WRLL (1690 AM) was an oldies radio station licensed to Berwyn, Illinois, United States, serving the Chicago market. It was owned and operated by Clear Channel Communications. The station's transmitter was located in Chicago's Ashburn neighborhood, near the Evergreen Park, Illinois border, and operated as a diplexed operation from one of the towers of its sister station, WGRB.Clear Channel Communications, "Engineering Report: Application to Modify Construction Permit", June 2003, fcc.gov. Accessed August 14, 2015 The station ran 10,000 watts during the day, and 1,000 watts at night, using a non-directional antenna.

History The station originated as the expanded band "twin" of an existing station on the standard AM band. On March 17, 1997, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that 88 stations had been given permission to move to newly available "expanded band" transmitting frequencies, ranging from 1610 to 1700 kHz, with WDDD in Johnston City, Illinois, authorized to move from 810 to 1690 kHz."FCC Public Notice: Mass Media Bureau Announces Revised AM Expanded Band Allotment Plan and Filing Window for Eligible Stations" (FCC DA 97-537), March 17, 1997.

A construction permit for the expanded band station was assigned the call letters WHTE on June 5, 1998.Facility details for Facility ID 87178 (1690 AM) in the FCC Licensing and Management System The FCC's initial policy was that both the original station and its expanded band counterpart could operate simultaneously for up to five years, after which owners would have to turn in one of the two licenses, depending on whether they preferred the new assignment or elected to remain on the original frequency, although this deadline was extended multiple times. The FCC also had a general policy that both an original standard band station and its expanded band counterpart had to remain under common ownership. In 2008 Clear Channel Communications requested a waiver in order to sell WDDD on 810 AM, but not the station on 1690 AM, to Withers Broadcasting of Southern Illinois, LLC. However, this request was denied,"Re: WDDD (AM) Application for Consent to Assignment of AM Broadcast Station License" (August 23, 2010, correspondence from Peter H. Doyle, Chief, FCC Audio Division, Media Bureau. Reference Number 1800B3-TSN) and on July 31, 2012, WDDD was deleted.Facility details for Facility ID 122 (WDDD) in the FCC Licensing and Management System

In most cases the expanded band station remained in the same market as the original standard band station. However, in 2003 the 1690 AM authorization was moved north to Berwyn by owner Clear Channel, in order to take advantage of the Chicago metropolitan area's greater population, and the call sign changed to WRLL.

WRLL began broadcasting from this new location in early October 2003. Its slogan was "Real Oldies 1690", featuring pop music artists from the 1950s and early 1960s such as Frank Sinatra and Perry Como, as well as the rock and roll hits of the period. "Real Oldies" originated at sister station WSAI in Cincinnati and was also carried on WCOL in Columbus, Ohio; WHNE in Ann Arbor, Michigan, also aired a variation of the format identified as "Honey Radio".Roger LeLievre, "Ann Arbor's WLBY to switch to programming from the Business Talk Radio Network", The Ann Arbor News, March 14, 2009. Accessed August 21, 2015 "Dangerous Dan" Allen created the format initially for WSAI, where he was program director and a weekday afternoon DJ."WSAI/Cincinnati Returns To Its Roots With 'Real Oldies'", Radio & Records, Issue number 1486, January 10, 2003. p. 3, 24.

1690 AM and 1450 AM swap On August 15, 2006, WRLL's on-air talent left the station as a pending format change was announced. On August 15, it was announced that African-American talk-formatted WVON would move its format, talk show hosts and call letters from its longtime spot on the dial at 1450 AM to 1690 AM, effective September 18, 2006. WVON signed an agreement with Clear Channel allowing them to lease the station with an option to buy, and obtain marketing, promotional and production assistance from them as well. The oldies format ended at midnight CDT on September 16, 2006.

On September 18, 2006, the WRLL call sign moved from 1690 AM to 1450 AM, with WVON's call sign and programming doing the reverse, moving from 1450 AM to 1690 AM.Facility details for Facility ID 2068 (1450 AM) in the FCC Licensing and Management System (According to standard FCC practice, this technically was not a deletion of WRLL 1690 AM, and instead was merely a call letter change, to WVON, for the continuing operation of "Facility ID# 87178" on 1690 AM).

Personalities The station featured radio legends Larry Lujack and Tommy Edwards in the morning drive, along with news reporter Kathy Worthington.Kathy Worthington, Real Oldies 1690. Internet Archive. Archived December 16, 2004. Accessed August 12, 2015 Other legendary Chicago area radio personalities from WLS and WCFL followed Tommy Edwards and Larry Lujack on the air, including Scotty Brink middays and "World Famous" Tom Murphy in the evening drive.Schedules, Real Oldies 1690. Internet Archive. Archived January 1, 2005. Accessed August 12, 2015 Chicago radio and television personality Jerry G. Bishop, well known as the original "Svengoolie", was the Sunday afternoon DJ on the station.Lauren Zumbach, "Jerry G. Bishop, 1936-2013: Best known as original 'Svengoolie,' TV, radio host had loyal following", Chicago Tribune, September 18, 2013. Accessed August 12, 2015 Former WCFL DJ Ron Britain also had a weekday show for a brief time.

Oldies radio veteran and music historian Ron Smith was heard weekday evenings and Saturday mornings, and suburban radio mainstay Len O'Kelly was heard overnight weekdays and Saturday afternoon.Ron Smith, Real Oldies 1690. Internet Archive. Archived December 16, 2004. Accessed August 12, 2015 Smith's shows included his weekly Foreign Friday feature and Saturday morning/Sunday afternoon Real Oldies Chicago Top 20 Countdown program, which spotlighted the local hits on a certain week in history."Real Oldies Chicago Top 20 Countdown - Week of March 5 & 6, 1957", Real Oldies 1690. Internet Archive. Archived March 8, 2005. Accessed August 12, 2015

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