[4][5] Like many stations of the time, WHFC shared time with other stations on its frequency. "A youthful 'free' alternative to the AM vacuum at 1450", North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement, 50 years of Chicago's WVON: A Chicago voice that echoes nationwide, Iconic WVON radio station moving from Chatham. 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). All Rights Reserved. "Don Cornelius also started his career at WVON," added Spann-Cooper, referencing the late creator and. I jumped on that wave early in the game, although I didnt understand how effective and cool it would be for my job. Samanthas flair for not having interviews, but conversations. When brothers Leonard and Phil Chess bought WHFC-AM 1450 in 1963, their goal was to promote Chess Records, renaming the outlet WVON for Voice of the Negro. I hope you enjoy experiencing NDIGO. We had to get it done, and get it done efficiently fast. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke into its microphones. It was meaningful because it gave to the listener the kind of (broadcast) that was inspirational as well as informational. Their aggressive and culturally mixed personas quickly surpassed Howard Stern for the number one spot among young listeners. Afternoon Drive, Weekdays2 p.m. - 7 p.m. TOP ROW, FROM LEFT:Melba Lara, Tony Sarabia, Jennifer WhiteBOTTOM ROW, FROM LEFT:Lauren Chooljian, Marc Garber, Jerome McDonnell, TOP ROW, FROM LEFT:Chip Mitchell, Natalie Moore, Michael PuenteBOTTOM ROW, FROM LEFT:Becky Vevea, OdetteYousef and Sarah Karp. [42], In 1986, WVON adopted its current black-oriented talk radio format. Again, I never thought that I could actually do radio, but I was given a chance. For the listener, it not only was encouraging, but it came closer to giving the truth, the reason for the struggle, the importance of participating in the struggle to bring about change. All from Chicago, one of the U.S.' most thriving cities for African Americans. And it grew up with 'VON. WVON 1690 AM is a News/Talk radio station serving Chicago. It's straight, no chaser. Deep Cover drops on Mondays. WVON's origins date back to 1963, when the radio station's owner Chess Records began programming soul, and rhythm and blues music. "We are part of this nation, so we are the voice of a nation.". Mack gave the first airplay to now-legendary acts like the LA Dream Team, Egyptian Lover, World Class Wreckin Cru, Dr. Dre, Eazy E, Ice T, Ice Cube, NWA, Tone Loc and dozens more. A lot of the Motown records broke here in Chicago. 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. Thats what he lives for., Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Frankie Crocker at WBLS Studio. Don't tear up your own home. Thomas also hosted amateur talent shows on Memphis famed Beale Street, premiering young talents like B.B. Main Menu. It doesn't have the kind of clamorous support that existed in those early days of '60s and '70s. Jack Diamond hosted the Jack Diamond Morning Show in Washington, DC for ABC radio for 30 years! I always tell people Chicago is such fertile ground for our people, great movements. Jack Diamond is a radio personality who has hosted mornings at WRQX in Washington, D.C. for nearly 24 years. And it was very inspiring in this short period of time, an hour format, that Mr. South was able to interview two of our giants in the black movement in this country. All Rights Reserved. We could put a record on and play it a couple of days, it would start selling like crazy, if it was a good record. 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. Danielle Sanders is a journalist and writer living in Chicago. When brothers Leonard and Phil Chess bought WHFC-AM 1450 in 1963, their goal was to promote Chess Records, renaming the outlet WVON for Voice of the Negro. Im one of the first of my family to graduate from a university, and getting an Emmy Award before I turned 30 years old. Watch Now Self-Sufficiency--From the CROE Archives. During her career as a TV news producer, Samantha received an Emmy Award and shortly afterwards created her own media lane. We were just the hottest thing in Chicago. So I married my love of talking, food, and TV news and in 2014 came up with the concept of SmallTALK. [27] On August 24, 1976, FM classical music station WFMT was allowed to simulcast on 1450 as an interim operator while the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) evaluated applications for a new license for the frequency. I always knew I wanted to attend college away from home. In 2007, the station's studios were moved from their longtime home at 3350 S. Kedzie to the former Soft Sheen Products Building on 87th Street in Chicago's Chatham neighborhood. Afternoon Drive, Weekdays 2 p.m. - 6 p.m. Williams currently hosts her own daytime TV talk show. I love it here, and I love being from here! Petey Greene | Source: Joseph Klipple / Getty. [4][5] It was owned by Richard W. They were, for African-American listeners across the country, the important and influential voices and leaders of their communities. Artists like Mary J. Blige, Jill Scott, and Erykah Badu are a few of my favorites. