WBBM (AM)

WBBM, 780 AM, is an all-news radio station located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The station is owned by the CBS Radio division of CBS Corporation. The station's studios are located in the combined CBS Radio facility at Two Prudential Plaza in the Loop neighborhood, and its transmitter is located in Itasca. WBBM is a Class A station which broadcasts on a clear-channel AM frequency. Its daytime signal provides at least grade B coverage to large portions of Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan and Indiana, and city-grade coverage as far north as Milwaukee. At night, it covers much of the eastern half of North America, but is strongest in the Midwest. WBBM is an owned and operated station of the CBS Radio Network.

Since August 1, 2011, much of WBBM's programming has been simulcast over sister station WCFS-FM (105.9). The FM station's call letters were retained and should not be confused with 96.3 WBBM-FM (96.3), a contemporary hit radio station; WCFS's former adult contemporary format was retained in an automated form over its 105.9 HD2 subchannel. WBBM's format is available both in AM and FM with HD Radio.

WBBM

WBBM may refer to any of four stations in the Chicago, Illinois area owned and operated by CBS:

WBBM-FM

WBBM-FM, known on air as "B96", is a Top 40 (CHR) radio station in Chicago, Illinois owned by CBS Radio. The station broadcasts at 96.3 MHz with an ERP of 3.3 kW from a transmitter atop Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), and its studios are located at Two Prudential Plaza in the Loop. WBBM-FM's main competition is WKSC-FM, as well as urban rivals WGCI-FM and WPWX.

WBBM-FM broadcasts two channels in the HD Radio format.

Station history

The early years

WBBM-FM began as a simulcast of WBBM radio in 1941, a very conservative mix of music which appealed to a broad range of ages. "The Young Sound" format was invented by John DeWitt in 1966 for CBS Radio at WCBS-FM in New York. Bud Kelly was the announcer for "The Young Sound" on WBBM-FM; it was not Elevator Music. "The Young Sound" had an energy to it, and definitely skewed toward a younger audience than WBBM-FM had previously sought.

By 1969, WBBM-FM moved to a more progressive rock format, but by 1973 evolved to Top 40. Another change in the late 70s put WBBM-FM in a rhythmic format focusing on Disco & R & B. Dick Bartley, who later became a very popular syndicated personality, spent time at WBBM-FM as Program Director in the late '70s. By 1980 the format had changed yet again, this time to "Soft Rock 96." WBBM-FM briefly carried "American Top 40" with Casey Kasem during the "Soft Rock" years.