Media in Peoria, Illinois

This is a listing of the broadcasters and published media targeted at Peoria, Illinois. TV information includes cities where Peoria TV has been dominant, including Bloomington/Normal full-power TV, and LaSalle/Peru TV before cable TV.

Radio

Start dates are for the frequency/station license, not for callsign or programming that may have moved from license to license.

FM
FreqCallCityOwnerStartERP (W)NicknameFormatRDSHD
88.5WBNHPeoriaCentral Illinois Radio Fellowship198948,000WBNHChristianYesNo
89.9WCBUPeoriaBradley UniversityJanuary 1970[1]26,000Peoria Public RadioPublic/news/talkYes2
90.7WAZUPeoriaSirius SyncopeJune 201050090.7 WAZUHip HopYesNo
91.5WCICPekinNorthwestern Media[2]November 2, 1983[1]47,00091.5 WCICChristian ACYes[a&t]No
92.3WZPWPeoriaCumulus199219,000Z 92-3CHR/RhythmicYes[a&t]No
93.3WPBGPeoriaMidwest CommunicationsApril 1947[3][4]41,00093.3 The DriveClassic HitsYes[a&t]4
94.3WPMJChillicotheCovenant NetworkMay 16, 1977[1]6,00094.3 WPMJChristian talkNoNo
94.7W234AOEl PasoSpirit Education FoundationNovember 200625[t]88.1 WSOGChristian talkNoNo
94.9WAAGGalesburgJohn T. Pritchard (Galesburg Broadcasting)December 15, 1966[1]50,000FM 95CountryYes[a&t]No
95.5WGLOPekinCumulusNovember 18, 1971[1]7,00095-5 'GLOClassic rockYes[a&t]No
95.9W240DMPeoriaMidwest CommunicationsMay 15, 2017250[t]93.3 WPBG-HD3 (Freedom 95.9)Conservative TalkYesNo
96.5WHPIFarmingtonMike Rea (Advanced Media Partners)19974,00098-5 Kiss FMCHR/PopNoNo
97.3WFYRElmwoodCumulus199324,00097.3 River CountryCountryYes[a&t]No
97.7(Part 15)PeoriaBradley University??WRBU The EdgeCollege radioNoNo
97.7W249CZPeoriaWPEO(CP)250[t]1020 WPEO(CP)YesNo
98.5WPIAEurekaMike Rea (Advanced Media Partners)19896,00098-5 Kiss FMCHR/PopYesNo
99.1W256CHPekinSeventh-day Adventists (Illinois)(CP)19[t]103.3 WLSE(CP)NoNo
99.9WWCTBartonvilleMike Rea (Advanced Media Partners)19972,000Peoria's CT 99-9AAAYesNo
100.3W262BYPeoriaMidwest Communications2011140[t]93.3 WPBG-HD4 (1470 WMBD)News/TalkNoNo
100.5WRVY-FMHenryVirden Broadcasting CorporationJuly 19903,000100.5 WRVYCountryNoNo
100.7W264AZDahindaSeventh-day Adventists (Illinois)200738[t]102.9 WWKJ-LPChristianNoNo
101.1WZPNGlasfordMike Rea (Advanced Media Partners)19993,000101.1 ESPN PeoriaSportsNoNo
101.5WBNQBloomingtonCumulus--> style="background: #EEE; font-size: smaller; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="unknown table-unknown"|?50,000101-5 WBNQCHR/PopYes[a&t]No
102.3WKZFMortonMidwest CommunicationsNovember 28, 1976[1]4,000KZ 102.3Rhythmic Classic HitsYes[a&t]No
102.7W274BMPeoriaMidwest Communications201210[t]93.3 WPBG-HD2 (102.7 SuperHits)OldiesYes[a&t]No
102.9WWKJ-LPPeoriaSeventh-day Adventists (Peoria Christian Radio)2004100(off air)(off air)NoNo
103.3WLSECantonSeventh-day Adventists (Canton SDA Church)December 20, 2013[5]5,700?ChristianNoNo
103.5W278AEPeoriaBradley University199750[t]89.9 WCBU-HD2Classical MusicYesNo
103.9W280EJPekinWPEO(CP)10[t]1020 WPEOChristianYesNo
104.3W282AOCantonSeventh-day Adventists (Illinois)200738[t]95.7 WVCL-LPChristianNoNo
104.3W282BSDunlapSeventh-day Adventists (Illinois)201213[t]102.9 WWKJ-LPChristianNoNo
104.9WXCLPekinMidwest Communications1973[1]6,000104.9 The WolfCountryYes[a&t]No
105.7WIXOPeoriaCumulusMay 14, 1972[1]33,000105.7 The X RocksActive RockYes[a&t]No
106.3WPNV-LPPeoriaBlack Business Alliance (Peoria Chapter)December 1, 2014[6]40WPNVUrban ACNoNo
106.9WSWTPeoriaMidwest Communications1964[1]50,000Mix 106.9Adult ContemporaryYes[a&t]No
107.5W298BHPeoriaLarry Nelson (American Education Foundation)(CP)225[t]1350 WOAM(CP)YesNo
107.9WPZACantonWayne W. Whalen (WPW)October 7, 1968[1]25,000107.9Christian[7]YesNo
  • ^[a&t] displays artist and title on Radio Data System
  • ^[t] FM translator: repeats another station's program

