Its programming will include Springer on the Radio and The Al Franken Show from Air America Radio.
WCPT's signal is at 850 on the AM dial. Technically, the station is licensed to Crystal Hill and operates with 2500 watts during the daytime only.
Unfortunately, with Crystal Lake located about 50 miles to the northwest of Chicago, it doesn't allow for the strongest signal for fully reaching the Chicago metropolitan area due to its wattage and daytime limitations.
Actually, this is Air America Radio's second foray into the Chicago market. Last year on April 14, shortly after the network debuted, the owner of WNTD/Chicago cut the feed from Air America Radio because the new liberal network and WNTD ran into a financial disagreement after what the station owner said was a "bounced check".
A day later Air America Radio won a court decision when a New York State Supreme Court Judge issued a restraining order requiring the WNTD to put the network's programming back on-the-air.
A short time after that, Air America Radio disappeared from WNTD. Now it has resurfaced, at least for the time being, as part of WCPT-AM's counter-conservative point-of-view.
So, what do some others think?
According to one post at enjoyandexciting.blogspot.com, "This really seems like a disaster waiting to happen. Tucked away in the no-man's land of AM radio, how will it develop the listener base it needs to survive? I [think]something's better than nothing, but this really seems like a half-assed way to bring Air America back to Chicago."
Brad K. at radiofreechicago.blogspot.com recently wrote, "It's great that someone in the area added Air America to their line-up, but for anyone outside of the north burbs, it's really more like a tease."
It has not been an easy road for Air America Radio, and not just in Chicago. The Chicago Tribune recently reported, "Isolated ratings reports from around the country suggest Air America, which is on some 50 stations, most of them low-powered, is struggling."