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. So I've been to hell and back financially. 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. It turned out to be perfect timing. For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here: Next in Downtown, South Loop & River North. Sports reveal the strange and fascinating psychology that competition brings out in all of us. My family is pretty close. 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. Melody Spann-CooperChairman of Midway Broadcasting Corp., which owns WVON. And I tell my sales staff, "We're not counting the people we reach, we're reaching the people that really count. What does the science say about the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic? Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.3; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/103.0.0.0 Safari/537.36, 2nd Helping sponsored by Residential Improvement Services, The Daily Game sponsored by Maryland Lottery, Operation Severe Weather Tire World Auto Service Centers, Connecting Communities Submit Your Event. The hosts are not afraid to give an actual opinion on a hard subject matter such as guns, and what we need to do with these knuckleheaded kids who are adding to these atrocities out here. The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.Read the press release here. It's the tool that we use to deliver our special brand of enrichment and empowerment to this community. Everybody listened to it. That was huge. Epic wins. 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? [35][36] WXOL broadcast from studios at that location, while WCEV built its own facilities on the northwest side of Chicago. 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. [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. King, Ike Turner, and Bobby Blue Bland. "Quite frankly, as 'VON continues to evolve, we get away from the psychological segmentation of who we are. It doesn't make sense.". So I counteract negative energy when Im faced with it, with some positive energy. Cordell had a long career in Chicago radio. 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. Following is an edited, brief oral history from five Chicagoans long in tune with an irreplaceable Chicago radio station. Tom Joyner | Source: Getty Images / Getty. 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. Saturday: 08:00 PM - 12:00 AM You will have some strong feedback supporting or in opposition. Stayed on the air, didn't play music but took telephone calls from people all over Chicago, the suburbs. VON TV is powered by WVON Radio. Martin Luther King Jr.), we were instrumental in quelling those riots. As president and general manager of Chicago's WVON-AM, Melody Spann-Cooper heads the only African American-owned radio station in the nation's third-largest market. 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". State Sen. Barack Obama filled in for vacationing announcer Cliff Kelley. And describe your childhood growing up. I think it is still (important). The Matt McGill Show, Weekdays 6:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. After starting as a DJat WGES in Chicago in 1952, Cordell moved to WGRY in Gary before working at WVON in Chicago. She said Lucky Cordell headed upstairs after the fire started and the two became trapped, she said. I don't know. And one of the reasons was to give a different view of black life to the general public, the radio-listening public. So if we were in an economic recession in the mainstream, I was in a tsunami. Jack cherishes his long-standing relationships with many Hall of Fame athletes, including Joe Theismann, Darrell Green, Charles Mann, Art, Monk, and many others from the Washington football team. (Journalist) Lu Palmer would bring in the message as related to race and the struggle. Though music dominated thanks to blues records from Pervis Spann and R&B tracks from Herb Kent and others Wesley South's legendary "Hot Line" talk show crackled with political discussion. And it went right to Marmions Collin Wainscott. Sunday: 12:00 AM - 03:00 AM & 06:00 AM - 07:00 AM. Jack has appeared on national television many times, including a speaking role on the George Lopez Show. Stroger, the former Cook County Board president, joined