AM
FreqCallCityOwnerStartDay Power
(W)		Night
Power		NicknameFormatStereoHD
1020WPEOPeoriaWPEO1946[3][8]1,0000WPEOChristian talkNoNo
1140WVELPekinCumulusApril 21, 1946[1][8]5,0000WVELChristianNoNo
1290WIRLPeoriaMidwest Communications1947[3]5,0005,000Freedom 95.9Conservative TalkNoNo
1350WOAMPeoriaLarry Nelson (American Education Foundation)February 8, 1960[1][9]1,0001,000?Adult standards[7]NoNo
1470WMBD (AM)PeoriaMidwest CommunicationsFebruary 14, 1927[8]5,0005,0001470 WMBDNews/TalkNoNo
1560WBYSCantonWayne W. Whalen (WPW)October 5, 1947[1]25018WBYSNews/TalkNoNo

Television
Virt.
Ch.		CallCityOwnerOperatorStartDigital
Ch.		DTVNicknameProgramming
19.1WHOIPeoriaSinclairSinclairOctober 1953[10]24720pTBD PeoriaTBD
19.2?720pComet TVComet
19.3?480iCharge 19.3Charge Network
25.1WEEK-TVPeoriaGrayGrayFebruary 1, 1953[8]251080iWEEK 25NBC
25.2August 1, 2016720pHeart Of Illinois ABCABC
25.3August 1, 2016720pPeoria-Bloomington CWCW+
25.4?480iIon 25.4Ion Television
31.1WMBD-TVPeoriaNexstarNexstarJanuary 1, 1958[8]261080iCBS
31.2September 26, 2011480iBounce 31.2Bounce TV
31.3?480iLaff 31.3Laff
31.4?480iEscape 31.4Court TV Mystery
43.1WYZZ-TVBloomingtonCunninghamNexstarOctober 18, 1982[1]28720pFox
43.2?480iThis TV
43.3?480igetTV 43getTV
47.1WTVPPeoriaIVPTCIVPTCJune 23, 1971[1]351080iPBS
47.2?1080iKidsPBS Kids
47.3?480iWorld Channel 47PBS World
47.4?480iCreate TVCreate
47.5?480iWTVP RemoteWTVP Remote
59.1WTVKPekinFour SeasonsFour Seasons?[tvt]18720pinfomercialsInfomercials
59.2?480iGrio 59.2Grio

