City Evanston, Illinois Frequency 1330 kHz AM | Branding New Life Russian Radio Class D | |
Format Multicultural Ethnic, News Talk Power 5,000 watts day
110 watts night | ||
WKTA (1330 AM) is a radio station broadcasting Multicultural ethnic and News Talk formats. Licensed to Evanston, Illinois, United States, the station serves the Chicago area. The station is currently owned by Polnet Communications, Ltd. The transmitter's power is 5,000 watts, and the station covers the city of Chicago and the Northern suburbs.
Contents
History
The station began to operate in the 1950s as WEAW, a daytime-only adjunct to WEAW-FM. WEAW initially broadcast general popular music, local talk shows. By the early 1970s the station primarily aired brokered ethnic and religious programs. In the mid to late 70s WEAW aired an Adult contemporary format, before again airing brokered programming. By early 1979 the station had begun airing a Christian contemporary format as "Praise 1330". The station's call sign was later changed to WPRZ. On July 14, 1979, WPRZ presented the Christian contemporary festival "Alleluia", which featured Chuck Girard. WPRZ broadcast a Christian contemporary format as for about one more year, until the station was taken off the air in September 1980, when the owners of the station sold its transmitter site for development.
In late 1981, a new owner found a replacement site and brought the station back to the air, reviving the WEAW callsign and airing brokered religious programming and uptempo Christian contemporary music. The station's callsign was changed to WSSY in October 1987 and the station aired an adult contemporary format as "Sunny 1330".
In 1989, WSSY began to program a hard rock and heavy metal format as "G-Force 1330", though brokered ethnic and religious programming continued to occupy much of the station's schedule. In 1990 the station's call letters were changed to WKTA. By January 1991, G-Force 1330 had ended, and the station again aired brokered ethnic and religious programming. The hard rock and heavy metal format would again appear on WKTA as "Rebel Radio", a brokered format launched by G-Force alumni Scott Davidson. WKTA would become a flagship station for the hard rock network, which was syndicated to other stations in the midwest. On February 15, 2011 Spanish Program LaCampeona began airing on WKTA AM. LaCampeona Musica Latina airs on WKTA Sundays 4pm to 8pm.
New Life Russian Radio at WKTA
New Life Russian radio, which debuted in Chicago in 1979, is the largest and longest running Russian language broadcasting company in North America. They broadcast from Northbrook, Illinois on 1330 AM (WKTA) leasing time from Polnet Communications, Ltd. New Life Russian Radio serves the fastest growing market in the US – Russian speaking.
German Radio at WKTA
The Voice of the Homeland with Alfred Rictor 10am to 12N on Saturdays and German Pop w Monford at WKTA from Chicago that talks in German language about everything, with a twist. Broadcast hours on Sundays: 10 am - 2 pm (Central Standard Time, CST).