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WRTE (90.7 FM) is an American radio station broadcasting a public radio / jazz format. It is licensed to Chicago, Illinois, United States, and serves the city of Chicago. The station is owned by Chicago Public Media. WRTE broadcasts in the HD Radio format.

History

WCYC

WRTE signed on in 1970 as WCYC, owned by the Boys Clubs of Chicago on 88.7 MHz. In 1988, the station's frequency was changed to 90.5 MHz. The station aired an urban contemporary format and was staffed by teenage volunteers. DJs were not allowed to say their last names, nicknames, or street names on the air, after a volunteer DJ was shot by someone who was waiting for them outside of the studio. Some of WCYC's volunteers went on to work as DJs at WGCI-FM. The station also carried The Lutheran Hour.

Radio Arte

The Boys and Girls Clubs sold the radio station to the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum (now National Museum of Mexican Art) in 1996, and its call sign was changed to WRTE on July 1, 1997. It was branded "Radio Arte", and aired a bilingual format, with Spanish and English language programming, as well as Spanish-language rock. In the final years of the National Museum of Mexican Art's ownership of the station, it underwent fundraising challenges, and in the spring of 2011 the station was put up for sale.

Chicago Public Media ownership

On June 22, 2012, it was announced that Chicago Public Media would purchase WRTE for $350,000 cash, plus program announcements over four years, valued at $100,000. The sale was consummated on December 31, 2012. On July 31, 2012, Chicago Public Media applied to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to move WRTE's transmitter site from 2801 S. Ridgeway in Chicago, to University Hall on the East campus of the University of Illinois at Chicago. On September 28, 2012, the FCC granted Chicago Public Media a construction permit to move the station's transmitter site to its new location. On October 12, 2012, Chicago Public Media applied with the FCC change the station's frequency to 90.7 MHz FM. On November 15, 2012 the FCC granted a construction permit for the move to 90.7 MHz. The effective radiated power decreased to 6 watts and the HAAT increased to 107.3 meters. On February 11, 2013 WRTE moved to 90.7 FM, and it began simulcasting WBEW's "Vocalo" programming.

In May 2016, an agreement was finalized for WRTE to simulcast Glen Ellyn jazz station WDCB, strengthening the western suburban station's coverage in the city of Chicago, and ending the Vocalo simulcast.

References

1. ^ History Cards for WRTE, fcc.gov. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
2. "Facility Technical Data for WRTE". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
3. "WRTE Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
4. "HD Radio station guide for Chicago, IL". Archived from the original on 2014-10-09. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
5. Public Notice Comment, fcc.gov. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
6. Public Notice Comment, fcc.gov. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
7. ^ "Hanging Out: Teens are making waves—radio waves—at WCYC in the heart of gang land", Chicago Tribune. May 18, 1988. Section 7, p. 4.
8. "Chicago Area Radio Stations", Chicago Tribune. March 24, 1989. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
9. "Entertainment", Chicago Tribune. September 24, 1988.
10. "'Lutheran Hour' Speaker Retiring This Year", Chicago Tribune. July 24, 1988. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
11. "Proposed Station Transfers", The M Street Journal. Vol. 13, No. 27. July 3, 1996. p. 5. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
12. Storch, Charles. "'National' status; Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum name change elevates it to a new league", Chicago Tribune. December 5, 2006. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
13. "Call Sign History", fcc.gov. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
14. Eng, Monica. "Radio WRTE Broadcasting a Positive Image to Young Latinos", Chicago Tribune. January 4, 1999.
15. Mitchell, Chip. "Museum to sell Radio Arte license, building", WBEZ. May 18, 2011. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
16. "Museum to Sell Radio Arte License, Building", Illinois Public Media. May 18, 2011. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
17. "Chicago Public Media Buys WRTE/Chicago", All Access Music Group. June 22, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
18. Marek, Lynee. "Chicago Public Media buys Latino radio station WRTE-FM", Crain's Chicago Business. June 22, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
19. Application Search Details: BALED-20120621ABV, fcc.gov. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
20. APPLICATION FOR CONSTRUCTION PERMIT FOR RESERVED CHANNEL NONCOMMERCIAL EDUCATIONAL BROADCAST STATION fcc.gov. July 31, 2012. Accessed September 26, 2012
21. Application Search Details fcc.gov. Accessed November 2, 2012
22. APPLICATION FOR CONSTRUCTION PERMIT FOR RESERVED CHANNEL NONCOMMERCIAL EDUCATIONAL BROADCAST STATION fcc.gov. Accessed November 2, 2012
23. Orozco, Gisela (February 14, 2013). "Vocalo 89.5 FM y 90.7 FM transmitirá en español". Hoy. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
24. Feder, Robert. "Public radio rivals team up to boost WDCB, Vocalo", Chicago Tribune. May 4, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
25. "WDCB Expands Frequency to Reach Greater Audience". Yahoo!. Market Wired. May 17, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2022.

External links

• Facility details for Facility ID 10794 (WRTE) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• WRTE in Nielsen Audio's FM station database

• HD Radio stations
• Jazz radio stations in the United States
• Radio stations established in 1970
• 1970 establishments in Illinois
• Radio stations in Chicago