] This happened when Midway Broadcasting took over management of the station using an LMA (like a lease agreement) on the frequency licensed to Berwyn, Illinois and owned by Clear Channel Communications (now known as iHeartMedia). There's not many places that an urban talk station can survive. 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. Mack was already a successful air personality in Houston when a small AM station in Los Angeles called KDAY hired him to be a disc jockey and music director. Widely considered to be the first African-American radio announcer, Jack L. Coopers All Negro radio show aired in the 1930s on Chicagos WSBC. Known as one of the original shock-jocks, Greene was a trailblazer of talk radio; and his influence was such that he has been credited with quashing the riots in Washington, D.C. in the wake of Martin Luther King Jr.s assassination. The music was an inspiration. WVON's origins lie in WHFC, which began in 1926, broadcasting from the Hotel Flanders in Chicago. [37] Both stations were on the air by October 1979 and shared a transmitting tower. Yvonne Daniels was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1995. [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. So in the confusion and everything, I think the talk radio thing was born here at WVON. "The only thing I can do is pray," Brown said a day after the fire. To hear all of season 3 early, ad-free, subscribe to Pushkin+ in Apple Podcasts or at pushkin.fm/plus. The 63-year-old woman tried to go back inside the house, but the officers brought her out and away from the scene. In a major market, it was the first 24-hour R&B station, and it had tons and tons and tons of listeners. [4][5] Like many stations of the time, WHFC shared time with other stations on its frequency. For eight years Joyner would do a weekly morning show at K-104 in Dallas, and fly to Chicago every weekday afternoon for a show at WGCI. The Jonathon Brandmeier Show, weekdays, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Beale, Twins Born At Roosevelt Red Line Station Have Names, Are Doing Well, Three Dots And A Dash Debuts New Drinks For Fall, Including Pumpkin Spice, Ald. Your email address will not be published. English; Website; Like 4 Listen live 0. [33] Two former WVON personalities, Pervis Spann and Wesley South, were the principals of Midway Broadcasting. Its currently still being broadcast. Pamela Brown said her father and sister both underwent several surgeries. [34][35][36] Jan Under the agreement, WCEV would operate from 1PM to 10PM Monday through Friday, with WXOL taking the rest of the hours. No one escaped this. So how did you come up with the concept of reviewing restaurants while interviewing interesting people? [13] They accepted the random issue call sign WXOL, while Migala chose WCEV ("We're Chicagoland's Ethnic Voice") as their call sign. This station is more than a radio station to our legions of listeners. Frankie Crocker at WBLS Studio. I hope you enjoy experiencing NDIGO. If you listen to 'VON, as I have over the years, it's a unique voice to a unique people in America. Thanks for listening to 94.7 The Drive! Embodying the fast-talking style for which he was named, Gibson also went on to create one of the first Black radio trades, Jack The Rapper and the infamous Black music convention of the same name. Saturday: 08:00 PM - 12:00 AM WVON (1690 AM "The Voice of the Nation", originally "Voice of the Negro") is a radio station serving the Chicago market, which airs an African-American -oriented talk format. Owned and operated by Pollack Broadcasting . [13] In 2002, then State Senator Barack Obama filled in for vacationing Cliff Kelley. Condon, David. The Laurence Holmes Show, Weekdays 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. Kap & Co. Show, Weekdays 12 p.m. - 2 p.m. "WVON celebrates 50th birthday with celebs, pols". Throughout the 1960s, many listeners on the south and west sides of Chicago wholeheartedly agreed with Cordell's sentiments towards the local radio station WVON 1450AM, "The Voice of the In 1978 she became the first African American woman rock DJ at WRQX-FM in Washington, D.C. TheMason, Remy and Alabama Show, Weekdays 6 a.m. - 10 a.m. Big John and Ray, weekdays, 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. Petey Greene | Source: Joseph Klipple / Getty. Helped different black politicians get elected. The Opening Bell, Weekdays 5 a.m. - 6 a.m. & The Steve Cochran Show. I would often love to put on my moms high-heel shoes, and prance around the house. 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. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke into its microphones. Tags: BBChicago, black media, Dsanders, Samantha Thomas, talent, VonTV, WVON. I would sometimes get in trouble in grammar school for talking. The mayor, the governor, preachers, players, from A to Z, people would not have a real sense of what's going on, or a pulse of what's going on in our city (without WVON). Chicago Defender had an opportunity to chat with Samantha Thomas about her career, new show, and about being a fearless woman in media. Though often contentious, the show continues to capture new supporters while proving to be at the forefront of todays changing media landscape. He later purchased WVON in the late 1970s. I, however, never thought about going into radio. 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). Required fields are marked *. Chuck Leonard, air personality in New York City in 1960-1970s on WWRL, WABC, WXLO, WRKS, WBLS and others. Had they not shared whatever this special thing we have here? It needs to continue that. But I believe Im right where God wants me to be. Our hosts cover all that matters to you. 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. It allows me to expand and grow as a person and a personality. Real Times Media. Good Sport dives into worlds like F1 racing, table tennis, NBA shooting, and beyond. That evening, firefighters pulled him and his 60-year-old daughter out of their home in the 7300 block of South Euclid Avenue, officials said. [19] Other similar stations across the country took inspiration from WVON's format. WVON became well known outside the Chicago area as well. I always say that WVON has one of the most intelligent listening audiences in the country because you cannot get away with saying (just anything), however rational or irrational it is. I did this because I thought it would make me money. My professor at the time said to me one day, Samantha youre not doing well on the tests, but youre an amazing speaker; have you ever thought about journalism? I changed my major the next week. @dnainfo_breen @trafficjamjen @jmd34john @C1McKnight pic.twitter.com/KTAke3a1it. Copyright 2009-2018, DNAinfo. It doesn't have the kind of clamorous support that existed in those early days of '60s and '70s. Jacks band was also the personal favorite of Vice President Al Gore and played many of their events both personal and for the administration. This includes being the host for on-board cruises for the Washington Capitals and Washington Bullets/Wizards basketball teams. And it grew up with 'VON. Its present African-American-oriented talk format began in 1986. Crocker first became a household name on New Yorks Black station, WWRL. The Mully and Hanley Show, Weekdays 5 a.m.