# WDWS

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Radio station in Champaign, Illinois, United States

WDWS Champaign, Illinois United States Broadcast area Champaign–Urbana Frequency 1400 kHz Branding News Talk 1400 & 93.9 DWS Programming Format News-talk Network CBS News Radio Affiliations Bloomberg Radio Fox Sports Radio NBC News Radio Compass Media Networks Premiere Networks Westwood One Chicago White Sox Radio Network Illinois Fighting Illini Radio Network (flagship station) Ownership Owner Community Media Group, Inc. (Champaign Multimedia Group, LLC) Sister stations WDWS-FM WHMS-FM WKIO History First air date January 24, 1937 (1937-01-24) Call sign meaning David W. Stevick (publisher of News-Gazette) Technical information[1] Licensing authority FCC Facility ID 14961 Class C Power 1,000 watts unlimited Transmitter coordinates 40°5′4.1″N 88°14′53.2″W / 40.084472°N 88.248111°W / 40.084472; -88.248111 Translator 93.9 W230CW (Champaign) Links Public license information Public file LMS Webcast Listen live Website www.wdws.com

**WDWS** (1400 [AM](/source/AM_broadcasting)) is a [commercial radio](/source/Commercial_radio) station in [Champaign, Illinois](/source/Champaign%2C_Illinois), calling itself "Newstalk 1400 & 93.9FM DWS." It airs a [news/talk](/source/Talk_radio) [radio format](/source/Radio_format) and is owned by *[The News-Gazette](/source/The_News-Gazette_(Champaign-Urbana))*, the primary daily newspaper in the [Champaign-Urbana Metropolitan Area](/source/Champaign-Urbana_Metropolitan_Area). The radio studios and offices are at the newspaper's headquarters on Fox Drive in Champaign.

WDWS is powered at 1,000 watts around the clock using a [non-directional antenna](/source/Omnidirectional_antenna). The [transmitter](/source/Transmitter) is on South Neil Street ([U.S. Route 45](/source/U.S._Route_45_in_Illinois)) at West Windsor Road.[2] WDWS provides at least secondary coverage to much of east-central Illinois, as far west as [Decatur](/source/Decatur%2C_Illinois) and [Bloomington-Normal](/source/Bloomington-Normal), due to the area's excellent ground conductivity. Programming is also heard on 250-watt [FM translator](/source/FM_translator) **W230CW** at 93.9 [MHz](/source/Hertz).[3]

## Programming

WDWS airs a mix of local news, talk, agricultural reports and sports shows along with [nationally syndicated](/source/Radio_syndication) programs. A local weekday [drive time](/source/Drive_time) program, *The DWS Morning Show*, is hosted by Dave Gentry and C.W. Greer. In late mornings, Brian Barnhart hosts the long-running call-in show, *Penny for Your Thoughts*. In late afternoons, Scott Beatty hosts *Sports Talk*, with a focus on the [Illinois Fighting Illini](/source/Illinois_Fighting_Illini) teams. Weekday syndicated programs include *[The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show](/source/The_Clay_Travis_and_Buck_Sexton_Show); Markley, Van Camp and Robbins; [CBS Eye on The World with John Batchelor](/source/John_Batchelor); [Red Eye Radio](/source/Red_Eye_Radio)* and *[America in the Morning](/source/America_in_the_Morning)*.

On weekends, speciaty shows are heard on health, money, gardening, home repair, technology and sports. Syndicated programs include *[The Kim Komando Show](/source/The_Kim_Komando_Show), [The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show](/source/The_Money_Pit_Home_Improvement_Radio_Show), [The Ramsey Show](/source/The_Ramsey_Show) with [Dave Ramsey](/source/Dave_Ramsey), [Face The Nation](/source/Face_The_Nation), [Meet The Press](/source/Meet_The_Press)*, the *[CBS News Weekend Roundup](/source/CBS_News_Weekend_Roundup)* and [Fox Sports Radio](/source/Fox_Sports_Radio). Most hours begin with an update from [CBS News Radio](/source/CBS_News_Radio).

