WLS (AM)

WLS
Chicago, Illinois; United States;
Broadcast area	Chicago metropolitan area
Frequency	890 kHz
Branding	89 WLS
Programming
Language(s)	English
Format	Talk radio
Affiliations	ABC News Radio; The Weather Channel; Westwood One; Motor Racing Network; WLS-TV Chicago (news partnership);
Ownership
Owner	Cumulus Media; (Radio License Holdings LLC);
Sister stations	WKQX; WLS-FM;
History
First air date	April 11, 1924
Former call signs	WES (1924);
Former frequencies	670 kHz (1924); 870 kHz (1924–1941);
Call sign meaning	Founded by Sears, the "World's Largest Store"
Technical information
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	73227
Class	A
Power	50,000 watts
Transmitter coordinates	41°33′21.12″N 87°50′54.19″W / 41.5558667°N 87.8483861°W
Repeater(s)	94.7 WLS-FM HD2 (Chicago)
Links
Public license information	Public file; LMS;
Webcast	Listen live; Listen live (via iHeartRadio)
Website	www.wlsam.com

WLS (890 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in Chicago, Illinois. Owned by Cumulus Media, through licensee Radio License Holdings LLC, the station airs a talk radio format. WLS studios are in the NBC Tower on North Columbus Drive in the city's Streeterville neighborhood. The station's programming is also available in the Chicago metropolitan area via a simulcast on the HD2 digital subchannel of sister station WLS-FM.

Its transmitter site is located on the southwestern edge of Tinley Park, Illinois in Will County.^[3]^[6] WLS is a Class A station broadcasting on the clear-channel frequency of 890 kHz with 50,000 watts, using a non-directional antenna fed by a Nautel NX-50 transmitter, with a Harris DX-50 serving as a backup transmitter. Both transmitters run in MDCL (Modulation Dependent Carrier Level) mode to improve efficiency. The station's daytime groundwave service contour covers portions of five states.^[7] At night, its signal routinely reaches 38 states via skywave.^[8]

WLS participates as an Emergency Alert System primary entry point, serving northern Illinois and western Indiana.

^ ^a ^b ^c Cite error: The named reference wls20 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b "New Radiotelephone Stations Operating in Chicago". The New York Times. June 1, 1924. Archived from the original on January 19, 2010. Retrieved July 30, 2010.
^ ^a ^b pmg / NzeroNNK (November 24, 2004). "WLS/890 and Larry Lujack". Archived from the original on July 12, 2008. Retrieved July 30, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^ History Cards for WLS, fcc.gov. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
^ "Facility Technical Data for WLS". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
^ Moss, Brett (November 14, 2013). "A Celebration for the WLS Tower". radioworld.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
^ "0.5 mV/m Daytime Groundwave Service Contour [WLS, 890 kHz, Chicago, IL]". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
^ Childers, Scott (2008). Chicago's WLS Radio. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia. p. 83. ISBN 9780738561943.

[wls20-1] Cite error: The named reference wls20 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[nyt-19240601-2] "New Radiotelephone Stations Operating in Chicago". The New York Times. June 1, 1924. Archived from the original on January 19, 2010. Retrieved July 30, 2010.

[n0nnk-3] / NzeroNNK (November 24, 2004). "WLS/890 and Larry Lujack". Archived from the original on July 12, 2008. Retrieved July 30, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

[HistoryCards-4] History Cards for WLS, fcc.gov. Retrieved August 24, 2018.

[5] "Facility Technical Data for WLS". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.

[6] Moss, Brett (November 14, 2013). "A Celebration for the WLS Tower". radioworld.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved May 30, 2016.

[7] "0.5 mV/m Daytime Groundwave Service Contour [WLS, 890 kHz, Chicago, IL]". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved October 20, 2021.

[8] Childers, Scott (2008). Chicago's WLS Radio. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia. p. 83. ISBN 9780738561943.

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