WLEY-FM

The station was first licensed in 1965, and held the call sign WMRO-FM. It was the FM sister station to AM 1280 WMRO. Its transmitter was located atop Aurora's Leland Tower, and it had an ERP of 3,600 watts. The station broadcast a beautiful music format.Ghrist, John R. (1996). Valley Voices: A Radio History. Crossroads Communications. p. 77-80. WMRO-FM was owned by Vincent Cofey and Benjamin Oswalt."[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1967/1967-10-09-BC.pdf Ownership changes]", Broadcasting. October 9, 1967. p. 90. Retrieved March 3, 2019. In 1967, Vincent Cofey purchased controlling interest in the station for $35,000.

In 1969, the station's call sign was changed to WAUR and its ERP was increased to 31,200 watts. In 1973, it was sold to Stevens Communications for $343,000."[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1973/1973-01-08-BC.pdf Ownership changes]", Broadcasting. January 8, 1973. p. 50. Retrieved March 3, 2019. In 1975, WAUR's transmitter was moved to the eastern fringes of Aurora, and its ERP was increased to 50,000 watts at a HAAT of 488 feet. In the late 1970s, the station aired an adult contemporary format, playing music from the 1960s and 1970s."[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Station-Albums/Chicago-Trib-1979-Mar-About-Chi-Radio.pdf Stations, everywhere: a listeners' guide to the AM and FM bands]", Chicago Tribune Magazine. March 4, 1979. p. 37. Retrieved March 3, 2019. In the 1980s, WAUR was branded "Gold Rock", playing oldies of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, along with some currents.[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Other-Documments/Chicago_Magazine/Chicago-Radio-Guide-May-1985.pdf Chicago Radio Guide]. Vol. 1, No. 1. May 1985. Retrieved March 3, 2019.Bornstein, Rollye. "[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/80s/1984/BB-1984-03-10.pdf Vox Jox]", Billboard. March 10, 1984. p. 17. Retrieved March 3, 2019.[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1983/B-Radio-Ala-Mt-1983-YB.pdf Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1983], Broadcasting/Cablecasting, 1983. p. B-69. Retrieved March 3, 2019.Ross, Sean. "[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1980s/1986/RR-1986-11-21.pdf After The Summer Of Gold]", Radio & Records. November 21, 1986. p. 36. Retrieved March 3, 2019. In 1986, the station was sold to Midwest Broadcasting for $4 million.Unger, Rudolph. "[https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1986-12-30-8604070342-story.html Aurora FM Outlet to Widen Coverage to Chicago]", Chicago Tribune. December 30, 1986. Retrieved March 3, 2019."[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1986/BC-1986-06-09.pdf Changing Hands]", Broadcasting. June 9, 1986. p. 132. Retrieved March 3, 2019. The following year, WAUR and WMRO were sold to Beasley Broadcast Group for $8.7 million."[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1980s/1987/RR-1987-03-13.pdf Beasley Buys WMRO & WAUR For $ 8.7 Million In Chicago Move]", Radio & Records. March 13, 1987. p. 12. Retrieved March 3, 2019. Beasley Broadcast Group had been a minority owner of Midwest Broadcasting.

In March 1988, the station's call letters were changed to WYSY-FM. WYSY-FM aired an adult contemporary format and was branded "Y-108" with the slogan "Doin' It In The 'Burbs!".[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Other-Documments/City-Magazines-Misc/Chicagoland-Radio-Waves-Two-Issues.pdf Chicagoland Radio Waves], MediaTies. Summer 1988/Spring-Summer 1989. Retrieved March 3, 2019. In December 1989, its AM sister station WMRO became WYSY, simulcasting Y-108.Young, Linda. "[https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1989-12-24-8903210205-story.html Aurora Mourns Loss of WMRO]", Chicago Tribune. December 24, 1989. Retrieved March 3, 2019. In September 1992, the station's transmitter was moved to Bloomingdale, Illinois.Kening, Dan. "[https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1993-01-19-9303163566-story.html New Gun in Town]", Chicago Tribune. January 19, 1993. Retrieved March 3, 2019. For a while in 1993, the station played hot AC days and hard rock/metal at night.Stark, Phyllis; Boehlert, Eric; Borzillo, Cary. "[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/90s/1993/BB-1993-02-13.pdf Vox Jox]", Billboard. February 13, 1993. p. 73. Retrieved March 3, 2019.