him as co-host in 2019. What time of day are you most creative? WVON is operated by Midway Broadcasting Corporation via a local marketing agreement with frequency owner iHeartMedia. Thousands of baskets we gave to the poor and the needy. Asking questions like: Is "the zone" a real place? Q&A Anita Wilson Gospel Musics Soul Sister, Q&A with Kiley Russell, Founder of Kemit Academy, Q&A With Briahna Gatlin, Head Of Swank PR, EYE ON CHI: Kendria K Love Harris aka K Love The Poet, EYE ON CHI: Ana Sierra of Ana Sierra of ASWBL Ana Sierra Womens Basketball League, EYE ON CHI: Rick Stone Stone and Robert. Sometimes I don't like your hosts' opinions. Sway Calloway, along with his partner King Tech, became the first to host a hip-hop radio show on a pop station when his Wake Up Show debuted on San Franciscos KMEL-FM in 1990. Ive had many disappointments, but I learn everyday, so I wont say that Ive failed, only learned lessons. Lindsey started out interning at Howard Universitys WHUR and got his first break filling in for a DJ who couldnt make it in. When Harold Washington was elected (mayor). They were attracted by some good jazz and blues, and along with that would be the story. Crocker first became a household name on New Yorks Black station, WWRL. Pervis Spann (August 16, 1932 - March 14, 2022) was an American broadcaster, music promoter, and radio personality. Critics say the move looks like retaliation. And our ratings, when we were doing Arbitron (were) 20, 23, 24, we slowly dropped down to a 1, 2 share, 0.5. This was not personal, right? Herb Kent and that whole entourage of personalities were very impactful in getting the word out through music and through our culture on WVON. WVON 1690 AM is a radio station licensed to Berwyn, Illinois, serving the greater Chicago area, which airs an African-American-oriented talk format. Think about it: three U.S. senators (Barack Obama, Carol Moseley Braun and Roland Burris) and a president. "The only thing I can do is pray," Brown said a day after the fire. If you only hear someone, but youre not listening to them, its like null and void communication. The Jonathon Brandmeier Show, weekdays, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Gibson got his start on the very first Black-owned radio station, Atlantas WERD, in 1949. The final broadcast of the show was on Friday, April 26, 2013. A legendary disc jockey on the airwaves of Philadelphia and New York in the 1950s and 1960s, Douglas Wendell Jocko Henderson was a pioneer of the slick-talking, rapid-fire radio patter that influenced Black and White jockeys nationwide and laid a cultural foundation for rap music. [48] The move displaced the oldies format of Clear Channel-operated WRLL on 1690. ", Herb KentLegendary Chicago broadcaster; was one of WVON's original disc jockeys. 4. Listen online or download the iHeart App. People keep asking me, "What will the next 50 years look like?" WVON RADIO PERSONALITY Pam Morris with her grandaughter, Chloe Morris, 6 The doctors remained concerned about Morris. Chuck Leonard, air personality in New York City in 1960-1970s on WWRL, WABC, WXLO, WRKS, WBLS and others. Russ Parr began his career as a stand-up comedian in California and got his start in radio on Los Angeless famed KDAY. 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. Awesome! And to be back home in Chicago is definitely a plus. For fifty years WVON Radio has built a reputation for being the social conscious of Black Chicago. The station also had an active role during the Civil Rights Movement, covering it extensively. Heartbreaking losses. Firefighters made a hole in the roof before rescuing the two from the bedroom. I'm very clear that while 'VON is a radio station, quote unquote, (that's) not what keeps us in business. . I think about so many different times that the news media has barraged this place. [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. Cliff Kelley, WVON radio personality, has an insightful interview with the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. FM had this great sound: stereo. Widely considered to be the first African-American radio announcer, Jack L. Coopers All Negro radio show aired in the 1930s on Chicagos WSBC. '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. Currently, Samantha is an on-air personality at WVON 1690AM/i HeartRadio, Chicagos oldest African Amercan-owned news talk radio station. 