Chicago Radio: WLS-AM Emerges As Sports Powerhouse

Out of nowhere, Cumulus Media-owned news/talk-formatted WLS 890 AM has emerged as a sports radio powerhouse in Chicago.

WLS-AM parent Cumulus Media has inked multi-year deals to broadcast the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago White Sox, two major Chicago pro sports teams owned by one local sports and business mogul Jerry Reinsdorf. Until now, the Chicago Business Journal reports, WLS-AM's only significant sports programming was University of Notre Dame football game broadcasts.

Brooks Boyer, VP/Sales and Marketing for the White Sox, added in an interview that the deal is ideal from where he sits. "WLS-AM is a 50,000 watt station, which means we will have a great signal."
Boyer also said Cumulus' WLUP 97.9 FM will be used when game scheduling conflicts require either a Bulls or White Sox game to air on a different station.

John Dickey

In an interview, John Dickey, Cumulus' executive vice president of content and programming, said he believed the time had come to broaden the content at WLS-AM, suggesting the conversation on the station was too heavily skewed toward politics and other weighty issues that might not spark interest among a broader radio audience.

But Dickey insists the huge infusion of sports programming about to hit the station won't swamp and finally drown out what's left of the news and talk it still will air. Rather Dickey argues the sports programming simply will help make WLS-AM a much more top-of-mind radio station in the market.

Noted Dickey: "Our ultimate goal is to make WLS-AM a one-stop shop for great content."

The Cumulus deal with the White Sox is for six years and will start in the spring of 2016. The deal with Bulls runs five years and will begin in the fall of 2016. Both contracts expire in 2021.