Saturday Aircheck: WCFL...Chicago's Voice Of Labor

For Labor Day weekend, we feature Super CFL...WCFL 1000 AM Chicago.

Even when it was a Top 40 Giant in the ‘60s and ‘70s, WCFL was owned by the Chicago Federation of Labor, hence its call letters. The station is now known as WMVP 1000AM airing a Sports Talk Formant.

Between 1963 and 1965, WLS was only Top 40 station in Chicago. This situation was unusual, as most major cities had two or even three stations featuring pop music. Consequently, WLS had become somewhat complacent as it had no real competitors. This all changed in 1965, when WCFL became a Top 40 music station, competing with WLS. The station also moved from the American Furniture Mart where it had been since 1931, to the then new Marina City, where it remained for the next 20 years.

From New Year's Eve 1968, evening talent Barney Pipp.

In their Top 40 years, some famous disc jockeys on WCFL included Jim Runyon (1931–1973), Joel Sebastian (1932-1986), Dick Williamson, (who was already with WCFL at the time of the format change), Jim Stagg (1935–2007), Ron Britain,  ("America's First Psychedelic Disk Johnny", who did a second stint at the station in 1978, the legendary Dick Biondi,  (still on the air at WLS-FM Chicago), Barney Pip (1994),[64] Ron Riley, Sid McCoy and Yvonne Daniels (1991) with late night jazz during the earliest days of the change to Top 40. Later, WIND's former long-time morning man Howard Miller (1994), who was a decided departure from the youthful staff, came to helm 'CFL's 6-9AM spot in 1968.  He was replaced before long by Clark Weber, long-time WLS-AM morning man.

Survey For March 17, 1973, three years before changing from Top 40 To Beautiful Music

From 1973,  a very AC-sounding Super CFL, featuring mid-day talent Chuck Knapp. (super, non-processedm quality).

On March 15, 1976, after two years of falling ratings, WCFL abruptly dropped its Top 40 format in favor of The World's Most Beautiful Music, leaving WLS once again as Chicago's only AM Top 40 station.  Station management released all disc jockeys who did not have "no cut" clauses in their contracts with the official explanation of the format change as "being more in keeping with the labor movement". Larry Lujack, still under contract with the station, stayed on at WCFL playing easy listening music until moving back to WLS in September 1976. This format won few listeners and by 1978 had been replaced by a gold-based adult contemporary format.

For much more on the WCFL Timeline, Click Here.

The comedy feature Chickenman, a satire based on the Batman TV series, originated on Jim Runyon's morning drive-time show in the fall of 1966.

It was created by WCFL staffer Dick Orkin, who was also brought from Cleveland to Chicago by Ken Draper.  All the voices were done by Orkin, Runyon, and Jane Roberts, who also did WCFL's morning traffic reports as "Trooper 36-24-36" (She became Mrs. Jim Runyon.).

The Chickenman program was subsequently syndicated to radio stations worldwide.

NPR's 'This American Life' host Ira Glass once featured two episodes of the hilarious "Chickenman" skits from the late 1960's radio show.