WCFL (1000 AM) was the callsign of a commercial radio station in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was owned by the Chicago Federation of Labor, hence its call letters. The station is now known as WMVP. Its transmitter is located in Downers Grove and is still in use by WMVP. The station billed itself as "The Voice of Labor" from its inception until its sale to Mutual in 1978.
The 1967 DJ lineup.
1968 DJ lineup.While the station itself was on the 16th floor of the Commercial Building (today the Sax Chicago hotel), WCFL also had a "VIP Room" on the fifth floor where the "WCFL VIPs" (DJ's) hosted various events such as record parties and autograph sessions for listeners who were members of the WCFL VIP Club.
One of the station's first promotions was the "Bold" campaign-describing itself as a bold, new way of presenting today's music and its listeners (who wore "I'm Bold!" buttons) as bold enough to want a change.
c.1970. Left to right: Larry O'Brien, Ron Britain, Jim Stagg, Clark Weber (back to camera with Weber written on back of coat), Wanda Wells (and blonde woman behind her), Paul Christie, and Barney Pip. |  |
WCFL gained fame when Kamen marched into the midst of the 1968 Chicago Democratic convention melee and was beaten by Chicago police, with the picture ending up on newspapers' front pages.
Prior to Draper's establishment of an eight person news department, news was gathered by taking the copy from the station's news wires and reading it on the air.
In their Top 40 years, some famous disc jockeys on WCFL included Jim Runyon (1931–1973), Joel Sebastian (1932-1986), Dick Williamson, (who was already with WCFL at the time of the format change), Jim Stagg (1935–2007), Ron Britain, ("America's First Psychedelic Disk Johnny"), who did a second stint at the station in 1978, the legendary Dick Biondi, (still on the air in Chicago-as of 2017) whose Mutual Radio syndicated Dick Biondi's Young America show was heard here 3 years before his actual arrival, Barney Pip (1994), Ron Riley, Sid McCoy and Yvonne Daniels (1991) with late night jazz during the earliest days of the change to Top 40.
In late 1966, WKYC popular afternoon DJ Jerry Ghan (now Jerry G. Bishop)(1936-2013) also decided to follow Draper to WCFL for AM drive.
Dick Biondi's first day on the air at WCFL-AM on October 3, 1967. Biondi had previously worked in town on WLS-AM. [ LISTEN ] (34:13)
Later, WIND's former long-time morning man Howard Miller (1994), who was a decided departure from the youthful staff, came to helm 'CFL's 6-9AM spot in 1968. He was replaced before long by Clark Weber, long-time WLS-AM morning man. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, WCFL also featured a popular Sunday night program of "underground" album-oriented music called Ron Britain's Subterranean Circus.
WCFL Air Composite 1971-1976 [ LISTEN ].Due to madcap DJ Britain's sure ear for the innovative and his highly inventive sketches, plus WCFL's powerful AM nighttime signal, these programs gained huge listenership not just in the Chicago area, but in other parts of the country as well. Britain's "Sub Circus" made WCFL one of the few AM stations to feature this kind of music, which was a major staple of "underground" FM stations.
GEARS IN YOUR EARS
This is what Gary Gears sounded like on-the-air at WCFL in the fall of 1971. Press [ PLAY ] to listen. (18:04)
The station also supported local bands with its Sunday evening "Chicago Countdown", hosted by Ron Britain, featuring the recordings of Chicago area music groups.
Here's one of Dr. Brock's first-ever shows on Super CFL, taking place on the evening of February 21, 1974. [ LISTEN ] (11:34)
DJ Dr. Brock was only in Chicago radio a very short time. He joined WCFL-AM in the late winter of 1974, but just over six months later, "The Doctor" was gone. During his brief time in Chicago, which was early on in his long radio career, the teenage nighttime jock is remembered for not showing his face in initial promotional photographs and asking listeners to guess what he looks like. The station even made a $500 contest out of it. Brock proudly called himself "ugliest mother in rock 'n' roll" then. After leaving WCFL-AM and Chicago later in 1974, he went on to gain on-air jobs in numerous other markets.
The Ken Draper WCFL Story. [ LISTEN ] (57:52)
Jingles, airchecks, music and many more memories from WCFL's Chicago radio heyday. Most of all, it features an interview with Ken Draper, the legendary General Manager/Program Director who helped create the original Top 40 sound of WCFL. He talks about how he picked all the jocks, like Jim Runyon, Joel Sebastian, Dick Williamson, Jim Stagg, Ron Brittain, Barney Pip, Larry Lujack, and more. Plus, Draper talks about all the other inside stories about the launching of one of Chicago's most memorable stations. Draper was with WCFL from 1965-1968.
WHO WORKED AT WCFL? Here is the list: Dick Biondi, Jerry G. Bishop, Jim Bohannon, Tom Bradley, Ron Britain, Scotty Brink, Dr. Grady Brock, Jim 'Captain Whammo' Channell, Chris Charles, Doug Dahlgren, Bob Dearborn, John Driscoll, Denny Farrell, Gary Gears, Bob Hagen, Bob Hale, Art Hellyer, Jerry Kaye, Tim Kelly, Chuck Knapp, Larry Lujack, Dave Martin, Howard Miller, Jack Miller, Tom Murphy, Larry O'Brien, Big Ron O'Brien, Barney Pip, Art Roberts, Dick Sainte, Michael Scott, Joel Sebastian, Jim Sharpe, Dan Sorkin, Kris Erik Stevens, Clark Weber, John Wesley, and Fred Winston.
Some materials found on this page were originally published by the following: Airchexx, Chicago Radio and Media, Radio Timeline Trax and Grooves Youtube Channel.
