WCPT (AM)

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WCPT
WCPT logo
Broadcast area Crystal Lake, Illinois
Branding AM 850 WCPT
Chicago's Progressive Talk
Slogan Our Kind of Talk for Our Kind of Town
First air date 1964 (May 5, 2005 As WCPT)
Frequency 850 (kHz)
Format Liberal/Progressive Talk
ERP 2,500 watts
Class D
Callsign meaning Chicago's Progressive Talk
Owner Newsweb Corporation
Website http://www.wcptam.com/

WCPT 850 AM is a daytime-only progressive talk radio station licensed to Crystal Lake, Illinois, and serving the Chicago area. Programming is mostly from Air America Radio. The station is owned by Newsweb Corporation.

WCPT is licensed by the FCC as a Class D station, hence it only broadcasts during daytime hours. The station signs off from sunset to sunrise to protect 850 KOA from Denver.

Contents

[edit] History

For many years this station played Adult Standards as WAIT.

In February of 2005, a column by Robert Feder in the Chicago Sun-Times sparked speculation that a progressive talk format could end up on a station in Chicago. The article said that the station was rumored to change formats by March 31, the one year anniversary of Air America's original launch in Chicago on their original affiliate, WNTD. Air America's affiliation with WNTD was interrupted after only a few weeks, due to conflicts with the station's owner.

Many thought that WRLL would switch to the format, as its owner, Clear Channel Communications, had rolled progressive talk on quite a few of their struggling radio stations across the country. WRLL continued with their oldies format, and on May 5, 2005, AM 850 launched progressive talk with the new call letters WCPT. The WAIT call letters were moved to 820 AM.

In November of 2005, the FCC denied an application by Newsweb to move the station to Addison, Illinois.

Newsweb's owner, Fred Eyechaner, is a significant donor to Democratic Party causes[1], and many see WCPT's format as a natural fit for one of his stations.

In its first year of existence, WCPT has been a relative ratings success, even with its signal limitations. It has had higher overall ratings than two other high-profile talk radio stations - WIND and WCKG.

[edit] Weekday Lineup

[edit] Weekends

Weekend-only programming from Air America Radio and others:

Repeats of some weekday programs that WCPT does not otherwise carry:

The station also carries some locally-produced, nonpolitical shows:

  • "The Business Doctor," airs live Sundays at 11:00am CST, with Chicago's Voice of Career Development, host Dr. George Watts. The nationally known behavioral scientist, business consultant and managing partner of AST Management Inc. weighs in each week about workplace issues, unlocking your potential and career development. Past guests have included Warren Bennis-advisor to four U.S. presidents, Harvard's Anthony Mayo, MIT's Suzanne Berger, Northwestern's William White, authors Doug Rushkoff and Cole Kingseed and corporate CEOs and board of directors.
  • Mooney Talks Money
  • Ask Dr. Marc

In addition, some weekday programming is repeated.

[edit] Criticism

The most common complaints about WCPT relate to the station's status as a low-power daytimer. As the station claims on its website, it is a situation that is out of their control, due to FCC mandates. WCPT must sign off from sunset to sunrise to protect the signal of KOA in Denver.

Listeners have asked Newsweb about the possibility of putting the format on one or all of their FM stations. The company also owns four area FM stations. WDEK (92.5), WKIE (92.7), and WRZA (99.9) MHz, are rimshot signals and are known collectively as "Nine FM", airing the same adult hits format. WKIF (92.7) is a small station south of Chicago with a limited signal airing CNN Headline News. Lately, the FM stations have had lower ratings than the relatively successful WCPT. Newsweb has, as of late 2005, refused to change the trimulcast to progressive talk citing that listenership must grow at 850 first.

WCPT has also received some criticism because they play the Ed Schultz show live, delaying the Randi Rhodes show. This same arrangement is evident at many other Air America affiliates, but WCPT is criticized because Rhodes' show is not heard on the station in the winter when the station signs off as the sun sets earlier. Mike Malloy, who used to be on Chicago's WLS radio, and now is on Air America, is also not heard locally for the same reason.

[edit] Events

  • The station's second event was when Jerry Springer did a live broadcast of Springer on the Radio in front of a live audience from the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts on March 27, 2006. Topics included immigration, the Iraq war, abortion, and topics from the audience.
  • Al Franken returned for another live broadcast from the Steppenwolf Theatre on Monday, May 8, 2006. His guests were Senator Dick Durbin, executive director of the Death Penalty Education Project Edwin Colfax, Congressional candidates John Laesch (IL-14) and Dan Seals (IL-10), universal healthcare advocates Dr. Quentin Young and Ajitha Reddy, and Cass Sunstein.
  • Ed Schultz was featured at a "meet and greet" at the Green Dolphin Restaurant on August 8, 2006.

[edit] Listener Feedback

WCPT listeners are able to leave feedback on the station by calling (312)855-0085. Recorded messages from this feedback line are often featured on air.

[edit] External links

WCPT 850 AM
The Network
Air America Radio programming
Non-Air America Radio programming
Info on AM radio from the FCC

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Fred Eychaner," Mother Jones, March 5, 2001.


AM Radio stations in the Chicago market (Arbitron #3)
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By callsign

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See also: Chicago (FM) (AM)
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