WDWS and [sister station](/source/Sister_station) [WHMS-FM](/source/WHMS-FM) are the [flagship stations](/source/Flagship_(broadcasting)) for [Illinois Fighting Illini](/source/Illinois_Fighting_Illini) football and basketball. [Chicago White Sox](/source/Chicago_White_Sox) baseball games also air on WDWS. In addition, the station carries Fox Sports Radio programs on weekends.

## History

### Early years

WDWS [signed on](/source/Sign-on) the air on January 24, 1937. It was the area's first commercial radio station; [WILL](/source/WILL_(AM)), the non-commercial radio station of the University of Illinois, dates its start to the 1920s.

David W. Stevick, publisher of *[The News-Gazette](/source/The_News-Gazette_(Champaign%E2%80%93Urbana))*, had applied for a license in 1935, and his wife Helen and daughter Marajen continued the project. They named the station WDWS in his honor. In 1937, WDWS [affiliated](/source/Network_affiliate) with the [CBS Radio Network](/source/CBS_Radio_Network); it carried CBS's line up of dramas, comedies, news, sports, soap operas, game shows and [big band](/source/Big_band) broadcasts during the "[Golden Age of Radio](/source/Golden_Age_of_Radio)".

In 1949, WDWS added an FM station at 97.5 MHz. For most of its early years, WDWS-FM [simulcast](/source/Simulcast) the programming of WDWS AM. In 1988 it switched its [call sign](/source/Call_sign) to [WHMS-FM](/source/WHMS-FM) to establish a separate identity.

### Fighting Illini

WDWS and WHMS-FM are the [flagship stations](/source/Flagship_(broadcasting)) for [Illinois Fighting Illini football](/source/Illinois_Fighting_Illini_football) and basketball games, a role that WDWS has held throughout its history. Longtime sports director Jim Turpin also doubled as the radio voice of the Illini from 1960 until 2002. WDWS also airs the Illini women's basketball, volleyball, and baseball games exclusively.

WDWS was the east central Illinois [network affiliate](/source/Network_affiliate) for the [St. Louis Cardinals](/source/St._Louis_Cardinals) baseball broadcasts from when it signed on until 2010. WDWS broadcast the [Chicago Cubs](/source/Chicago_Cubs) in 2011, however Cubs games moved to [WGKC](/source/WGKC) in 2012. WDWS later became an affiliate of the [Chicago White Sox Radio Network](/source/Chicago_White_Sox_Radio_Network).

### CBS Radio Network

WDWS has been a CBS Radio Network affiliate for its entire history, except for a period from 2001 to 2009 when it was affiliated with [ABC News Radio](/source/ABC_News_Radio). The station carried *[The Rush Limbaugh Show](/source/The_Rush_Limbaugh_Show)* from 1997 until his death in 2021. Limbaugh's replacement, *[The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show](/source/The_Clay_Travis_and_Buck_Sexton_Show)* is now heard in middays. *[The Sean Hannity Show](/source/The_Sean_Hannity_Show)* was added in 2009.

WDWS's morning program is called "Penny for Your Thoughts." The show, formerly hosted by Jim Turpin, and later by Brian Barnhart, is known for its unique open-line call-in format.

Logo before translator sign on

In October 2021, WDWS began [simulcasting](/source/Simulcast) on [FM translator](/source/FM_translator) W230CW at 93.9 MHz and rebranded itself as "Newstalk 1400 & 93.9FM DWS."

