WUSN

Infobox Radio Station
name = WUSN


city = Chicago, Illinois
area = Chicago Metropolitan Area
branding = "US*99.5"
slogan = "America's Country Station"
"Playing Everything Country"
airdate = 1982
frequency = 99.5 MHz HD Radio
99.5 HD-2 for Future Country|
format = Country
power = 5700 Watts
erp =
class = B
callsign_meaning = "US99"
former callsign =
owner = CBS Radio
sister_stations = WBBM-AM, WBBM-FM, WCFS, WJMK, WSCR, WXRT
"part of CBS Corp. cluster with TV station WBBM-TV"
webcast = [http://tuner1.dc1.sonixstream.com/solon/media/tuner/Tuner?aff=us99&UseSame=true&type=IE Listen Live]
website = [http://www.us99.com/ www.us99.com/]
affiliations =

WUSN is an FM radio station in Chicago, Illinois, The station broadcasts on 99.5 MHz and is a country radio station owned by CBS Radio. The station focuses on country music from the '90s, along with current product and some classic country from the '70s and '80s.

History

99.5 WEFM/99-"We" FM

Until 1978, 99.5 was classical WEFM. In May 1978, WEFM (after many years of litigation) was flipped to General Cinema Corporation from classical to top 40. In the mid to late 1970s, the station was essentially a top 40 station with the moniker 99-"We"-FM (WEFM). Morning shows were hosted by Dan Walker, the (Illinois) governor of Rock and Roll (formerly of WDHF/WMET 95 1/2) and joined by Willak. Afternoons featured "Cox on the Radio". Other disk jockeys during the top 40 era included John Calhoun and Ken Cocker.

The WEFM call sign is now used on 95.9 FM in nearby Michigan City, Indiana, which also is imaged as "We-FM."

US*99

In the early 1981, WEFM briefly flipped to a Soft Vocals format. In 1982, WEFM flipped to WUSN ("US*99") and took on (and outlasted) three country music competitors in Chicago: 670 WMAQ, 1160 WJJD (flipped to Music of Your Life in 1982), and WJEZ 104.3 (formerly WJJD-FM) which flipped to oldies as WJMK "Magic" 104 in 1984.

WUSN was owned for years by First Media after it first debuted in 1982. In 1992, Infinity Broadcasting bought WUSN. CBS bought Infinity in 1997, making WUSN a CBS owned station. WUSN dominates as a country station and is one of the top ranked country stations anywhere.

WUSN may be considered the largest country radio station in the United States (based on listener cume), although recently this has been in dispute. Since the advent of the Portable People Meter, WXTU in Philadelphia (owned by Beasley Broadcast Group) has eclipsed WUSN in cume to become the most listened to country station in the United States. Which station actually has a larger listening audience likely will not be settled until Arbitron launches PPM service in Chicago.

Awards

In 2007, the station was nominated for the top 25 markets country music Radio & Records magazine station of the year award . Other nominees included KYGO-FM Denver, WYCD Detroit, KEEY-FM Minneapolis, WXTU Philadelphia, and KSON-FM San Diego.cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=2007 Industry Achievement Awards | date=Sept 28, 2008 | publisher= | url =http://www.radioandrecords.com/Conventions/con2007/awards/indexFinal.asp | work =Radio and Records]

Airstaff

The current lineup is as follows

* Morning Show: The Lisa Dent & Ramblin' Ray Morning Show - Lisa Dent, Ramblin' Ray Stevens, Lisa Kosty
& Bonnie Greene (News)
* Mid-Days: Trish Biondo
* Afternoon Drive: Drew Walker w/ Marti Jones (Traffic)
* Nighttime: Bill Garcia
* Weekend's/Fill-ins: Craig Asbach, Mark D. & Mo

References

External links

* [http://www.us99country.com/ Official Website]
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