WGN (AM)

WGN (720 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in Chicago, Illinois, featuring a talk radio format. WGN's studios are in the Chicago Loop, while its transmitter is in Elk Grove Village. WGN also features broadcasts of Chicago Blackhawks hockey, and Northwestern University college football and basketball. From the station's original owner Tribune Broadcasting's closure in 2019 until 2026, WGN served as the sole radio station property of Nexstar Media Group, a company that primarily owns television stations (and is the largest owner of television stations in the U.S.); it now shares common ownership with Columbus, Ohio-licensed radio stations WBNS-AM and WBNS-FM via Nexstar's Tegna Inc. subsidiary. WGN was founded in 1922 as WDAP. In 1924 it was acquired by the Chicago Tribune, whose "World's Greatest Newspaper" slogan served as the basis for the WGN call sign, and later the call sign of a television superstation. WGN is a clear channel, Class A station, broadcasting with the maximum power of 50,000 watts, and using a non-directional antenna. During daytime, near-perfect ground conductivity gives WGN at least secondary coverage to almost two-thirds of Illinois (as far south as Springfield) as well as large slices of Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and Iowa. During nighttime skywave, with a good radio, it is audible over most of the Eastern and Central United States and Central Canada. The station also streams its programming on its website and supplies podcasts as well. WGN was previously responsible for the activation of the Chicago metropolitan area Emergency Alert System when hazardous weather alerts, disaster area declarations, and child abductions are issued; this is currently handled by WLS.