## Notable staff

- [Robert Goralski](/source/Robert_Goralski)

- Larry Stewart[4]

- Dave Gentry

- [Loren Tate](/source/Loren_Tate)

- Brian Barnhart

- Dave Loane

- Steve Kelly

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FCC-LMS-14961_1-0)** ["Facility Technical Data for WDWS"](https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/publicFacilityTechDetails.html?facilityId=14961). *Licensing and Management System*. [Federal Communications Commission](/source/Federal_Communications_Commission).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Radio-Locator.com/WDWS](https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?sr=Y&s=C&call=wDWS&nav=home)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [Radio-Locator.com/W230CW](https://radio-locator.com/info/W230CW-FX)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Larry Stewart"](http://www.news-gazette.com/opinion/editorials/2009-10-02/larry-stewart.html).

## External links

- [Facility details for Facility ID 14961 (WDWS)](https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/publicFacilityDetails.html?facilityId=14961) in the [FCC](/source/Federal_Communications_Commission) Licensing and Management System

- [WDWS](https://www1.arbitron.com/sip/displaySip.do?surveyID=SP26&band=am&callLetter=WDWS) in [Nielsen Audio](/source/Nielsen_Audio)'s AM station database

- [Facility details for Facility ID 201600 (W230CW)](https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/publicFacilityDetails.html?facilityId=201600) in the [FCC](/source/Federal_Communications_Commission) Licensing and Management System

- [W230CW](https://fccdata.org/?facid=&call=W230CW&ccode=1&city=&state=&country=US&zip=&arn=&party=&lmspf=&lmspl=&party_type=LICEN&latd=&lond=&lang=en) at FCCdata.org

v t e Radio stations in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area (Illinois) By AM frequency 580 1400 1460 1490 By FM frequency 88.7 89.3 90.1 90.9 91.7 92.5 93.5 94.5 95.3 96.1 97.5 98.3 99.1 100.3 102.1 102.5 103.1 104.9 105.5 105.9 107.1 107.9 LPFM 95.7 104.5 Translators 88.3 96.9 97.1 97.9 99.7 101.1 103.9 106.5 Digital radio by frequency & subchannel 90.9-1 90.9-2 90.9-3 94.5-1 94.5-2 100.3-1 100.3-2 100.3-3 By call sign W202CF W245DP W246BD W250BL W259BG W266AF W280DE W293AF WBGL WDAN WDNL WDWS WDWS-FM WEFT WGKC WGNJ WGNN WHMS-FM WILL WILL-FM HD2 HD3 WIXY HD2 HD3 WJEK WKIO WKJR WKZS WLHF-LP WLRW HD2 WPCD WPEO-FM WPGU WPXN WQQB WREE WRFU-LP WSJK WYXY Defunct WBCP (1580 AM) Nearby regions Bloomington Decatur Kankakee Lafayette Springfield Terre Haute See also List of radio stations in Illinois

v t e News/talk radio stations in the state of Illinois All-news WBBM – Chicago WCFS – Elmwood Park WMFN – Peotone News and talk WBGZ – Alton WBIG – Aurora WCIL – Carbondale WCGO – Evanston WCMY – Ottawa WCPT – Willow Springs WCRA – Effingham WDAN – Danville WDWS – Champaign WFIW – Fairfield WGEM – Quincy WGIL – Galesburg WGN – Chicago WHOW – Clinton WIBK – Watseka WIND – Chicago WJBC – Bloomington WJBM – Jerseyville WJIL – Jacksonville WJOL – Joliet WJPF – Herrin WKAN – Kankakee WKEI – Kewanee WKYX – Golconda WLBK – DeKalb WLMD – Bushnell WLS – Chicago WMAY – Springfield WMAY-FM – Taylorville WMIX – Mount Vernon WRMN – Elgin WROK – Rockford WRPW – Colfax WSDR – Sterling WSOY – Decatur WTAD – Quincy WTAX – Springfield WTAX-FM – Sherman WTAY – Robinson WTIM – Assumption WTRH – Ramsey WZOE – Princeton WZUS – Macon See also adult contemporary classic hits college country news/talk NPR oldies religious rock sports top 40 urban other radio stations in Illinois

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [WDWS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WDWS) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WDWS?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.