-9 a.m. You just couldn't fight FM. Say. I began filling in as needed as the traffic/weather and news anchor, and things took off from there. And we were 1,000 watts in the daytime, 250 watts at night, that's all! He was a disc jockey on WVON and was influential in the development of blues music in Chicago, Illinois. My father likes to dress a lot, so I would see him being put together at times. The Roe Conn Show With Anna Davlantes, Weekdays 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. Currently, Samantha is an on-air personality at WVON 1690AM/i HeartRadio, Chicago's oldest African Amercan-owned news talk radio station. Greene got an unusual start to his broadcasting career when he began DJing for the Virginia prison in which he was serving a five-year sentence for armed robbery. MORE: National Radio Day: Black Stations And The Pioneers Who Helped Shape Their Programming. [28] WVON reduced its news and community programming beginning in 1974, but continued to air a weekly broadcast by Jesse Jackson. I jumped on that wave early in the game, although I didnt understand how effective and cool it would be for my job. From host Jody Avirgan (30 for 30, FiveThirtyEight, Radiotopia) and the TED Audio Collective, Good Sport is your guide through an array of stadiums, pitches, pools and slopes that shed a light on the ups and downs of being human. '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. WVON's origins date back to 1963, when the radio station's owner Chess Records began programming soul, and rhythm and blues music. Samantha Thomas: Samantha Thomas is a Chicago native who loves culture, creativity, gathering knowledge, and great laughs on occasion. A few years later, Magic took his Rap Attack to commercial station WBLS and fostered the careers of producer Marley Marl, and artists like Biz Markie and Big Daddy Kane. I like coming back. If you had a superpower, what would it be and why? Everybody listened to it. But we were in the food markets, vegetable markets, community centers, just everywhere. [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. Two U.S. intelligence agencies reportedly support the lab leak theory with low-to-moderate confidence. 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 Jesse Jackson called the station to report King's assassination. WVON: The Good Ol Days of 60s Radio. Really an educational outlet for black people, and also an educational outlet for white people, to let them know what black people are like. Check out the latest episodes featuring Opal Staples and Myracle Holloway. Im the oldest of three, with a younger brother and sister. WVON 1690 AM is a radio station licensed to Berwyn, Illinois, serving the greater Chicago area, which airs an African-American-oriented talk format. The Steve Dahl Show, weekdays, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. [50][51] In Summer 2020, Stroger left WVON, along with his co-host Maze Jackson, after being told by station management that they could no longer discuss Mayor Lori Lightfoot, and to disconnect any callers who were critical of her, immediately joining 1570 WBGX in the same time slot.[52][53]. They didn't know we were all black. Referring to herself as the Queen of All Media, Wendy Williams trademark mixture of oversized personality and merciless celebrity gossip created a new radio archetype and captured millions of fans. In this crazy yet serious world of COVID-19, how do you stay sane and grounded? ", Timuel BlackHistorian and author of Bridges of Memory. Using the name Ebony Moonbeams, Williams started her career in broadcasting in 1973 when she was hired at Howard Universitys WHUR. Clothes are just an outward expression of my classy, comfy and cool personality. Copyright 2023. [44][42] The station experienced a 50% increase in its audience after the call sign change. On Fox News, the FBI director reiterated the agency's assessment that COVID was unleashed after a potential lab incident. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. If you only hear someone, but youre not listening to them, its like null and void communication. On March 15, 1996, Granum Communications sold WAOK and WVEE to Infinity Broadcasting, a division of CBS Radio. I may not get you at 20, but I'm going to get you by the time you turn 45, 50. However, the gift of speaking was always within me, and it was noticed by Melody Spann-Cooper, the owner of WVON 1690AM, in 2019. "We had a monthlong debate over the word 'Negro,'" says Melody Spann-Cooper, daughter of Pervis Spann and chairman of Midway Broadcasting Corp., which owns WVON. Berry Gordy, the president of Motown Records, sent every song he produced immediately to WVON before any other station. So I counteract negative energy when Im faced with it, with some positive energy. The shooting was one of the deadliest for law enforcement officers in Kentucky's history. Because the white radio stations never gave us that much time. What is your favorite book? Sports reveal the strange and fascinating psychology that competition brings out in all of us. It's the station they get their information from. How does this position fit into your career plans? It was meaningful because it gave to the listener the kind of (broadcast) that was inspirational as well as informational. The Matt McGill Show, Weekdays 6:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Gibson got his start on the very first Black-owned radio station, Atlantas WERD, in 1949. trial. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Two years later, Frankie Crocker hired Williams at WBLS-FM in her hometown, New York City. One of the big things we did, we gave away Christmas baskets. 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