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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING WGN-RADIO / 100TH ANNIVERSARY
WHEREAS, WGN Radio first signed on the air, May 19, 1922, with call letters of WDAP, Mid-West Radio Central, Inc. in Chicago; and
WHEREAS, Two young Chicagoan’s and radio enthusiasts named Thorne Donnelley and Elliott Jenkins began WDAP as an experimental station and originated its first broadcast from the Wrigley Building; and
WHEREAS, In 1923 ownership was transferred to the Board of Trade. And in 1924 The Chicago Tribune purchased WDAP and on June 1st of the same year WDAP was renamed WGN, the call letters originated from “World’s Greatest Newspaper” under the leadership of Colonel Robert McCormick, editor, and publisher of the Chicago Tribune; and
WHEREAS, Early programming included live music, political debates, comedy routines, along with some of radio’s first sporting broadcast events, including the 1924 Indianapolis 500, and a live broadcast of the 1925 Scopes Trail from Daytona Tennessee the first broadcast of a regular season baseball game in 1925; and
WHEREAS, Over the years the station’s programming became the voice of the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bears and is currently the flagship for the Chicago Blackhawks and Northwestern Wildcats football and men’s basketball; and
WHEREAS, The station had its share of well-known personalities heard on the airwaves, such as Wally Phillips, Bob Collins, Roy Leonard, Pierre Andre, Quin Ryan, Milt Rosenberg, Franklyn MacCormack, Jack Brickhouse, Bob Sirott, Dean Richards, Johnathon Brandmeier, Roe Conn, and many others; and
WHEREAS, It is through these relationships that WGN has provided a platform for businesses in Chicago and beyond to deliver their messages to a loyal high value audience, resulting in success stories that have lasted for decades; and
WHEREAS, By 1941 WGN began operating an FM station, however with few people owning FM radio receivers in that era, management did not think WGNB would become profitable, so it was decided to take the FM station off the air and hand in the license in the early 1950’s; and
WHEREAS, The Tribune Company applied to the Federal Communications Commission to build a television station. On April 5, 1948, WGN-TV Channel Signed on the air; and
WHEREAS, In the words of announcer Pierre Andre on the station’s 40th anniversary celebration in 1962, “God bless to the hundreds of talented men and women who’ve made us what we are. And God bless to a faithful audience…”; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners, on behalf of the residents of Cook County, hereby honor and recognize WGN RADIO for their contributions and the viability of Cook County; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this Resolution be tendered to WGN Radio as a means of communicating our appreciation.
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