WCPT-FM
| City | DeKalb, Illinois |
|---|---|
| Branding | Daytime: Chicago's Progressive Talk Nighttime: Dance Factory FM |
| Frequency | 92.5 MHz |
| First air date | 1961 |
| Format | Daytime: Progressive Talk Nighttime: Dance hits |
| ERP | 20,000 watts |
| HAAT | 149 meters |
| Class | B |
| Facility ID | 15974 |
| Callsign meaning | W Chicago's Progressive Talk |
| Former callsigns | WLBK-FM (1961-1977) WDEK (1977-2008) WCPY (2008-2014) |
| Owner | Newsweb Corporation |
| Website |
Chicago's Progressive Talk website Dance Factory FM's website |
WCPT-FM (92.5 FM) is a radio station located in DeKalb, Illinois, west of Chicago. WCPT-FM is a complete simulcast with AM 820 WCPT. WCPT-FM is owned by Newsweb Corporation. Studios are located in Chicago's Northwest Side.
The station's signal can be heard from Rockford, Illinois to Joliet, Illinois and includes some of the western suburbs of Chicago.
The station was originally WLBK-FM and broadcast beautiful/easy listening music. The station was locally owned and operated in DeKalb with AM station WLBK (1360 AM) since its inception in the 1960s. Gradually in the 1970s, the station added a progressive program known as "Headquarters" at night beginning at 7:00 p.m.
In January 1977, WLBK-FM became WDEK-FM. The station dropped its beautiful music format for an automated Top 40 format until 7:00 p.m. while continuing its "Headquarters" progressive rock format in the evenings, similar to Chicago's WXRT. In 1979, the station attracted John "Illinois' Bell from 'XRT to join as PD and morning host. Several jocks later migrated east to WXRT: Ed Knych, Richard Milne and Patty Martin, who was WXRT's Music Director. She then moved to WDRV, "The Drive", where she was Program Director. Other notable on-air personalities during this time - 1979-1984 - included Brian Leonard and Greg Easterling.
In the fall of 1984, WDEK flipped to Top 40 full-time ("All Hit WDEK"), competing with Rockford's WZOK.
In 1999, the station's local owners sold WDEK to Big City Radio, which turned the station into part of a trimulcast known as "92.7 Kiss FM", along with 92.7 WKIE in Arlington Heights and 92.7 WKIF in Kankakee. Original plans called for this 20,000 watt station to decrease in power and change frequency to 92.7 to match the other two. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) denied this request and the moniker was adjusted to "92 Kiss FM".
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