In late 1993, WYSY-FM was sold to Cox Communications for $9 million."[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1993/RR-1993-10-08.pdf Transactions]", Radio & Records. October 8, 1993. p. 6. Retrieved March 3, 2019. In January 1994, the station switched to a classic hits format featuring rock, pop, R&B, and disco hits of the 1970s, with the slogan "The Greatest Hits of the '70s".Kening, Dan. "[https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1994-02-08-9402080030-story.html WYSY-FM Fills a Void With Top 40 Hits From the '70s]", Chicago Tribune. February 8, 1994. Retrieved March 3, 2019.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/90s/1994/BB-1994-01-15.pdf|title=Newsline|magazine=Billboard|date=January 15, 1994|volume=106|issue=3|page=64}} The station was briefly branded "Star 107.9", but changed its branding to "Y107.9" because WZSR had registered the "Star" moniker with the state.Stark, Phyllis; Boehlert, Eric; Borzillo, Cary. "[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/90s/1994/BB-1994-02-05.pdf Vox Jox]", Billboard. February 5, 1994. p. 91. Retrieved March 3, 2019.Borzillo, Cary. "[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/90s/1994/BB-1994-04-16.pdf What's In A Name? Plenty, If You Own It]", Billboard. April 16, 1994. pp. 85, 87. Retrieved March 3, 2019.

In 1996, WYSY-FM and 105.9 WCKG were acquired by Infinity Broadcasting as part of a station swap."[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1996/R&R-1996-05-24.pdf Transactions]", Radio & Records. May 24, 1996. p. 6. Retrieved March 3, 2019. At the end of the year, Infinity Broadcasting was purchased by the parent company of CBS."[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-02-06-fi-25879-story.html Westinghouse to Change Name to CBS After Spinoff]", Bloomberg News. Los Angeles Times. February 06, 1997. Retrieved March 3, 2019. This caused CBS/Infinity to exceed the FCC's ownership limits, requiring the sale of two stations."[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1996/R&R-1996-08-30.pdf Infinity's WYSY Goes Spanish]", Radio & Records. August 30, 1996. p. 6. Retrieved March 3, 2019. CBS/Infinity decided to sell WYSY-FM and WSCR AM 820."[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1997/RR-1997-04-11.pdf CBS Closes Windy City Deals]", Radio & Records. April 11, 1997. p. 9. Retrieved March 3, 2019. In 1997, WYSY was sold to Spanish Broadcasting System for $33 million."[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1997/BC-1997-02-03.pdf Station & Cable Trading]", Broadcasting & Cable. February 3, 1997. p. 42. Retrieved March 3, 2019. On April 14, 1997, at 6 p.m., after playing "Last Dance" by Donna Summer and "Last Song" by Edward Bear, WYSY-FM dropped its 1970s hits format and began stunting with a 4-to-5 hour loop of songs primarily from the adult contemporary format (the first song on the loop being "Everyday Is A Winding Road" by Sheryl Crow). The format was helmed in a way that served as essentially a predecessor to the future adult hits format, as it was "deejayed" by a voice deemed only as "Bill", who claimed he borrowed a number of CDs and records and was playing "some of [his] favorite songs."Carlozo, Lou. "[https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1997-04-20-9704200191-story.html Radio: The '70s Sign Off]", Chicago Tribune. April 20, 1997. Retrieved March 3, 2019.[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fBlzwhxDkSE Sound bites and last 7 minutes of WYSY-FM, Chicago's '70s station- YouTube][https://fmairchecks.com/2013/05/30/wysy-107-9-aurorachicago-il-53097-stunting-with-bill/ WYSY (107.9) – Aurora/Chicago, IL – 5/30/97 (Stunting with “Bill”)]

