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“Downtown at Marina City, it’s 30 degrees at WCFL”
WCFL, “Chicago’s Voice of Labor,” was a radio station owned by the Chicago Federation of Labor. At 1000 on the AM dial, the 50,000 watt station transmitted from a tower west of Chicago in Downer’s Grove. But in the Fall of 1964, the station moved its studios and offices from American Furniture Mart on Lake Shore Drive to Marina City on State Street.
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(Left) WCFL photo from early 1970s of Bob Dearborn, who was on the air from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Says Dearborn, “Each of the air personalities had stacks of their photos to hand out at appearances or mail to people who requested them.”
(Above) WCFL logo from letterhead dated 1971.
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The station took up the entire top floor of the 16-story office building, what is now Hotel Sax.
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Bob Dearborn, who worked at WCFL from 1970 to 1976, recalls that the station moved into the Marina City office building shortly after it opened in 1964. “That is when several top Cleveland DJs – Jerry G. Bishop, the late Jim Stagg and my pal Ron Britain included – were brought in to engage in a more serious Top 40 battle with WLS.”
(Left) Bob Dearborn in 2005
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In 1966, WCFL switched to a Top 40 format and in 1967, “Big 10 WCFL” was the top-rated contemporary music radio station in Chicago.
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WCFL News vehicle, a 1967 Oldsmobile Cutlass, parked in front of the west tower.
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During an intense ratings war with WLS in 1972, WCFL hired away from the rival station “Super Jock” Larry Lujack.
Wolfman Jack was another famous WCFL air talent. The syndicated comedy feature “Chickenman,” a parody of the TV series “Batman,” was created in 1966 by WCFL’s Dick Orkin.
Ratings dropped in the mid 1970s and in 1976, WCFL switched to an automated “beautiful music” format.
Sold to Mutual Broadcasting System in 1979, the station went to a talk/news format. Then to adult contemporary in 1980. WCFL found religion in 1983 when it was sold to Statewide Broadcasting.
In 1987, it was sold once more to WLUP “The Loop” and simulcasted the FM station’s morning show. Around that time, the station moved out of Marina City.
It is now WMVP, “ESPN Sports Talk” radio, and owned by Disney/ABC Radio.
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(Above) Lobby of WCFL, photographed by Douglas Pierce in August 1967. The sign at left reads, “WCFL Sound 10 Survey.”
(Left) Marina City, circa 1964, showing placement of WCFL sign on east residential tower. Construction of theater building (completed in 1968) has just started.
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