City | Crete, Illinois |
---|---|
Broadcast area |
South Suburban Chicago Kankakee, Illinois |
Branding | "Rejoice 102.3" |
Slogan | "Chicagoland's FM Gospel Choice" |
Frequency | 102.3 FM(MHz) (also on HD Radio) |
First air date | October 1, 1964 |
Format | Black Gospel |
ERP | 1,050 watts |
HAAT | 152 meters (499 ft) |
Class | A |
Facility ID | 73700 |
Callsign meaning | W "Y"oung people's "C"hurch of the "A"ir |
Former callsigns | WTAS (1965-1993) WEMG (1993-1997) WYAA (1997-2000) WVJM (2000-2001) WYCA (2001) WYBA (2001-2003) |
Affiliations | none |
Owner | Crawford Broadcasting Co. (Dontron, Inc.) |
Webcast | Listen Live |
Website | http://www.rejoice102.com |
WYCA (102.3 FM) is licensed to Crete, Illinois, south of Chicago, with studios in Hammond, Indiana, and transmitter in Beecher, Illinois, south of Crete. The station is owned by Dontron, Inc., a subsidiary of Crawford Broadcasting Co.
WYCA is formatted as a religious station, primarily Black Gospel. It is the only Black Gospel FM station in the Chicago market. The most popular program of the broadcast day is the "King's Highway" morning show, featuring Gospel Announcer Darryll King. Ms. King has won numerous awards for her work in Black Gospel Radio. The remaining broadcast day is divided between Black Gospel music and various recorded and live broadcasts by local and national gospel ministers. Some program length commercial broadcasts are also aired.
WYCA broadcasts one channel in the HD Radio format.
The station began broadcasting on October 1, 1964, as WTAS, and was originally owned by Anthony Santuccis's South Cook Broadcasting Inc. WTAS initially aired a MOR-Pop Standards format. The station simulcast much of the local news, talk and community programming of its sister station 1600 WCGO in Chicago Heights, Illinois, until 1992. In 1985, the station began airing the Warren Freiberg - Libby Collins Show, which had been heard on 106.3 WLNR in Lansing, Illinois since 1973. In the late 1980s and early '90s the station aired a full service format, airing easy listening and soft rock music, as well as talk programming simulcast with 1600 WCGO.
In May 1992, WTAS began airing a Gospel music format, simulcasting the programming of 1510 WWHN in Joliet, Illinois. In 1993, the station was purchased by Word of Faith Fellowship, Inc., and on October 22, 1993, its callsign was changed to WEMG-FM, with the station continuing to air a Gospel format. In 1997, the station was sold to Dontron, Inc., and on October 31, 1997, the station's callsign was changed to WYAA. As WYAA, the station played Gospel Oldies and Christian Jazz, along with brokered religious programming.