Broadcast area | Chicago metropolitan area |
---|---|
Frequency | 1490 kHz |
Programming | |
Format | Polish Language Talk and other ethnic programming |
Ownership | |
Owner |
|
History | |
First air date | October 7, 1950[1] |
Former call signs | WEBS (cp)[2] WOPA (1950[2]–1984)[3] WBMX (1984–1987) WPNA (1987–2022)[3] |
Technical information[4] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
Facility ID | 1093 |
Class | C |
Power | 1,000 watts unlimited |
Transmitter coordinates | 41°52′52″N 87°47′38″W / 41.88111°N 87.79389°W |
Links | |
Public license information | |
Website | 1490.am |
WEUR (1490 AM) is a time-brokered radio station licensed to Oak Park, Illinois, United States, the station serves the Chicago metropolitan area. The station is currently owned by Daniela Wojcik, through licensee CSWWII, LLC.[5]
The majority of the station's programming is Polish language news, talk, and sports.[6] They feature polka music on the weekends with the long running Eddie Blazonczyk Polka Show hosted by Tish Blazonczyk,[7]
WEUR is the home of the Hagerty Family Irish Program, the longest running Irish program in the United States.[6] This program has been on the station every Saturday morning since 1951.[8]
The station began broadcasting October 7, 1950.[1] The station's call sign was originally WEBS, but before going on the air the call sign was changed to WOPA to reflect the location of its studios.[2] The studios and antenna were in the former Oak Park Arms Hotel, now a retirement community.[2]
Pervis Spann began his radio career on WOPA in 1959.[9][10]
In 1984, the station's call sign was changed to WBMX.[3]
In January 1987, the station was sold to the Polish National Alliance for $2 million, and its call sign was changed to WPNA on May 1, 1987.[11][3] WPNA was the home of the long-running Chet Gulinski Show, which featured polka music and was quite popular in Chicago's Eastern European communities.[12][13]
On May 25, 2022, the Polish National Alliance announced the sale of WPNA 1490AM to Daniela Wojcik's CSWWII, LLC for $725,000.[14] The sale was consummated on August 1, 2022. Alliance Communications, which operates Polish CHR WPNA-FM 103.1FM in Highland Park, Illinois retained the rights to the callsign WPNA & intellectual property.[15] The station changed its call sign to WEUR on August 31, 2022.