| WNDZ | |
| City: | Portage, Indiana |
| Country: | US |
| Area: | Chicago metropolitan area |
| Branding: | Access Radio Chicago |
| Airdate: | [1] |
| Frequency: | 750 kHz |
| Format: | Classic hits |
| Power: | 15,000 watts days only |
| Class: | D |
| Licensing Authority: | FCC |
| Facility Id: | 73316 |
| Coordinates: | 41.5637°N -87.155°W |
| Callsign Meaning: | The Windy City |
| Owner: | Newsweb Corporation |
| Licensee: | WNDZ LLC |
WNDZ (750 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station broadcasting a classic hits format. Licensed to Portage, Indiana, it serves the Chicago metropolitan area. The station is owned by Newsweb Corporation.
WNDZ is a daytimer station. It transmits 15,000 watts. To send its signal toward Chicago from its transmitter site, it uses a directional antenna with a three-tower array. Because 750 AM is a clear channel frequency reserved for Class A station WSB in Atlanta, WNDZ must go off the air at sunset to avoid interference. The towers are on Bay Road at Robbins Road in Portage.[2]
Now running a music format, WNDZ had previously been a brokered programming station, where hosts pay for their time on the air and may advertise their products and services or seek donations.
WNDZ began broadcasting on May 13, 1987, as a daytime-only station, running 2,500 watts, and was owned by Universal Broadcasting, with Rick Schwartz as its first general manager.[1] The business office and studios were located in Lansing, Illinois.[1] They are currently on Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago.[3] The station originally aired a mixture of Contemporary Christian with some ethnic programming.[4] In 1992, the station was sold to Douglas Broadcasting, for $2 million.[5] [6]
In 1994, the station joined Douglas Broadcasting's new AsiaOne network.[7] [8] In 1997, the station's power was increased to 5,000 watts.[9] [10] In late May 1998, the station switched from brokered programming to the motivational "Personal Achievement Radio" network, which moved from WYPA 820.[11] [12] Later that year, the station was purchased by Z-Spanish Radio.[13] [14] In 2000, Z-Spanish Radio was acquired by Entravision Communications.[15]
In 2004, Entravision Communications sold the station to Newsweb Corporation, along with 99.9 FM WRZA, for $24 million.[16] [17] In 2007, the station's power was increased to 15,000 watts.[18] [19] The station has featured brokered programming for most of its history.
