WIND (560 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Chicago, Illinois, broadcasting a conservative talk radio format. It is owned by the Salem Media Group, with studios located on NW Point Boulevard in Elk Grove Village, Illinois.
Technical Information
WIND transmits with 5,000 watts, using a directional antenna with a four-tower array located in Griffith, Indiana. Due to its position near the bottom of the AM dial, its transmitter power, and the flat terrain of the surrounding region, WIND's daytime signal covers much of Northeast Illinois, Northwest Indiana, and Southeastern Wisconsin. Its nighttime pattern concentrates the signal in the Chicago and Milwaukee areas. The station operates on Class B status under FCC licensing authority.
Branding and Programming
The station is branded as "AM 560 The Answer" and carries the Salem Radio Network lineup of hosts, including Hugh Hewitt, Mike Gallagher, Chris Stigall, Larry Elder, Alex Marlow, and Scott Jennings. It also carries The Sean Hannity Show from Premiere Networks. Local programming includes Chicago's Morning Answer with Dan Proft and an afternoon show with Shaun Thompson. Most hours begin with an update from Townhall News. Weekend programming features specialty talk shows on money, health, and real estate, including paid brokered programming. WIND is the flagship station for the nationally syndicated nostalgia and showbiz program Hollywood 360 with Carl Amari and Lisa Wolf, airing Saturday evenings. The station also carries Northern Illinois Huskies football games in the fall.
History
Early Years (1927–1944)
The station began broadcasting on August 16, 1927, with the original call sign WJKS, licensed to Gary, Indiana. It initially operated at 1290 kHz, sharing time with WSBC, with studios and transmitter located in the Gay Mill Ballroom in Gary's Miller Beach neighborhood. In 1933, the station moved to its present frequency of 560 kHz after Chicago stations WIBO and WPCC were shut down. The call sign was changed to WIND the same year. The call sign meaning references both Indiana (the original licensing state) and "The Windy City" (Chicago). In 1944, studios were moved to Chicago's Carbide & Carbon Building, and in 1947 to the South tower of the Wrigley Building.
Popular Music Era (1945–1978)
WIND was Chicago's leading hit music station in the 1950s. Howard Miller served as program director from 1945 to 1949 and later became Chicago's top-rated morning DJ, remaining with the station until 1968. From 1945 to 1957, WIND held exclusive local rights to broadcast Chicago Cubs baseball. In 1956, the station was sold to Westinghouse Broadcasting for $5.3 million, a record amount for a radio station at the time. In the 1960s, WIND shifted to a middle-of-the-road/pop contemporary format, and by 1971 evolved into an oldies-heavy adult contemporary format. In 1973, WIND won the George Foster Peabody Award for the series "From 18th Street: Destination Peking".
First Talk Era (1978–1985)
In September 1978, WIND switched to a news/talk format featuring local personalities such as Clark Weber, Eddie Schwartz, Dave Baum, Steve King, and Jimmy Piersall, along with syndicated hosts including Michael Jackson and Dr. Toni Grant.
Spanish Language Era (1985–2004)
On December 12, 1985, Westinghouse sold WIND to Tichenor Radio for $6.85 million. The station signed off with "The Whiffenpoof Song" and "The Star-Spangled Banner" before relaunching with a Spanish-language format featuring Mexican mariachi and ranchera music, branded as "La Tremenda". By the late 1990s, the station aired a Spanish talk/romántica format. In 2004, the station was acquired by Salem Communications through a multi-station swap with Univision Radio.
Second Talk Era (2004–present)
On November 1, 2004, WIND returned to English-language talk programming. On January 21, 2013, the station rebranded as AM 560 The Answer, aligning with other Salem Communications-owned stations. In 2014, WIND became the Chicago radio home for Northern Illinois Huskies football.
Sister Stations
WIND's sister station is WYLL, also owned by Salem Media Group.
