 | |
| Broadcast area | Fox Valley |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1280kHz |
| Branding | AM 1280 WBIG |
| Programming | |
| Format | Talk/home shopping/sports |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WRMN | |
| History | |
First air date | December 13,1938 |
Former call signs |
|
Call sign meaning | "The Big One" |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 5217 |
| Class | B |
| Power |
|
Transmitter coordinates | 41°46′10.00″N88°14′44.00″W / 41.7694444°N 88.2455556°W /41.7694444; -88.2455556 (WBIG) |
| Translator | 105.5MHz W288EA (Aurora) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | www.1280wbig.com |
WBIG (1280kHz; "The Big One") is anAMradio station broadcasting a mixed-format oftalk,home shopping, andsports. Licensed toAurora, Illinois, it serves theFox Valley. The station is currently owned by Auril Broadcasting LLC.
The stationsigned on December 13, 1938,[2] as WMRO, a 250-wattdaytimer owned by Martin O'Brien and operating on 1250kHz; theNorth American Regional Broadcasting Agreement moved the station to 1280 in 1941. The station's programming was predominantly local, with afull service format being in place in the late 1940s. Among WMRO's on-air staff during this time was a youngJohn Drury.
Vincent Cofey and Benjamin Oswalt purchased the station in 1957; three years later, the station was granted night authorization and implemented its current power levels. A separately-programmedFM sister station at 107.9 (nowWLEY-FM) was added on September 1, 1964.[3] Cofey and Oswalt sold WMRO to Dale Stevens in June 1969 to fund television stationWLXT-TV (channel 60; now occupied byWXFT-DT), which had signed on May 18,[4] and to a lesser extent an upgrade to WMRO-FM, renamed WAUR. WLXT shut down July 17, 1970;[4] two years later, Stevens purchased WAUR from Cofey and Oswalt.
Beasley Broadcast Group bought WMRO and WAUR in 1986. Beasley placed its focus on WAUR, which would eventually be relaunched asadult contemporary station WYSY-FM, and showed little interest in WMRO; this culminated in 1989 with the dismissal of the station's entire on-air staff and acallsign change to WYSY, reflecting its conversion to a simulcast of the FM station. WYSY-FM subsequently moved its studios from Aurora toChicago; at that time, Beasley opted to completely shut down the Aurora facility, which also housed the AM station's transmitter, and with little fanfaresigned the station off. The callsign was changed to the current WBIG in 1991;[5] two years later, Big Broadcasting Company, Inc. purchased the license from Beasley, and brought WBIG back on the air in November 1993. An agreement was signed October 26, 2016, to sell WBIG, along with commonly-owned stationsKSHP andWRMN to Pollack Broadcasting for $2 million. The sale was consummated on January 31, 2017.
Much of WBIG's current daytime schedule is devoted toThe Big Radio Shopping Show, ahome shopping program that airs during much of the daytime hours. The station does air an interview program,The Big Wake Up Call hosted byRyan Gatenby.Fox Sports Radio programming is aired during most of the nighttime hours; weekend programming is also largely provided by Fox Sports Radio, except forAt Home with Gary Sullivan andThe Big Radio Shopping Show on Saturday mornings andreligious programming on Sunday mornings.
WBIG is theflagship station forKane County Cougars baseball. It also carriesChicago White Sox baseball,Chicago Bears football,Chicago Bulls basketball, and local sports.