WKRS (1220AM) is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish-language sports format. Licensed toWaukegan, Illinois, United States, the station is owned byConnoisseur Media, through licensee Alpha Media Licensee LLC, and features programming fromTUDN Radio. Its transmitter is located in Waukegan, while its studios are based in the north end of theGurnee Mills mall inGurnee.
The station began broadcasting September 25, 1949.[1] It ran 1,000 watts duringdaytime hours only, and was owned byThe News-Sun Broadcasting Company.[5] In 1983, WKRS was sold to Roger E. Kaplan, owner of 102.3WXLC, for $650,000.[6] In 1987, the station was sold to H&D Radio Limited Partnership, along with WXLC, for $5.5 million.[7] In 1997, it was sold to Spring Broadcasting, and in 1999 it was sold to Belvidere Broadcasting, along with WXLC, for $4.3 million.[8][9] In 2000, the station was sold toNextMedia Group, along with WXLC, for $9.4 million.[10]
In January 2012, it was announced that the station would drop its longtime English-language talk format in favor of a Spanish-language sports format, with programming fromESPN Deportes Radio, effective February 1, 2012.[19][13]
In 2014, WKRS and NextMedia's 32 other radio stations were sold to Digity, LLC for $85 million.[20] In 2016, Digity, LLC was purchased byAlpha Media for $264 million.[21]
After ESPN Deportes Radio was discontinued on September 8, 2019, the station became an affiliate of TUDN Radio.[22][23]
