Early life . [25] In 1975, Globetrotter bought WNUS-AM-FM from the McLendon interests for $4,450,000; they moved WVON from 1450 to the 5,000-watt former WNUS signal on 1390 on February 5 of that year at 3:30p.m.,[26] which increased WVON's coverage area significantly. Jack Diamond hosted the Jack Diamond Morning Show in Washington, DC for ABC radio for 30 years! She is the first black woman in Chicago to hold this distinction. It launched officially in 2015 with a series of episodes highlighting Chicago influencers and Chicago dining. If you only hear someone, but youre not listening to them, its like null and void communication. You go to a 'VON to really ferret out your particular opinion or perspective on a subject matter, on an issue, and you get really straight talk on an issue. So I married my love of talking, food, and TV news and in 2014 came up with the concept of SmallTALK. 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. I always tell people Chicago is such fertile ground for our people, great movements. Who has that depth and breadth? It knows its audience. Mr. Magic brought the first rap show to commercial radio on New Yorks WBLS. Sometimes I don't like your hosts. I tell people 'VON today is an acquired listenership. Like our content? Copyright 2023. It's the movement. 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. I was born and raised in Chicago. [32], The FCC process of assigning a license for the vacant 1450 AM frequency resulted in a shared-time arrangement, as applicants Midway Broadcasting Corporation and Migala Communications reached an agreement to split the broadcast day. Wendy Williams | Source: Getty Images / Getty. And describe your childhood growing up. Jack has also interviewed a Whos Who in sports, including virtually every major name in every major sport, and in many instances, participated in the Washington sports teams, community and charity outreaches. We mixed that in there. Now its become second nature. This is the undercurrent. If it was the O.J. This city loves its institutions, those that it grows up with. '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. Chicago Defender had an opportunity to chat with Samantha Thomas about her career, new show, and about being a fearless woman in media. 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. Say. On September 18, 2006, the station got another signal upgrade when WVON's call letters and programming moved to 1690 AM broadcasting with 10,000 watts during the day. Many people attributed WVON as the main (reason) our riots weren't as bad as they were in some parts of the country. The station played an active role during the Civil Rights Movement during this era. Melody Spann-CooperChairman of Midway Broadcasting Corp., which owns WVON. In 1985, Tom Joyner earned his stripes as The Hardest Working Man In Radio, juggling two top-rated shows in separate cities over a thousand miles apart. Ive always loved watching TV, and would impersonate Oprah and other talk show hosts with my baby dolls as an audience. It's the station they get their information from. Social media is the wave. It turned out to be perfect timing. A radio station is people." 1. But that's true of most of the reading and listening areas of communication. 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. No evidence has been shared. Your email address will not be published. In 2014, she started the initial concept of her web series, SmallTALK With Samantha. Cordell, 86, died Tuesday night at the University of Chicago medical center, where he had been in the intensive care unit since June 28. The shooting was one of the deadliest for law enforcement officers in Kentucky's history. Of course, with new areas of communication, and with all the new gadgets that I don't know very much about, it doesn't have quite the support that it did. We asked for cooler heads. And we were staying: "Stop rioting. We were given credit for putting a lid on that. [4][7][8] In 1930, WHFC moved to 1420, where it shared time with WEHS and WKBI. I produced the show Chicagos Best on WGN-TV. Im smiling as I answer this. While working behind the scenes, I discovered that I was a not only a producer, but that I could talk to people, and keep their interest. It can scare people sometimes because it may seem like youre waiting until the last minute. Moses "Lucky" Cordell, also known as the"Baron of Bounce," was WVON radio station's program and music director in 1965 and went on to become WVON's general manager in 1970. What is your favorite book? The Cliff Kelley Show, Weekdays 3:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. Terri Hemmert,Weekdays 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Lin Brehmer,Weekdays 5:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. If you had a superpower, what would it be and why? Oprah! Have you always been comfortable talking to people? If you listen to 'VON, as I have over the years, it's a unique voice to a unique people in America. Hoffman. Widely considered to be the first African-American radio announcer, Jack L. Coopers All Negro radio show aired in the 1930s on Chicagos WSBC. [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. Using the name Ebony Moonbeams, Williams started her career in broadcasting in 1973 when she was hired at Howard Universitys WHUR. in Cicero. All Rights Reserved. In 1990 Williams launched the Association of African American Music Foundation to promote African American musicians, and currently hosts a weekly broadcast, Soulful Sunday, on Radio Ones 107.9 WRNB in Philadelphia. [4][6] Hoffman bought out the other two stations, and by 1936 it operated on 1420 full-time. A lot of the Motown records broke here in Chicago. A triple-threat performer of song, dance and comedy, Thomas nighttime show, Hoot and Holler, was an influential source of blues and R&B for a generation of white and Black listeners alike. "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. Popular syndicated personalities Tom Joyner and