Two legacy Chicago AM signals are now transmitting together from a new home in Des Plaines, Ill.
Audacy’s 670 WSCR(AM) and 780 WBBM(AM) are diplexing from the daytime site for Salem Media’s WYLL(AM).
The FCC granted licenses for both stations on Tuesday. Several listener reports indicated that the duo began transmitting from the Des Plaines property earlier this summer.
WYLL operates its daytime 1160 AM signal off two towers from a four-tower array. It moves to a separate site at night. WBBM and WSCR now use tower four at the property.
According to engineering exhibits filed by Audacy and prepared by Phasetek, technical modifications included installing a transmitter along with new matching and filtering equipment.
Detuning and filtering equipment were also added to all towers for WSCR and WBBM, while towers three and four were detuned for 1160 AM, the exhibit said.
WSCR runs 50 kW unlimited, while WBBM runs 45 kW daytime and 43 kW nighttime.
Audacy filed applications to move WSCR and WBBM to Des Plaines in 2024, aligning with its plans to sell its 25.75-acre transmitter property on Army Trail Road in Bloomingdale, Ill.
According to RadioInsight, Real estate investment trust Prologis acquired the Bloomingdale parcel from Audacy’s divestiture group for approximately $29.3 million.
WBBM began diplexing with WSCR in 2019, after moving from its longtime Itsaca, Ill., transmitting site, after that site, too, was sold.
Spanish Broadcasting System’s 107.9 WLEY(FM) also shares the Bloomingdale tower and appears to still broadcast from that location.
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