WNTD

Relevant Radio station in Chicago

By day, WNTD is powered at 1,000 watts non directional. The daytime transmitter is on S. Western Avenue near 15th Street in Chicago. But at night, while increasing its power to 5,000 watts, it also switches to a separate transmitter using a directional antenna with a six tower array. That tower site is off East 142nd Street near South Manistee Avenue in Burnham, Illinois.

The station was licensed by the Department of Commerce on April 7, 1922. By 1923, the station's frequency had been changed to 1050 kHz. By 1925 the station was broadcasting at 1080 kHz, running 200 watts. By 1927, the station's power had been increased to 500 watts, and the station's frequency was changed to 770 kHz. The station would air a variety of music programs, along with news, live market reports, and a variety of other programs. The station's transmitter and studios were destroyed in the 1934 Stock Yards fire. The show featured a monthly "Hunch Tune", which would be promoted on the show and featured as the No. 1 selection in juke boxes. The first "Hunch Tune" was "Rollin' Stone" by Eddie Fontaine. Personalities heard on the station during its jazz years included Marty Faye, Daddy O Daylie, Olympic gold medalist Jesse Owens, and Dick Buckley.

In 1967, the station was sold to a corporation formed by Ralph Atlass, for $900,000. Daddy O Daylie continued as a DJ on WGRT, hosting a morning jazz program. Daylie's jazz program was initially two hours long, but was reduced to an hour and a half, and eventually a half hour in 1971. On November 1, 1973, the station's call sign was changed to WJPC. Disc jockeys included Tom Joyner and LaDonna Tittle. In the late 1980s and early 90s the station simulcast the soft urban contemporary format of its sister station 106.3 WLNR in Lansing, Illinois, and was branded "Soft Touch". At Noon on July 15, 1992, the station began airing an all rap format.

In 1994, Johnson Publishing sold the station, along with 106.3 WJPC FM, to Broadcasting Partners for $8 million. In June 1994, the station became "106 Jamz", airing an urban contemporary format as a simulcast of 106.3 WJPC FM. The station's call sign was changed to WEJM later that year, with its FM simulcast partner taking the call sign WEJM FM. In spring of 1997, the station was sold to Douglas Broadcasting for $7.5 million. In June 1997, its FM sister station left the simulcast, adopting an urban gospel format as 106.3 WYBA.

On August 28, 1997, WEJM 950's format was changed to sports, as a One on One Sports affiliate. Around this time, the station was purchased by One on One for $10 million. In November 1997, the station's call sign was changed to WIDB.

In 1999, the station was sold to Radio Unica for $16,750,000. In May 1999, the station began airing a Spanish language news talk format as Radio Unica. The station's callsign was changed to WNTD that month. Ricardo Brown was news director. WNTD was the original affiliate of Air America Radio in Chicago. Program hosts included Al Franken, Randi Rhodes, Janeane Garofalo, Rachel Maddow, Lizz Winstead and Chuck D. On April 15, a judge ruled that Air America had fully paid for airtime on WNTD and ordered Multicultural to broadcast Air America on the station. However, Air America would only continue on the station through the end of the month. WNTD would return to airing a Spanish language format. In 2007, the station was sold to Sovereign City Radio for $15 million. In October 2007, Relevant Radio began to air from 6 AM to 6 PM weekdays, while brokered Spanish language programming aired the remainder of the time. Relevant Radio continued to air during the remainder of the station's schedule. The transaction was consummated on May 2, 2014.