Steve Harvey also started in this market. [42] WGCI became so successful that Gannett changed the call letters of 1390 from WVON to WGCI in 1983. It's straight, no chaser. With just 1,000 watts of power, the station surprised everyone by becoming a broadcast sensation, indeed giving voice to a culture and community otherwise marginalized on the airwaves. WVON 1690 AM is a News/Talk radio station serving Chicago. Along the way, the Voice of the Negro became the Voice of the Nation. WVON 1690 AM is a radio station licensed to Berwyn, Illinois, serving the greater Chicago area, which airs an African-American-oriented talk format. Chuck Leonard, air personality in New York City in 1960-1970s on WWRL, WABC, WXLO, WRKS, WBLS and others. MORE: National Radio Day: Black Stations And The Pioneers Who Helped Shape Their Programming. Season one, The Drug Wars, tells the story of an FBI agent who goes undercover with a biker gang, and follows a trail of clues that eventually leads to the US invasion of a foreign country. Its just the opposite in my mind, though. I like coming back. I jumped on that wave early in the game, although I didnt understand how effective and cool it would be for my job. With the introduction of social media, how has it enhanced your job? In fact, the first time Joe Theismann was back on the field at RFK stadium after suffering his career ending injury, was when he and Jack played catch, one morning on the Jack Diamond Morning Show. Here are NewsOnes top 20 Black radio jockeys of all time, picked for their pioneering spirit and influence. For more on Samantha Thomas check out her website www.TalkToSamantha.com or follow her on social media @Talk2Samantha. Jacks band was also the personal favorite of Vice President Al Gore and played many of their events both personal and for the administration. Part cohost and part cosigner, Quivers has maintained a precarious and controversial role as a foil for Sterns arguably racist rants: Does her presence give Stern a pass, or does she keep him in check? What will the next 50 years of black America look like? I think about so many different times that the news media has barraged this place. Thank you! WVON is owned by Midway Broadcasting Corporation and broadcast on the 1690 kHz frequency via a LMA local marketing agreement with frequency owner iHeartMedia, Inc. WVON has studios on . Following is an edited, brief oral history from five Chicagoans long in tune with an irreplaceable Chicago radio station. [49] In late 2018, its studios were moved to the South Loop. Listen online or download the iHeart App. Politics. We will use this site and social media to deliver our message. We played the hit R&B songs 24 hours a day. According to WVON disc jockey Lucky Cordell, "You know a radio station is not the wires and the tubes and a transmitter. Scientists have strong evidence of animal spillover at a market.. Make sure that the stream settings are properly selected in "Module General Options -> Content -> Stream Settings". It's OK to have a strong black radio station in our country. [4][5] It was owned by Richard W. [13] They accepted the random issue call sign WXOL, while Migala chose WCEV ("We're Chicagoland's Ethnic Voice") as their call sign. Currently, Samantha is an on-air personality at WVON 1690AM/i HeartRadio, Chicagos oldest African Amercan-owned news talk radio station. And dominated. Moses "Lucky" Cordell, also known as the"Baron of Bounce," was WVON radio station's program and music director in 1965 and went on to become WVON's general manager in 1970. Listen, where else can a Barack Obama, an Oprah Winfrey and a Michael Jordan, three of America's biggest phenomena of our generation (where else) could they have been had they not touched this soil? Not that the journey has been easy or predictable. [4], In 1963, WHFC became WVON when it was purchased by Leonard and Phil Chess, the owners of Chess Records, for $1 million. It's a very learned audience. Our story began in 1963, with the debut of radio station WVON-The Voice of the Negro. Once that job ended for me, I knew I had to be creative and innovative. If they continue to be the voice of the nation, we'll always respond. There's not many places that an urban talk station can survive. 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. Sunday: 03:00 PM - 07:00 PM, Mon - Fri: 12:00 AM - 06:00 AM 30.11.2021. [1] Early life [ edit] Spann was born in Itta Bena, Mississippi, on August 16, 1932. [10] WHFC's programming was simulcast on 97.9 WEHS after WEHS's storecasting contract expired in the 1950s. I want to know what people are thinking sometimes. We broke most of the R&B records for the country at WVON. The Talk of Chicago. WVON ("The Voice of A Nation") is a radio station licensed to Berwyn, Illinois, serving the Chicago market, which airs an African-American-oriented talk format. (WVON ) Moses "Lucky" Cordell, known as the "Baron of Bounce" on WVON radio, has died less than two weeks after he and his daughter were rescued from a fire in their South Shore home.. Afternoon Drive,Weekdays 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. Herb Kent, "The Cool Gent," who died last fall at age 88 after more than 50 years at the station. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. View hosts, shows, show schedules and more. I dont do well being complacent, so hopefully this will be a great goal to push toward. WVON Radio 1690 - The Talk of Chicago ADVERTISEMENT Our Partners Florida Gov. The Steve Cochran Show,Weekdays 6 a.m. - 10 a.m. [4][5][9] Ernie Banks hosted a program on the station in the late 1950s. 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. Has your work ethic ever been tested? We needed a black talk-radio station, because they got into all kinds of things. [48] The move displaced the oldies format of Clear Channel-operated WRLL on 1690. All Rights Reserved. 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. Contacts; WVON 1690 AM reviews. 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