WGIL 1400 AM 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 ...

broadcasting a

news-talk Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featur ...

sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, th ...

format. Licensed to

Galesburg, Illinois Galesburg is a city in Knox County, Illinois, United States. The city is northwest of Peoria. At the 2010 census, its population was 32,195. It is the county seat of Knox County and the principal city of the Galesburg Micropolitan Statistical ...

, the station is owned by Galesburg Broadcasting Company. WGIL carries a variety of local programming, as well as nationally syndicated shows such as

Rush Limbaugh Rush Hudson Limbaugh III ( ; January 12, 1951 – February 17, 2021) was an American conservative political commentator who was the host of '' The Rush Limbaugh Show'', which first aired in 1984 and was nationally syndicated on AM and FM r ...

Clark Howard Clark Brian Howard (born June 20, 1955) is a popular consumer expert and podcast host of ''The Clark Howard Show''. Life and career Howard grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. His parents, Bernard and Joy Garson Howard, were prominent members of Atl ...

, and

Jim Bohannon James Everett Bohannon (January 7, 1944 – November 12, 2022) was an American broadcaster who worked in both television and radio. He is best known for hosting the nationally syndicated late night radio talk show ''The Jim Bohannon Show'' orig ...

History

WGIL began broadcasting on June 12, 1938, with its inaugural ceremony at the Galesburg Armory.Wilson, Tom.
Tom Wilson: Happy 75th birthday to WGIL
, ''

The Register-Mail ''The Register-Mail'' is an American daily newspaper published in Galesburg, Illinois. The paper was owned by the Pritchard family from 1896 to 1989, when it was sold to the '' Journal Star''. Copley Press bought both papers for $174.5 million. In ...

''. June 4, 2013. Retrieved August 6, 2018. Among the ceremony's attendees was Edith Luckett Davis, actress and mother of future first lady,

Nancy Reagan Nancy Davis Reagan (; born Anne Frances Robbins; July 6, 1921 – March 6, 2016) was an American film actress and First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989. She was the second wife of president Ronald Reagan. Reagan was born in N ...

. Congratulatory telegrams were sent by

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

Eddy Duchin Edwin Frank Duchin (April 1, 1909 – February 9, 1951), commonly known as Eddy Duchin or alternatively Eddie Duchin, was an American jazz pianist and bandleader during the 1930s and 1940s. Early career Duchin was born on April 1, 1909 in Cambri ...

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing". From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His co ...

Guy Lombardo Gaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo (June 19, 1902 – November 5, 1977) was an Italian-Canadian-American bandleader, violinist, and hydroplane racer. Lombardo formed the Royal Canadians in 1924 with his brothers Carmen, Lebert and Victor, and othe ...

, and Illinois Governor

Henry Horner Henry Horner (November 30, 1878 – October 6, 1940) was an American politician. Horner served as the 28th Governor of Illinois, serving from January 1933 until his death in October 1940. Horner was noted as the first Jewish governor of Illinois ...

. The station originally broadcast at 1500 kHz, running 250 watts during daytime hours only. Nighttime operations were added in 1939. In 1941, the station's frequency was changed to 1400 kHz. Daytime power was increased to 1,000 watts in 1961. Nighttime power was increased to 1,000 watts in 1985. In 1997, the station's power was reduced to 740 watts. In the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, the station aired a

MOR Mor or MOR may refer to: Names and titles * Mór (given name), a list of people named Mór or Mor * Mor (surname), a list of people named Mor or Mór * Mor (honorific), or Mar, in Syriac Radio and television * Middle of the road (music) genre * ...

format.
Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1986
', Broadcasting/Cablecasting, 1986. p. B-87. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1997
',

Broadcasting & Cable ''Broadcasting & Cable'' (or ''Broadcasting+Cable'') is a weekly telecommunications industry trade magazine published by Future US. Previous names included ''Broadcasting-Telecasting'', ''Broadcasting and Broadcast Advertising'', and ''Broadcast ...

, 1997. p. B-136. Retrieved August 6, 2018. By 1987, the station had begun airing talk programming.
Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1986
', Broadcasting/Cablecasting, 1987. p. B-89. Retrieved August 6, 2018. By 1999, the station had adopted a news-talk-sports format.
Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1999
',

, 1999. p. D-135. Retrieved August 6, 2018.

Translator

In 2015, WGIL began to be rebroadcast on 93.7 FM, through a translator in Galesburg.

References

External links

WGIL's website
* * {{coord, 40, 56, 47, N, 90, 22, 08, W, region:US-IL_type:landmark_source:kolossus-dewiki, display=title GIL News and talk radio stations in the United States Galesburg, Illinois Radio stations established in 1938 1938 establishments in Illinois