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25-430: The Guyon Hotel's first floor included commercial space and the hotel's lobby. Two ballrooms were located on the second floor. Guyon resided in the south penhouse. After the hotel opened in 1928, owner J. Louis Guyon mounted two AM radio towers to broadcast his radio station, WGES; the station aired morally conservative programming and music. One of the second floor ballrooms was used as the station's studio. Control of WGES

50-404: A Sunday evening program on WGES, using his real name Arthur Leaner. The program featured a sermon delivered by Leaner, a pastor, and gospel music . After the station told Leaner he could not sell advertising on his religious program, he began hosting a secular show as "Al Benson", playing blues , jazz , and R&B . Over the years, more hours of African-American programming were added, with

75-558: A reorganization resulting from its implementation of General Order 40 . WSBC was assigned to 1210 kHz, sharing time with WCRW and WEDC . Its studios and transmitter were located at the New Southern Hotel (later known as the Hotel Crillon) at 13th and Michigan Avenue. Since the station began broadcasting, it has featured a wide variety of ethnic programming. The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music holds

100-750: A vaudevillesque entertainment program. On April 1, 1933, Gene Dyer purchased WSBC from C.J. Gordon, who had operated it since August 1932. At the time, Dyer also owned WGES in Chicago. In 1936, the station's studios and transmitter were moved to the West Town State Bank Building at 2400 W. Madison. Its frequency was changed to 1240 kHz in March 1941, as a result of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement . In 1944, WSBC

125-483: The Federal Radio Commission (FRC), stations were initially issued a series of temporary authorizations starting on May 3, 1927. In addition, they were informed that if they wanted to continue operating, they needed to file a formal license application by January 15, 1928, as the first step in determining whether they met the new "public interest, convenience, or necessity" standard. On May 25, 1928,

150-588: The Guyon Hotel on the West Side of Chicago. The station aired big band music from the nearby Guyon's Paradise Ballroom. It also broadcast African-American and foreign-language programming. In 1927, the station's frequency was changed from 940 kHz to 1210 kHz, and was changed to 1360 kHz the following year. Gene T. Dyer purchased interest in the station in 1930, and in 1937 its studios were moved to 2400 W. Madison Street, where co-owned WSBC

175-487: The 5,000-watt facility on 1390 kHz that had been occupied by WNUS. WVON retained the studios it had used on 1450 in South Lawndale . WNUS-FM changed to a disco format later that year, with a change of call letters to WGCI-FM . In 1977, Combined Communications Corporation purchased Globetrotter Communications, and the following year Combined Communications merged with Gannett Co. On October 3, 1983,

200-496: The FRC issued General Order 32 , which notified 164 stations, including WSBC, that "From an examination of your application for future license it does not find that public interest, convenience, or necessity would be served by granting it." However, the station successfully convinced the commission that it should remain licensed. On November 11, 1928, the FRC implemented a major reallocation of station transmitting frequencies, as part of

225-647: The Frank Scheibenreif Slovak, Czech, and Romi Sound Recording Collection, ca. 1930-1950. This collection includes 1,001 recordings, including 753 78-R.P.M., 140 45-R.P.M., and 108 LPs; and one book documenting Eastern Europe music prior to World War II, principally from Czechoslovakia and used by Scheibenreif for the WSBC show, "Slovak American Radio Review." WSBC hired the nation's first full-time African-American radio announcer, Jack Cooper , who on November 3, 1929, began hosting The All-Negro Hour ,

250-548: The United States Federal Communications Commission that the station had eliminated foreign-language programming. The FCC held a hearing to investigate the complaints at which some politicians testified. The callsign changed to WYNR on September 1, 1962. The station was branded "Winner". Announcers included Big John Evans, Dick Kemp (The Wild Child), Luckey Cordell, Bruce Brown, Floyd Brown, and Yvonne Daniels . In 1963,

275-438: The addition of disk jockeys Richard Stamz, Ric Riccardo, Sam Evans, Herb Kent , Franklyn McCarthy, and Sid McCoy. WGES's foreign language programming was cut back to only four hours a day. In 1962, the station was sold to Gordon McLendon for $ 1 million, plus an additional $ 1 million for a non-compete agreement. McLendon eliminated all foreign language programming in favor of an all-black format. There were complaints to

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300-487: The building and converted it to affordable housing. Former President Jimmy Carter stayed in the renovated hotel for a week while working on a rehabilitation project with Habitat for Humanity ; his room was reportedly "roach-infested" and "furnished with only a couch and a milk crate". The housing effort ultimately failed when Bethel New Life ran out of funds. The building currently lies vacant and has changed possession over six times since 1995. Due to building code violations,

325-684: The hotel is in city demolition court; it is considered one of the ten most endangered landmarks in Illinois by the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois . The Guyon Hotel was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 9, 1985. WGRB WGRB (1390 kHz ) is a commercial AM radio station in Chicago . It is owned by iHeartMedia and it airs an urban gospel format . On Sundays,

350-475: The station and may offer their services or seek donations during their shows. WSBC was first licensed on June 26, 1925, to the World Battery Company at 1219 South Wabash Avenue, transmitting on 1430 kHz. Its call sign stood for "World Storage Battery Company". In 1926, its frequency was changed to 1040 kHz and in 1927 it was changed to 1290 kHz. Following the establishment of