Defunct

Radio
  • 1580 WWXL (AM) Peoria (1947–?) — sister to 94.1 WWXL-FM; in 1948, was on the air on 1580, with a construction permit for 1590;[3] gone by 1959[8]
  • 88.5 WECU Peoria (1990s) — on air around 1989;[1] time-shared frequency with WBNH Pekin; eventually went off air, allowing WBNH to go full-time
  • 93.3 WEEK-FM Peoria (c. 1948) — sister to 1350 WEEK (AM); not yet on air at start of 1948;[3] already gone by 1959;[8] frequency later used by WMBD-FM (93.3 WPBG); callsign later used by 98.5 Eureka
  • 94.1 WWXL-FM Peoria (c. 1948) — sister to 1580 WWXL (AM); not yet on air at start of 1948;[3] already gone by 1959;[8] now unusable: adjacent 94.3 later allocated to Chillicothe (now WPMJ)
  • 95.7 WIRL-FM Peoria (c. 1948) — not yet on air at start of 1948;[3] already gone by 1959;[8] now unusable: 95.3 Pekin allocation moved to adjacent 95.5 in 1980s with WGLO
  • 96.5 WMMJ-FM Peoria (c. 1948) — construction permit as of 1948;[3] already gone by 1959;[8] 96.5 allocated to nearby Farmington in 1990s (now WHPI)
  • 100.9 WBOD Canton (c. 1989) — not yet on air in 1989;[1] likely never launched: adjacent 101.1 allocated to nearby Glasford in 1990s (now WZPN)

Low-power FM
  • 103.1 WEUR-LP Eureka (c. 2001) — Likely never on air: Construction permit requested in August 2000 and issued 2001-06-27 to Eureka College; permit expired 2002-12-27 without license.[11]
  • 106.3 Eureka (c. 2014) — Likely never on air: Construction permit requested in November 2013 and issued in January 2014 to Faith Baptist Temple in Eureka;[12] permit cancelled July 27, 2015 without license or callsign.[12][13]

Peoria area low-power TV
  • 16 W16AZ Lacon (c. 1994) — construction permit for Kelly Communications; expired in 1996 without being licensed[14]
  • 67 W67CW Peoria (1995–2005?) — M.C. Productions, 1101 S. "Mathew" St. and 1923 W. Lincoln Ave.,[15] 61605. Construction permit granted 1993-09-28; licensed 1995-06-29; application to move to channel 65 dismissed 1997-10-09; renewal on channel 67 on 1997-12-01; license expired 2005-12-01; deleted 2007-10-15.[16]

Bloomington TV
  • 15 WBLN Bloomington (1955?–1959?) — sold by Cecil W. Roberts to Worth S. Rough's WBLN TV Inc. on 13 July 1955;[1] off the air but still holding permit in 1959;[8] empty channel allocation moved to Champaign in 1967 for WICD; callsign reused by channel 43 from 1982 start until it became WYZZ-TV

Peoria TV in LaSalle-Peru

Until cable TV was common in the late 1970s, LaSalle/Peru received primarily Peoria television using television translators.

By March 1965, LaSalle, Spring Valley, and Peru already had CATV systems owned by The Television Transmission Company.[17]

  • 35 WEEQ LaSalle (1957–1970s?) — LaSalle's only full-power allocation, channel 35, started as WEEQ, a co-owned satellite of WEEK-TV Peoria (which was on 43 Peoria then on 25 Peoria);[8][18] it was on the air as early as November 1957.[18] Channel allocation used by WWTO since 1 December 1986.[1]
  • 71 W71AE (1964–1979?) — This carried co-owned 31 WMBD-TV Peoria. License granted 15 November 1962;[19] A picture of the 485-foot (148 m) Rohn tower and its 16-bay antenna is shown in a Rohn advertisement in the 1 July 1963 issue of Broadcasting.[20] Started around 1964.[18] Renewed November 1971.[21] WMBD-TV still shown as having "1 trans." in 1975 Yearbook. Guessed as deleted in 1979 in W9WI translator listing.[22]
  • 78 W78AC (1963–1964?) — This carried 19 WTVH Peoria (now WHOI) in the early 1960s. Listed in September 1962 TV Guide.[18] License granted 18 February 1963.[23] It was no longer in TV Guide by the end of 1964.[18]

Print
  • The Community Word — monthly community newspaper that covers neighborhoods and local politics[24]
  • Numero — monthly entertainment guide
  • Peoria Journal Star — daily newspaper
  • Peoria Magazines group — includes Peoria Progress Plays, Art & Society, InterBusiness Issues, and the Peoria Woman