On July 4, 1997, after almost 3 months of stunting, WYSY adopted a regional Mexican format branded "{{lang|es|La Ley}}"."[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-M-Street/M-Street-Journal/M-Street-1997-07.pdf Format Changes & Updates]", The M Street Journal. Vol. 14, No. 27. July 9, 1997. p. 1. Retrieved March 4, 2019."[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-M-Street/M-Street-Journal/M-Street-1997-07.pdf Call Letter Changes]", The M Street Journal. Vol. 14, No. 27. July 9, 1997. p. 5. Retrieved March 4, 2019."[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1997/BC-1997-10-06.pdf Radio Rides Hispanic Population Boom]", Broadcasting & Cable. October 6, 1997. p. 46. Retrieved March 4, 2019. Its call sign was changed to WLEY-FM later that month. By coincidence, WLEY's calls originated on WCFS-FM (105.9) in the 1950s, standing for Leyden Township.

On August 21, 2018, WLEY-FM HD2 began broadcasting 95.1 Clubsteppin{{'}}, an Urban oldies format focused on Chicago stepping.{{Cite news|last=Venta|first=Lance|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/170078/95-1-chicago-goes-clubsteppin/|title=95.1 Chicago Goes Clubsteppin|date=August 21, 2018|work=RadioInsight|access-date=March 4, 2019|language=en-US}} The format was programmed by Lamont Watts."[https://radioinsight.com/headlines/180090/new-owner-for-chicagos-clubsteppin-95-1/ New Owner For Chicago's Clubsteppin 95.1]", RadioInsight. August 28, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2019. Clubsteppin was simulcast on 95.1 FM by the translators W236CF in Chicago and W236CG in Bolingbrook, which formerly aired a rock format as "The Hound". WLEY-FM HD2 was also simulcast on 103.9 W280EM until May 2020. W280EM's owner, Windy City Broadcasting, was fined $8,000 in March 2022, following an informal objection filed by Albert David, as its owner had never informed the FCC that the translator had switched from rebroadcasting WTMX HD2 to WLEY-FM HD2 or of it being taken silent in May 2020."[https://www.insideradio.com/free/chicago-translator-owner-fined-8-000-for-not-reporting-months-long-silence/article_1530f0d4-a4f8-11ec-a095-dfdf24f0b045.html Chicago Translator Owner Fined $8,000 For Not Reporting Months-Long Silence.]", InsideRadio. March 16, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2023.Jacobson, Adam. "[https://rbr.com/a-chicago-lpfm-operator-gets-fine-for-unauthorized-silence/ A Chicago LPFM Operator Gets Fine for Unauthorized Silence]", Radio & Television Business Report. March 15, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2023.

{{RadioTranslators

| call1 = WLEY-FM2

| freq1 = 107.9

| city1 = Cicero, Illinois

| fid1 = 199002

| watts1 = 99

| coord1 = {{coord|41|51|19.1|N|87|45|32.2|W|region:US-IL_type:landmark|name=WLEY-FM2}}

| call2 = WLEY-FM3

| freq2 = 107.9

| city2 = Chicago, Illinois

| fid2 = 199003

| watts2 = 99

| coord2 = {{coord|41|52|8.7|N|87|41|35.8|W|region:US-IL_type:landmark|name=WLEY-FM3}}

| call3 = WLEY-FM4

| freq3 = 107.9

| city3 = Chicago, Illinois

| fid3 = 199004

| watts3 = 99

| coord3 = {{coord|41|50|32.1|N|87|40|33|W|region:US-IL_type:landmark|name=WLEY-FM4}}

}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{FM station data|71282|WLEY-FM}}

{{Aurora-Elgin-Wheaton Radio}}

{{Chicago Radio}}

{{Spanish Radio Stations in Illinois}}

{{Spanish Broadcasting System}}

Category:Mexican-American culture in Illinois

LEY-FM

LEY-FM

Category:Spanish Broadcasting System radio stations

Category:Radio stations established in 1965

Category:1965 establishments in Illinois

Category:Aurora, Illinois