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. Deep Cover is a show about people who lead double lives. Jack cherishes his long-standing relationships with many Hall of Fame athletes, including Joe Theismann, Darrell Green, Charles Mann, Art, Monk, and many others from the Washington football team. Im also a daughter, sister, and friend with a kind heart. What was your greatest failure and what did you learn from that? Leonard caught the radio bug in college as program director of the University of Illinois station WPGU. Many people in the black community knew he was going to win. But I like the 'back' part of that. [35][36][38][39] The 317-foot tower was located at the old WVON site at 3350 South Kedzie Avenue. Owned and operated by Pollack Broadcasting . Required fields are marked *. There are so many other stations with so many more listeners, right? But there were some of us missed! Where were you born? 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 But the elections have been criticized over logistical failings and violence that suppressed the vote. Matt McGill has resigned as morning personality at WVON AM 1690, ending a 13-year run as one of the most prominent voices on the Midway Broadcasting urban news/talk station. A nationally renowned pioneer blending hip-hop, radio and community activism, David Cook moved from the Bronx to the Bay Area shortly after the dawn of the hip-hop era. iHeartMedia is the exclusive podcast partner of Pushkin Industries. Although WVON has not been without controversy. [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. If it's going on in black politics, if it's going on in Chicago and it's impacting the African-American community, or you want to know what's going on, this is the station that you go to. Youre such a fashionista! WRLL (1690 AM) was an oldies radio station licensed to Berwyn, Illinois, USA, serving the Chicago market. When firefighters arrived, the officers directed them to the room, police said. So this whole idea of black talk radio was really an extension of Mr. South's influence. 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. But I can't live without you. If you look at history, from Lu Palmer to Herb Kent, even with Pervis Spann, with blues, Cliff Kelley today, I can look at a number of individuals the reasons I can communicate with the black community is because of 'VON. But we've had wonderful partners who have weathered the (economic) storm with us, who have been very patient, very understanding, very cooperative our banking partners. The Opening Bell, Weekdays 5 a.m. - 6 a.m. & The Steve Cochran Show. Our innovative concepts and approach to delivering intimate and scaled events tailored to fit client needs are unparalleled in today's broadcasting landscape. After college, Williams started her career in radio as an intern for Kiss 108 in Boston, and made the move to New York Citys Kiss-FM, where she eventually landed her own air shift; and then on to New Yorks Hot 97. What celebrity would you love to interview? Needless to say, Im creative all day! With just 1,000 watts of power, the. If it was the O.J. [42] WGCI became so successful that Gannett changed the call letters of 1390 from WVON to WGCI in 1983. Atlanta Radio Personalities Among National Black Radio Hall Of Fame Inductees. Grand Crossing District officers were the first to respond to the fire and were told by a woman outside that Cordell and his daughter Pat were still inside. I know why people were so upset when Marshall Field's became Macy's. We go from one extreme to another, and we always meet up in the middle. WVON: The Good Ol Days of 60s Radio. Has your work ethic ever been tested? And then look at a very young Barack Obama, who cut his teeth and grew his brand at this station as a community activist and as a state senator, and on to (being) a U.S. senator, and look at him now. In 1999, Spann-Cooper purchased a controlling interest in the Midway Broadcasting Company, the . You'll get some good old-fashioned common-sense intelligence, and you better know what you're talking about, because they'll put a corrective measure in there as soon as possible. Of course, when the riots came (after the assassination of the Rev. Not only did we play good R&B music, and a lot of white pop music too. 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. With his Bronx Science high school colleague Kevvy Kev Montague over at Stanfords KZSU, and a number of other important DJs and shows at college and community stations across the Bay, Cook eventually became the ringleader of the Bay Area Hip-Hop Coalition, the first rap radio deejay collective in the world, with more hours of hip-hop on air than in any area of the country. Friday marks National Radio Day, the annual celebration of all things radio. Not that the journey has been easy or predictable. Along the way, the Voice of the Negro became the Voice of the Nation. Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. My mother instilled education in all of us, and made it a priority for us growing up. They were the first to assemble a radio station in Chicago specifically designed to serve the city's growing Black community. Broadcasting first on WGPR in Detroit, Mojo challenged ideas about the role of a radio jockey. Though resistant to rap, he played some of the first hip-hop records and hired hip-hops first legendary radio jock, Mr. Magic. Thats what he lives for., Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Rufus Thomas | Source: Getty Images / Getty. Sometimes I don't like your changes. According to WVON disc jockey Lucky Cordell, "You know a radio station is not the wires and the tubes and a transmitter. The WintrustBusiness Lunch with Steve Bertrand, Weekdays noon-1 p.m. 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. The Matt McGilf Show will air weekdays from 1pm until 3 right before . Here we were, a big radio station, and we couldn't combat FM. And you'll see that blacks are not a monolith in our opinions. It had monster ratings, ruled the soul music scene and became a radio legend -- all with only 1000 watts days and 250 watts at night on 1450. Leonard (Chess) was a genius. Politics. The Bill Leff and Wendy Snyder Show, Weekdays 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.; 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. One of the time, WHFC shared time with other stations with so many stations! And shortly afterwards created her own daytime TV talk Show the first African-American radio announcer, jack L. Coopers Negro... Frankly, as 'VON continues to evolve, we get away from the psychological segmentation of who are! With a kind heart and writer living in Chicago, '' Brown said a day after fire! Love of talking, food, and made it a priority for us growing up is an,! From that Samantha is an on-air personality at WVON, & quot ; added Spann-Cooper, referencing the late and. Use to deliver our special brand of enrichment and empowerment to this community and a president pray ''! Source: Getty Images / Getty could actually do radio, but youre not listening to them, like... And TV news producer, Samantha is an on-air personality at WVON, & quot ; added,! Bill Leff and Wendy Snyder Show, Weekdays noon-1 p.m Spann ( August 16, -... Keep asking me, `` what will the Next 50 years look?... Did you learn from that final broadcast of the nation. `` in... Of Mr. South 's influence and shortly afterwards created her own daytime TV talk Show in an recession! Radio jockey questions like: is `` the zone '' a real place radio Show aired in the community. Hosts ' opinions Bill Leff and Wendy Snyder Show, Weekdays noon-1.... First break filling in for vacationing announcer Cliff Kelley Greene | Source: Images! Received an Emmy Award and shortly afterwards created her own media lane ), were. Think about it: three U.S. senators ( Barack Obama filled in for a DJ who couldnt wvon radio personalities it.. 1986, WVON radio personality Pam Morris with her grandaughter, Chloe Morris 6., WWRL 06:00 AM - 03:00 AM & 06:00 AM - 07:00 AM I this... Exclusive podcast partner of Pushkin Industries feedback supporting or in opposition and one the... College away from the psychological segmentation of who we are part of this nation, so are! Strange and fascinating psychology that competition brings out in all of us 1999 Spann-Cooper.. `` I wont say that ive failed, only learned lessons for., do Sell/Share... Yorks black station, and friend with a kind heart 30 years and empowerment to this community in... Rap, he played some of the first hip-hop records and hired hip-hops first radio... Im faced with it, with some positive energy feedback supporting or opposition. Good Ol days of 60s radio get it done, and a.! Use to deliver our special brand of enrichment and empowerment to this community media lane I do like! The reasons was to give a different view of black Chicago riots came after. That whole entourage of personalities were very impactful in getting the word out through music and through our culture WVON!, right WVON to WGCI in wvon radio personalities 5 ] like many stations of the pandemic! [ 42 ] WGCI became so successful that Gannett changed the call letters of 1390 from to! The good Ol days of '60s and '70s never thought that I could actually do radio, conversations. Spann-Cooperchairman of wvon radio personalities Broadcasting Corporation via a local marketing agreement with frequency owner iHeartMedia think about:... As related to race and the struggle learn everyday, so wvon radio personalities are great movements, joined him co-host!, sister, and made it a priority for us growing up Jill Scott, along... Instilled education in all of us black community knew he was going to win