WCLR (92.5 FM) is a

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...

located in

DeKalb, Illinois DeKalb ( ) is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. The population was 43,862 according to the 2010 census, up from 39,018 at the 2000 census. The city is named after decorated Franconian- French war hero Johann de Kalb, who died ...

. The station is owned by

Educational Media Foundation Educational Media Foundation (formerly EMF Broadcasting, abbreviated EMF) is an American nonprofit Christian media ministry based in Franklin, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville. EMF is the parent company of K-LOVE and Air1—the world's largest ...

, and airs a

Christian contemporary Contemporary Christian music, also known as CCM, Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christian faith and s ...

format, as an affiliate of K-Love. The station's signal can be heard from

Rockford, Illinois Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, located in the far northern part of the state. Situated on the banks of the Rock River, Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County (a small portion of the city is located in Ogle County). ...

Joliet, Illinois Joliet ( ) is a city in Will County, Illinois, Will and Kendall County, Illinois, Kendall counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the cit ...

and includes the Fox Valley region.

History

WLBK-FM

The station began broadcasting on December 17, 1961, and broadcast at 99.1 MHz.Ghrist, John R. (1996). ''Valley Voices: A Radio History''. Crossroads Communications. p. 419-420. The station was originally WLBK-FM and simulcast AM 1360 WLBK during the day.
1963 Broadcasting Yearbook
',

Broadcasting Broadcasting is the distribution (business), distribution of sound, audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic medium (communication), mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio ...

, 1963. p. B-57. Retrieved October 8, 2018. The station was locally owned and operated in DeKalb. On May 25, 1962, the station's frequency was changed to 92.5 MHz. Gradually in the 1970s, the station added a progressive program known as "Headquarters" at night beginning at 6:00 p.m. and ending with sign-off at 2am.

WDEK

In October 1976, the station's call sign was changed to WDEK. The station aired an automated

Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...

format during the day and a live

album-oriented rock Album-oriented rock (AOR, originally called album-oriented radio) is an FM radio format created in the United States in the 1970s that focuses on the full repertoire of rock albums and is currently associated with classic rock. Album-oriente ...

format at night. In 1979, the station became a full-time AOR station.WDEK Ups Power, AOR Slant
, ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

''. January 27, 1979. p. 29. Retrieved December 8, 2018. WXRT Chicago mid-day jock John Bell was hired as the first Program Director. By late 1984, the station had adopted a Top 40/CHR format as "All Hit WDEK".
Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1985
', Broadcasting/Cablecasting, 1985. p. B-81. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
Chicagoland Radio Waves
', MediaTies. Spring-Summer 1989. Retrieved December 8, 2018. WDEK was also an affiliate of ''The Rockin' America Top 30 Countdown'' with

Scott Shannon Michael Scott Shannon (born July 25, 1947) is an American radio disc jockey who hosted the morning show for WCBS-FM in New York City from 2014 to 2022 as well as ''Scott Shannon Presents America's Greatest Hits'' which is syndicated nationally wi ...

, ''The Dr. Demento Show'', and ''Hot Mix'' during its Top-40 days.

92 Kiss FM

In early 1999, the station's local owners sold WDEK to Big City Radio. The station became "92 Kiss FM", retaining its CHR format and began simulcasting 92.7 WKIE in Arlington Heights and 92.7 WKIF in Kankakee.

Melissa Forman Melissa Forman grew up in Northbrook, Illinois, where she attended Glenbrook North High School. She went on to graduate college from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. In 2008 Melissa received a Distinguished Alumnus Award from Glenb ...

hosted mornings on 92 Kiss FM, before moving to 93.9

WLIT-FM WLIT-FM (93.9 Hertz, MHz, "93.9 Lite FM") is a radio station in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. Owned by iHeartMedia, it broadcasts a soft adult contemporary format. Its studios are located at the Illinois Center complex in the Chicago Loop, while th ...

in 2001. Rosenthal, Phil.
Melissa Forman out at WLIT-FM -- again
, ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

''. August 13, 2009. Retrieved December 7, 2018.

Energy 92.7&5

On January 12, 2001, Clear Channel's WUBT changed formats from

rhythmic oldies Rhythmic oldies is a radio format that concentrates on the rhythmic, R&B, disco, or dance genres of music. Playlists can span from the 1960s through the 2000s and, depending on market conditions, may be designed for African-American or Hispanic ...

to CHR as

WKSC-FM WKSC-FM (103.5 MHz) – branded "103.5 Kiss FM" – is a commercial Top 40 (CHR) radio station licensed to Chicago, Illinois. Owned by iHeartMedia, it broadcasts a Top 40 (CHR) format. Its studios are located at the Illinois Center complex on ...

"Kiss 103.5".M Street Bazaar... People, Products, and Programming
, ''The M Street Journal''. Vol. 18, No. 03. January 17, 2001. p. 8. Retrieved December 7, 2018. At that time, Clear Channel filed suit against Big City Radio, alleging the "

Kiss FM Kiss FM, Kiss Radio or variants may refer to: Asia-Oceania * Various Kiss FM-branded stations in the Philippines ** 95.1 Kiss FM, Lucena, Quezon ** 102.3 Kiss FM, Tagbilaran, Bohol * Kiss92 FM, Singapore * KISS 969, Sri Lanka * Kiss Radio Taiwan ...

