Seven hundred watts. That’s how much power WKDC-AM in Elmhurst Illinois once boasted. A small number compared to some radio giants but for WKDC it was a beacon. A signal illuminating the Chicago area.
WKDC-AM first aired on October 10 1974. Its call letters represented its initial coverage area. Will Kane DuPage and Cook counties. The station started with a middle-of-the-road MOR format. It was founded by Frank and Lois Blotter. They operated as DuPage Broadcasting Company. Their studios were surprisingly advanced for the time. Equipped with Cetec Sparta stereo audio equipment. The FCC only authorized AM stereo testing in 1976. WKDC’s findings were even presented at the 1977 NAB Convention in Washington DC. A true testament to their early ambition.
Financial difficulties struck in the 1980s. The station changed hands several times. It was briefly owned by Robert Snyder’s Snyder Broadcasting. The station aired show tunes for a period but Snyder Broadcasting filed for bankruptcy. WKDC went off the air for over a year. The Blotters reacquired it. It then aired beautiful music and adult standards. By the early 1990s ethnic programming and big band music filled the airwaves. The studios were above Plass’s Glass in Elmhurst. A local landmark.
In 1994 Joseph J Gentile purchased AM 1530 for $700000. He changed the call letters to WJJG his initials. Gentile nicknamed “The Baron of Barrington” had other business interests. He owned a Chrysler-Plymouth dealership. The station became a blend of brokered talk and adult standards. Conveniently Gentile moved the studios. He placed them in an apartment complex he owned. It was called Villa Gentile. The Baron lived nearby. The station featured various programs. These included shows by John H Cox syndicated talk shows The Sounds of Sinatra and Forgotten 45s with Mike Baker.
On September 19 2012 the call letters shifted once more. They changed to WCKG. General Manager Matt Dubiel orchestrated this change. It cost a mere $50 filing fee with the FCC. A bargain compared to earlier transactions. In 2013 DuPage Radio LLC purchased AM 1530 WCKG. Arthur Dubiel became the majority owner. His son Matt took the reins of the station.
Today WKDC broadcasts a sports radio format. It’s a Fox Sports Radio Network affiliate. The signal reaches a wide audience although it’s a daytimer. It must go off the air at sunset. To avoid interfering with other stations. The transmitter remains on Harvard Street in Elmhurst. A continuous legacy in broadcasting. WKDC-AM may have changed. Yet its story echoes through the Chicago airwaves. A testament to resilience innovation and the enduring power of radio.