WLIT
Encyclopedia
WLIT-FM is a radio station
licensed to Chicago, Illinois, featuring a format of adult contemporary music. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications
.
In February 2006, WLIT began broadcasting in HD Radio
. WLIT's HD-2 was originally a simulcast of the now-defunct "Real Oldies" WRLL (now WVON
) 1690 AM, then changed to a mix of disco music and 1970s/1980s called "Flashback." In August 2009, the format changed again, this time to a gold-based AC format branded as "Chicago's Classic Lite."
From November through Christmas Day each year, WLIT changes its branding to The Holiday Lite and format to continuous Christmas music
, resuming its regular branding and format on December 26. During the period between December 26 and January 2, the Christmas music moves to the HD2 channel while the main terrestrial station resumes the regular format.
format with mostly instrumentals and a couple of soft vocal songs per hour.
WWEL was "Well" from mid-1970-1972, to describe the easy listening
format that was broadcast on 93.9 FM. It was also that way long before. WWEL changed call letters to WLAK in 1972. At that time Viacom bought WLAK. WLAK continued to play mostly instrumental easy listening but increased vocals to about four an hour. In 1983 WLAK switched to Soft AC playing 99% vocal songs and virtually no instrumentals. Core artists were Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand and others. WLAK was very successful in the format, actually one of the first in the nation preceding its sister station WLTW in New York. WLAK changed call letters in late 1989 to WLIT, as Lite FM.
WLIT has continued to broadcast in the Chicago area since then. In the mid-1990s, WLIT evolved out of Soft AC and into a straight AC
format. Viacom sold their radio stations to Chancellor in 1997, making WLIT a Chancellor station. Chancellor restructured and became known as AMFM Inc. in 1999. In 2000, AMFM merged with Clear Channel Communications
, making WLIT a Clear Channel
station.
WLIT became Chicago's only adult contemporary station on August 1, 2011, when former rival WCFS-FM flipped to a simulcast of WBBM-AM. This marks it the first time in years Chicago has had only one adult contemporary radio station.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
licensed to Chicago, Illinois, featuring a format of adult contemporary music. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
.
In February 2006, WLIT began broadcasting in HD Radio
HD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
. WLIT's HD-2 was originally a simulcast of the now-defunct "Real Oldies" WRLL (now WVON
WVON
WVON is a radio station licensed to Berwyn, Illinois, serving the greater Chicago area, airing an African-American-oriented talk format. WVON is managed by Midway Broadcasting Corporation, via a local marketing agreement with frequency owner Clear Channel Communications. Civil rights leaders the...
) 1690 AM, then changed to a mix of disco music and 1970s/1980s called "Flashback." In August 2009, the format changed again, this time to a gold-based AC format branded as "Chicago's Classic Lite."
From November through Christmas Day each year, WLIT changes its branding to The Holiday Lite and format to continuous Christmas music
Christmas music
Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season, which tends to begin in the months leading up the actual holiday and end in the weeks shortly thereafter.-Early:...
, resuming its regular branding and format on December 26. During the period between December 26 and January 2, the Christmas music moves to the HD2 channel while the main terrestrial station resumes the regular format.
History
WEBH was broadcasting on 93.9 FM in the Mid 1950s. WEBH changed to WWEL sometime in 1970. The station broadcast "beautiful music", an easy listeningEasy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
format with mostly instrumentals and a couple of soft vocal songs per hour.
WWEL was "Well" from mid-1970-1972, to describe the easy listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
format that was broadcast on 93.9 FM. It was also that way long before. WWEL changed call letters to WLAK in 1972. At that time Viacom bought WLAK. WLAK continued to play mostly instrumental easy listening but increased vocals to about four an hour. In 1983 WLAK switched to Soft AC playing 99% vocal songs and virtually no instrumentals. Core artists were Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand and others. WLAK was very successful in the format, actually one of the first in the nation preceding its sister station WLTW in New York. WLAK changed call letters in late 1989 to WLIT, as Lite FM.
WLIT has continued to broadcast in the Chicago area since then. In the mid-1990s, WLIT evolved out of Soft AC and into a straight AC
Adult contemporary music
Adult contemporary music is a broad style of popular music that ranges from lush 1950s and 1960s vocal music to predominantly ballad-heavy music with varying degrees of rock influence, as well as a radio format that plays such music....
format. Viacom sold their radio stations to Chancellor in 1997, making WLIT a Chancellor station. Chancellor restructured and became known as AMFM Inc. in 1999. In 2000, AMFM merged with Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
, making WLIT a Clear Channel
Clear channel
A clear-channel station is an AM band Radio station in North America that has the highest protection from interference from other stations, particularly concerning night-time skywave propagation. Usually known as class A stations since 1982, they are occasionally still referred to by their former...
station.
WLIT became Chicago's only adult contemporary station on August 1, 2011, when former rival WCFS-FM flipped to a simulcast of WBBM-AM. This marks it the first time in years Chicago has had only one adult contemporary radio station.