WDWS

WDWS (1400 kHz AM) is a news-talk radio station in Champaign, Illinois. The station operates at 1 kW of power, and is owned by The News-Gazette, the primary newspaper in the Champaign-Urbana Metropolitan Area. The station provides news and information for the city, and agricultural information for surrounding farmland. The station broadcasts Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Dave Ramsey, Kim Komando, Jim Bohannon and Bill Cunningham.

WDWS
CityChampaign, Illinois
Broadcast areaChampaign–Urbana
BrandingNews Talk 1400 DWS
Frequency1400 kHz
First air dateJanuary 24, 1937
FormatNews Talk Information
Power1,000 watts unlimited
ClassC
Facility ID14961
Transmitter coordinates40°5′4.00″N 88°14′53.00″W
Call sign meaningDavid W. Stevick
AffiliationsCBS Radio News , Fox Sports Radio, Premiere Radio Networks, Learfield Sports, Dial Global Radio Network, Compass Media Networks
OwnerCommunity Media Group, Inc.
(Champaign Multimedia Group, LLC)
Sister stationsWHMS, WKIO
WebcastListen Live
Websitewdws.com

History

The station signed on for the first time on January 24, 1937 as the area's first commercial radio station. David W. Stevick, publisher of the News-Gazette, had applied for a license in 1935, and his wife Helen and daughter Marajen continued the project. They named the station WDWS in his honor. Although the station broadcasts at only 1,000 watts, the signal is easily received throughout much of east-central Illinois due to the area's flat land and near-perfect ground conductivity.

WHMS-FM, which also broadcasts from Champaign, is the sister station to WDWS, and was known as WDWS-FM for many years.

The two stations are the flagships for Illinois Fighting Illini football and basketball games; a role that WDWS has held throughout its history. Longtime sports director Jim Turpin also doubled as the radio voice of the Illini from 1960 until 2002. WDWS also airs the Illini women's basketball, volleyball, and baseball games exclusively. WDWS broadcast the Chicago Cubs in 2011, however Cubs games moved to WGKC in 2012. WDWS was the east central Illinois affiliate for the St. Louis Cardinals when it signed on until 2010.

WDWS has been a CBS Radio affiliate for its entire history, except for a period from 2001 to 2009 when it was affiliated with ABC News Radio.

The station has been carrying Rush Limbaugh since 1997. Sean Hannity was added in 2009.

WDWS is known throughout the area for its morning program, Penny for Your Thoughts. The show, formerly hosted by Turpin and since 2018 by Brian Barnhart, is known for its unique open-line format.

Notable staff
  • Robert Goralski
  • Larry Stewart[1]
  • Dave Gentry
  • Greg Soulje
  • Brian Barnhart
  • Dave Loane
  • Steve Kelly

References
  1. http://www.news-gazette.com/opinion/editorials/2009-10-02/larry-stewart.html
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