WNBQ 1956 ads

[W.B.]

Originally Posted by Jeffhs

I was not aware, however, that Viacom and CBS were involved in WMAQ's format switch from music to sports; I always thought that NBC sold WMAQ-AM and FM when the radio network was disbanded (NBC sold every one of its operated radio stations in 1986, effectively exiting the radio business for good), and WMAQ's new owners (the station was probably initially owned briefly by another media group before Viacom and CBS got involved in the issue) would decide the station's future from that point on.

What happened was, NBC did indeed sell WMAQ Radio to Westinghouse (a.k.a. "Group W"), which in 1995 acquired (and ultimately assumed the nomenclature of) CBS - and then afterwards Viacom bought CBS. It was at the point Group W assumed ownership that WMAQ became "All News 67." (Prior thereto, they had unloaded another Chicago station, WIND.)

And I heard a 1991 aircheck of WMAQ in its all-news phase, on a tribute website. From what I could see, the way of its presentation was modeled directly after New York's 1010 WINS. (Though its time tone was roughly 850 Hz, unlike WINS's 1 kHz.)