WLS (AM)
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 has its radio studios in the NBC Tower on North Columbus Drive in the city's Streeterville neighborhood. Its non-directional broadcast tower is located on the southwestern edge of Tinley Park, Illinois in Will County.
| Broadcast area | Chicago metropolitan area |
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| Frequency | 890 kHz |
| Branding | 89 WLS |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English |
| Format | Talk radio |
| Affiliations |
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| Ownership | |
| Owner |
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| History | |
First air date | April 12, 1924 |
Former call signs |
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Former frequencies |
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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′21.1″N 87°50′54.20″W |
| Repeater(s) | 94.7 WLS-FM HD2 (Chicago) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live Listen live (via iHeartRadio) |
| Website | www |
WLS is a Class A station broadcasting on the clear-channel frequency of 890 kHz with 50,000 watts using a Nautel NX-50 transmitter. A Harris DX-50 serves 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. At night, its signal routinely reaches 38 states via skywave. WLS participates in the Emergency Alert System's primary entry point network, serving that function for northern Illinois and western Indiana. The station's programming is also available to listeners in the Chicago metropolitan area with an HD Radio receiver via a simulcast on the HD2 digital subchannel of sister station WLS-FM.