375-587: The station broadcasts the services of several African-American churches in the area. The studios are at the Illinois Center complex on Michigan Avenue in Downtown Chicago . WGRB transmits 5,000 watts , using a directional antenna with a four- tower array . The transmitter is off South Kedzie Avenue near West 87th Street in the city's southwest side. The station signed on the air on October 13, 1923. The original call sign , WTAY,

400-459: The station's call sign was changed to WGCI. The station aired an urban adult contemporary format. Yvonne Daniels hosted mornings. By 1986, the station was airing an urban contemporary format as part of a simulcast with 107.5 WGCI-FM. On January 16, 1989, the AM station debuted an African-American-oriented talk format, while WGCI-FM continued to play urban contemporary music. The talk format

425-643: The station's studios and transmitter were moved to the LaSalle–Wacker Building . In 1964, the hotel was sold for $ 500,000. Soon after the hotel opened, police raided the four-room suite of Jack McGurn, also known as "Machine Gun Jack McGurn", a member of Al Capone's mob, and arrested him and another man after finding a machine gun and other weapons. In 1985, the Guyon Hotel was sold to the Lutheran non-profit organization Bethel New Life, who renovated

450-700: The station's studios were moved to its transmitter site at 86th and Kedzie. On September 3, 1964, the station adopted an all-news format with the new call letters WNUS. In 1965, McLendon bought WFMQ (107.5 FM), changed its call sign to WNUS-FM and began to simulcast the all news format on the FM frequency. In 1968, the station adopted a beautiful music format. In 1967, the station's studios were moved to Chicago's River North neighborhood. In 1975, Globetrotter Communications, owners of soul music station WVON , purchased WNUS-AM-FM from McLendon for $ 3,550,000, and moved WVON from its 1,000-watt signal on 1450 kHz to

475-467: Was changed to 1060 kHz and its power was increased to 500 watts. On April 6, 1925, Coyne Electrical School purchased the station and changed its call sign to WGES, standing for Coyne's slogan, "World's Greatest Electrical School." Ray Kroc played piano live on the air at WGES's studios in the Oak Park Arms. In the late 1920s, the station was purchased by J. Louis Guyon and moved to

500-471: Was dropped September 10, 1990, and it adopted an urban oldies format branded "Dusty Radio". The format changed to urban gospel music on October 5, 1998, under Chancellor Media ownership. Chancellor Media was merged into Clear Channel Communications in 2000. The station's call letters were changed to WGRB on June 1, 2004, to differentiate it from its sister station , WGCI-FM. Clear Channel Communications changed its name to iHeartMedia in 2014. WGRB

525-634: Was licensed to broadcast a hybrid signal (analog plus digital ) on 1390 AM HD 1. WSBC WSBC (1240 kHz ) is a commercial AM radio station in Chicago , Illinois . It broadcasts brokered programming , mostly ethnic and religious. It is owned by Hearland Signal LLC. WSBC transmits with 1,000 watts . Its transmitter site is on North Milwaukee Avenue at West Catalpa Avenue in Chicago. It shares its tower with sister station WCPT (820 AM). WSBC features programming aimed at ethnic communities including Russian , Ukrainian , Latino , Italian , Latvian and Irish . Hosts buy time on

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550-647: Was located. In March 1941, WGES moved to 1390 kHz as a result of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement (NARBA) and the following year its power was increased from 500 watts to 5,000 watts, moving its transmitter location from the roof of the Guyon Hotel to 86th and Kedzie in Chicago. In 1944 the FCC ruled that radio station owners could only own one AM and FM station per market. Gene Dyer sold WGES to his brother, Dr. John Dyer and associates. WGES's studios were moved from 2400 West Madison to 2708 West Washington Boulevard. In 1945, Al Benson began hosting

575-485: Was randomly assigned from a sequential list of available call letters, and its city of license was Oak Park, Illinois . It was a shared time station, running 15 watts and operating on 1330 kHz on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday evenings. It was owned by a community newspaper called Oak Leaves . On February 15, 1924, the station began broadcasting from the Oak Park Arms Hotel . Its frequency

600-427: Was sold to the J. Miller Advertising Agency for $ 100,000. In 1954, the station was sold to Louis Lee for $ 180,000. In 1976, control of the station was passed to Louis Lee's son, Danny Lee. In 1996, WSBC's owners purchased WCRW for $ 564,375, plus $ 160,000 for a non-compete agreement. WEDC ceased broadcasting in 1997. WSBC began broadcasting from WEDC's transmitter site and it began full-time operations. In 1998,

625-535: Was transferred to Harry and Thomas Guyon in the mid-1930s, and the station left the hotel in 1942, but it continues to broadcast as WGRB . The hotel entered into receivership during the Great Depression , and in 1939 it was sold for $ 425,000. In 1940, it was sold to Jack Galper and George London. In 1948, the AM towers were replaced with an FM tower, and WOAK began broadcasts from the hotel. WOAK became WFMT in 1951 and began airing classical music . In 1954,

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