Notes
  1. Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook. Washington, D.C.: Broadcasting Publications. 1989. Archived from the original on 2010-09-27. Retrieved 2010-08-31. Illinois radio on pages B-87–B-99: B-88 Bloomington & Canton; B-90 Chillicothe; B-92 Galesburg; B-95 Morton & Normal; B-96 Pekin & Peoria. Illinois TV on pages C-21–C-23.
  2. "Form 314 Application for Consent to Assignment of Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License (File No. BALED-20190805AAT)". Public Inspection Files. Washington, D.C.: Federal Communications Commission. 2019-08-23. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  3. Broadcasting Yearbook Number. Washington, D.C.: Broadcasting Publications. 1948. Archived from the original on 2010-09-27. Retrieved 2010-08-30. Illinois AM on pages 94 & 98; Illinois FM on page 294. Page 326 shows 4 additional FM construction permits already in progress for Peoria.
  4. What is now 93.3 was on 92.5 until the 1960s.
  5. "Application Search Details File Number: BLED-20131107ABL". Washington, D.C.: Federal Communications Commission. 2013-12-20. Retrieved 2015-02-07.
  6. "Application Search Details File Number: BLL-20141124ASV". Washington, D.C.: Federal Communications Commission. 2014-12-04. Retrieved 2015-02-07.
  7. Tarter, Steve (2011-01-02). "On the Air: Roaming along with WOAM once again". Peoria Journal Star. Peoria, Illinois. Retrieved 2011-01-10.
  8. Broadcasting Yearbook Number. Washington, D.C.: Broadcasting Publications. 1959. Archived from the original on 2009-11-27. Retrieved 2010-08-30. Illinois radio on pages B-142–B-146. Page B-23 shows Bloomington TV; page B-25 shows LaSalle and Peoria TV as well as unused Galesburg and Pekin allotments.
  9. On 1350 kHz, 1948 Broadcasting Yearbook shows year 1947 for WEEK (AM); but 1989 Yearbook shows year 1960 for WXCL (AM). Reference does not mention whether 1947 station was deleted and replaced rather than transferred.
  10. Channel 19 signed on in October 1953: 1959 Yearbook gives October 12. 1989 Yearbook gives October 20.
  11. "Application Search Details; File Number: BNPL-20000831ADZ". CDBS Public Access. Washington, D.C.: Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  12. "Application Search Details; File Number: BNPL-20131114BIQ". CDBS Public Access. Washington, D.C.: Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  13. "Station Search Details (Facility Id 196478)". CDBS Public Access. Washington, D.C.: Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  14. FCC Application Search Results for facility ID 52283. Retrieved 2011-01-10.
  15. "DW67CW TV - Channel 67, Peoria, IL". Webotics. Retrieved 2011-01-10.
  16. FCC Application Search Results for facility ID 39510. Retrieved 2011-01-10.
  17. "Community Antenna Franchise Activities" (PDF). Broadcasting. 1965-03-01. p. 97. Retrieved 2020-01-04.
  18. Quick, Doug (2010-09-18). "Other Television History". Archived from the original on 2010-12-16. Retrieved 2011-01-10.
  19. "For the Record, Actions of Nov. 15" (PDF). Broadcasting. 1962-11-26. pp. 88–89. Retrieved 2020-01-04.
  20. "For towers of all kinds call ROHN" (PDF), Broadcasting, p. 65, 1963-07-01, retrieved 2020-01-04
  21. "For the Record, Renewal of licenses, all stations" (PDF). Broadcasting. 1971-08-16. pp. 40–42. Retrieved 2020-01-04. Broadcast Bureau granted renewal of licenses for the following UHF sand VHF translators ... W49AA Springfield and W71AE LaSalle, both Illinois
  22. Smith, D. "Defunct translators above channel 69". Retrieved 2011-01-10. "Now" is my best guess as to what happened to the translator in question. Many of these are probably wrong. W71AE ... Del 1979
  23. "For the Record, Actions of Feb. 18" (PDF). Broadcasting. 1963-02-25. Retrieved 2020-01-04. W78AC, Metromedia Inc., Peru, LaSalle, Ottawa, and Streater [sic], all Illinois, and change type trans.
  24. The Community Word
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