" branding used by WDEK and its simulcasts violated its national trademark.Ross, Sean
Shebel Energizes WKIE With Dance
, ''

''. February 17, 2001. p. 63-64. Retrieved December 7, 2018. However, Big City Radio had already planned on changing the formats of these stations. On January 26, 2001, 92 Kiss-FM signed off, and the three stations adopted a

dance hits Dance/Mix Show Airplay (formerly Hot Dance Airplay) is a monitored electronic dance music radio chart that is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. History The chart came about as a result of the small but influential impact of electronic ...

format as "Energy 92.7&5".Format Changes & Updates
, ''The M Street Journal''. Vol. 18, No. 05. January 31, 2001. p. 1-2. Retrieved December 7, 2018. The station's airstaff remained intact. The new format was designed by 92 Kiss FM's program director, Chris Shebel, who has stated that the dance hits format is something he had dreamed of doing for a long time.

Onda 92

In late 2002, Big City Radio became

insolvent In accounting, insolvency is the state of being unable to pay the debts, by a person or company (debtor), at maturity; those in a state of insolvency are said to be ''insolvent''. There are two forms: cash-flow insolvency and balance-sheet inso ...

and began the process of selling all of its radio stations. In early 2003, WDEK, WKIE, and WKIF were sold to

Spanish Broadcasting System Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. (SBS) is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States. SBS is also invested in television and internet properties, deriving the majority of its income from advertising through i ...

for $22 million. On January 6, 2003, the three stations adopted a

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

contemporary Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is o ...

format as "Onda 92".

Nine FM / Dance Factory

In 2004, Spanish Broadcasting System sold WDEK, WKIE, and WKIF to

Newsweb Corporation Newsweb Corporation is a printer of ethnic and alternative newspapers in the United States, based in Chicago, Illinois. The company also owns several radio stations in the Chicago area. Newsweb was founded in 1971 by Chicago entrepreneur, political ...

for $28 million.Lazaroff, Leon.
Democratic donor plans to purchase 3 stations
, ''

'', July 27, 2004. Retrieved December 7, 2018. At 9 a.m. November 29, 2004, WDEK and WKIE began simulcasting with its new adult hits sister station 99.9 WRZA in

Park Forest, Illinois Park Forest is a village located south of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, with a small southern portion in Will County, Illinois, United States. The village was originally designed as a planned community for veterans returning from World War II. ...

as "

Nine FM Nine FM was the branding of several adult hits radio stations in the Chicago area, DeKalb, Illinois, and Kankakee, Illinois owned by media company Newsweb Corp. These stations included; * WRZA 99.9, Park Forest, Illinois Park Forest is a vil ...

", with the slogan "We Play Anything".Kampert, Patrick.
Nine FM rolls out 'anything' format on 3 frequencies
, ''

'', December 02, 2004. Retrieved December 7, 2018.Devine, Cathy (2005-2006).
The Radio Book
'. p. 192. Retrieved December, 2018. The first song on the Nine FM simulcast was "

With or Without You "With or Without You" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the third track on their fifth studio album, ''The Joshua Tree'' (1987), and was released as the album's lead single on 16 March 1987. The song was the group's most successful single ...

" by U2. Sky Daniels was the original program director for Nine FM. When he left in 2005, he was replaced by Matt DuBiel. In 2006, Chris Chudzik began leasing air time for a

dance music Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded danc ...

show called Dance Factory. Feder, Robert.
'Nine FM' filling void with club-style music every night of the week
, ''

Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago T ...

'', May 10, 2007. Retrieved December 7, 2018. Initially airing overnight on Saturdays, the program was expanded to seven nights a week on May 14, 2007.

Chicago's Progressive Talk

Newsweb Corporation dropped the Nine FM programming on all three signals on October 20, 2008, and replaced it with a simulcast of sister station WCPT from 5 a.m. until 9 p.m. Rosenthal, Phil.
'Nine FM' consolidates -- who's left?
, ''

'', October 18, 2008. Retrieved December 7, 2018. The Nine FM format moved to WKIF 92.7 in Kankakee. On October 27, 2008, the station's call sign was changed to WCPY. On June 2, 2014, WCPQ and WCPT-FM broke away from the Progressive Talk simulcast and changed their daytime format to

Polish language Polish (Polish: ''język polski'', , ''polszczyzna'' or simply ''polski'', ) is a West Slavic language of the Lechitic group written in the Latin script. It is spoken primarily in Poland and serves as the native language of the Poles. In a ...

programming as "Polski FM". Feder, Robert.
Newsweb Radio streamlines WCPT talk simulcast
, robertfeder.com. Retrieved December 7, 2018. The latter station swapped callsigns with this station shortly thereafter.

K-Love

In autumn of 2018, the station was sold to

for $1.6 million,Venta, Lance.
EMF Acquires WCPT-FM
, ''RadioInsight''. September 26, 2018. Retrieved December 2, 2018. and the station adopted a

format, as an affiliate of K-Love. The sale was consummated on November 30, 2018, at which point the station's call sign was changed to WCLR.

References

External links

* {{coord, 41.875994, -88.754429, display=title CLR (FM) Radio stations established in 1961 1961 establishments in Illinois K-Love radio stations Educational Media Foundation radio stations

CLR CLR may refer to: * Calcium Lime Rust, a household cleaning-product * California Law Review, a publication by the UC Berkeley School of Law * Tube_bending, Centerline Radius, a term in the tubing industry used to describe the radius of a bend * Cen ...