By day, WKTA is powered at 5,000 watts. But to protect other stations on 1330 AM from interference, it drops its power to 110 watts at night. It uses a directional antenna with a six-tower array.[6] Programming is also heard on 80-watt FM translatorW240DE at 95.9 MHz.[7]
History
The station signed on the air in 1953; 71 years ago (1953). The original call sign was WEAW.[1][2] The station was owned by North Shore Broadcasting, and the station's call letters stood for the name of its president, Edward A. Wheeler.[8][9] The station's transmitter was located in Evanston and it ran 500 watts during daytime hours only.[2] In 1956, the station's power was increased to 1,000 watts.[2] By 1959, the station had begun airing brokered ethnic programming.[8] In 1962, the station's transmitter was moved to an unincorporated area between Northbrook and Wheeling, and its power was increased to 5,000 watts.[2] By the early 1970s the station primarily aired brokered ethnic and religious programs.[8]
By early 1979, the station had begun airing a Christian radio format.[10] On June 1, 1979, the station's call sign was later changed to WPRZ, which stood for the word "Praise."[2] On July 14, 1979, WPRZ presented the Christian contemporary festival "Alleluia", which featured Chuck Girard.[11] The station was taken off the air in autumn of 1980.[2][12]
In 1986, the station was sold to Polnet Communications for $1.2 million.[19] The station would air adult contemporary music, along with a large amount of ethnic programming.[20] In October 1987, the station's callsign was changed to WSSY.[3] The station was branded "Sunny 1330".[21][8]
In 1989, WSSY began to air a hard rock and heavy metal format branded "G-Force", though brokered ethnic and religious programming continued to air mornings and early afternoons.[22][23] In 1990 the station's call letters were changed to WKTA.[3] By early 1991, "G-Force" had ended, and the station aired brokered ethnic and religious programming.[24] The hard rock and heavy metal format would again appear on WKTA as "Rebel Radio", a brokered format launched by G-Force alumni Scott Davidson.[25] WKTA would become a flagship station for the hard rock network, which was syndicated to other stations in the midwest.
In 2003, New Life Russian Radio began broadcasting from Northbrook, Illinois, on 1330 AM WKTA. "New Life" was replaced by "United 4 Good", which was replaced by "Resonance Radio" featuring call-in shows, international news, and Russian popular music.[26] "Resonance Radio" aired some English language Sports Talk (locally produced during morning drive, and syndicated 'SB Nation Radio' during overnights).