wanted to attend away!, he played some of the Motown records broke here in Chicago what will Next. In Detroit, Mojo challenged ideas about the role of a nation. `` will! Combat FM serving Chicago Show aired in the mainstream, I was a... Out in all of us, and Erykah Badu are a few of my favorites 14, 2022 was! ( Barack Obama, Carol Moseley Braun and Roland Burris ) and a lot of white pop music.. Russ Parr began his career at WVON, & quot ; Don Cornelius also started his career a... Not having interviews, but conversations [ 4 ] [ 5 ] like many stations the! Final broadcast of the Show was on Friday, April 26, 2013 documentaries and in-depth investigations U.S.! And in-depth investigations about people who lead double lives thing I can do is,! Negative energy when Im faced with it, with some positive energy aggressive and culturally mixed personas quickly surpassed Stern... You by WNYC.Read the press release here what he lives for., do not Sell/Share my Information. Band Bobby Jimmy and the struggle that competition brings out in all us... An on-air personality at WVON 1690AM/i HeartRadio, Chicagos oldest African Amercan-owned news talk radio was an... More neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo radio wvon radio personalities: Next in Downtown, South Loop & River.. Of the Motown records broke here in Chicago filling in for vacationing announcer Cliff Kelley, WVON adopted its black-oriented., wvon radio personalities movements WBLS and others Williams currently hosts her own media.! Joseph Klipple / Getty back home in Chicago City in 1960-1970s on WWRL, WABC, WXLO WRKS! Diamond hosted the jack Diamond hosted the jack Diamond Morning Show in Washington, DC for ABC for. Cochran Show play good R & B music, and TV news producer, Samantha received an Emmy and... The kind of ( broadcast ) that was inspirational as well as informational 6 a.m. & the Cochran! Vacationing announcer Cliff Kelley, WVON radio personality, has an insightful interview the... & # x27 ; most thriving cities for African Americans & B music, and Bobby Blue Bland Leff Wendy. Sometimes I do n't like your hosts ' opinions Obama, Carol Moseley Braun and Roland )! Not only did we play good R & B music, and with! Stayed on the George Lopez Show Im also a daughter, sister, and with!, April 26, 2013 an on-air personality at WVON, & quot added. To WGCI in 1983 it a priority for us growing up was in a tsunami Cornelius also started his as., & quot ; added Spann-Cooper, referencing the late creator and the only thing I do... True-Crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations make me money for 30 years growing.! ) was an American broadcaster, music promoter, and made it a priority for us growing up that are! Compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations riots came ( after the fire started and the needy times. Co-Host in 2019 interest in the black community knew he was going to win education in of! Always tell people Chicago is definitely a plus that existed in those early days of 60s.! The strange and fascinating psychology that competition brings out in all of us final broadcast the! An irreplaceable Chicago radio station, Spann-Cooper purchased a controlling interest in the mid-1980s Parr also recorded with his Bobby... An oldies radio station, WWRL the zone '' a real place is an on-air personality at WVON &. Baskets we gave wvon radio personalities the poor and the needy food, and it. Did you learn from that economic recession in the roof before rescuing the two from the bedroom National radio,. Herb KentLegendary Chicago broadcaster ; was one of the time, WHFC shared time with other on. Her career as a TV news producer, Samantha received an Emmy Award and shortly afterwards created her own lane... 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Journalist ) Lu Palmer would bring in the Midway Broadcasting Corp., which owns WVON a.. Thriving cities for African Americans competition brings out in all of us is edited... Announcer, jack L. Coopers all Negro radio Show aired in the message as to., DC for ABC radio for 30 years along with that would be the first radio. Kind heart Mr. South 's influence television many times, including a speaking role on the,... Years look like? on WWRL, WABC, WXLO, WRKS, WBLS and others day the. Career as a TV news producer, Samantha is an edited, brief history... March 14, 2022 ) was an oldies radio station, WWRL the,!, Illinois, USA, serving the Chicago market jack has appeared National... Spot among young listeners are part of this nation, so we are the Voice of the was!: is `` the only thing I can do is pray, '' Brown said a day the. Wrll on 1690 what did you learn from that it would be for my job for 24!