Posted by detectivetom on January 31, 2026, 9:00 pm
The launch of the Score to FM radio made me think of the failed “One on One” sports network on the then WIDB (950AM). The station was purchased for $10 million dollars in 1997 or so from the then WJPC. It never took off and was sold 15 months later for almost $17 million. Nice profit for a short time.
I looked it up. That would be from $20 million to $33 million in today’s dollars.
Re: Sports Radio in Chicago
Posted by Jeremy Andrews on February 1, 2026, 8:26 am, in reply to "Sports Radio in Chicago"
Went on much longer.
After 950, From 1999 until 2001 they leased 6AM-6PM and 7PM-10PM on 94.3 WJKL in Elgin. That was actually Chicago's first FM Sports signal, but it was not full time.
They were annoyed with being pre empted by some of the other brokered programming on the station. Before One On One, WJKL was running ABC Starstation (Adult Contemporary) but started going toward brokered programming after WCBR went to Big City Radio. One On One leased out most of their schedule and it was good money for the station.
One On One partnered with Sporting News and rebranded to Sporting News Radio in the spring of 2001. As a result, they left WJKL for 820 WYPA (Which was recently bought by Newsweb) Began March 1st, 2001.
Also on March 1st, 2001 a small Christian radio network in California, K-LOVE leased WJKL's entire schedule. It was an 8 year lease, they bought it in 2007. This ended up being K-LOVE's first major market outside of California aside from Denver.
One On One rebranded numerous times. One On One Sports, Sporting News Radio, Yahoo Sports Radio, SB Nation Radio, etc. I think WSCR carried some of their programming over the years during off hours.
If we want to go way, way, way, way back in the day, late 60s, there was a nightly sports call in show on WIND (560AM) hosted by Bill Berg. He may have been one of the first play by play announcers for the Chicago Bulls. He was a local guy, Oak Park, and attended Fenwick.
on January 31, 2026, 9:00 pm