Robert Feder
reports in this morning's Chicago Sun-Times that Air America Radio is likely to find a home in the middle of the AM radio dial at 850, right next to the wingnuts (Hannity, et. al.) on Disney-owned WLS-AM 890. At its first anniversary, is Air America Radio back in Chicago, the #3 market? More below the fold....
WAIT 850 AM is owned by Newsweb Corporation. The station was purchased in 2004 from NextMedia. Newsweb Corporation's founder is Fred Eychaner, an entrepreneur and political activist. Newsweb also owns other radio stations, a Denver TV station, and various ethnic and alternative newspapers.
And now the bad news. If Feder's report is correct, Air America Radio will only enjoy daytime coverage of the Chicago market. WAIT 850 AM has to shut down at night. Moreover, its 2500 watt transmitter is situated in Crystal Lake, Illinois, in the northwestern suburbs. That leaves a lot of greater Chicago's geography uncovered, and reception downtown will be difficult at best. (It's static for me indoors, although I can probably get a decent enough signal by car.)
Newsweb Corporation does own other radio stations in the Chicago market, so perhaps Air America and Newsweb can arrive at a simulcast arrangement (like the Minneapolis-St. Paul situation). For example, a more tantalizing prospect would be for Air America to take up the 92.5/92.7 trio of FM stations (WDEK, WKIE, WKIF) that blanket the Chicago market. Newsweb purchased these stations from Spanish Broadcasting System over a year ago. WDEK is in Dekalb (far west), WKIE in Arlington Heights (north), and WKIF in Kankakee (south). Together they do a great job.
Stay tuned. :-)