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Fast facts
I am doing research on the WLS radio station in Chicago. I know Sears owned the station in the 1920s. I was wondering what information the Sears Archives might have that is related to WLS.

In 1924, a new Chicago radio station, with the assigned call letters WBBX, began broadcasting under the ownership of Sears. Despite the assigned call letters, Sears first broadcast the station under the call letters WES (World’s Economy Store). An immediate hit, the station kicked off a grand opening from a broadcast station in Chicago’s Sherman Hotel using new call letters—WLS (World’s Largest Store)—days later. The station broadcast farm and weather reports, music, tips for housewives, and evening entertainment. The National Barn Dance, heard on Sunday evenings, became the most popular radio program in the Midwest. Sears sold the radio station in 1928, but the station continues to use WLS as its call letters today.

WLS Ad 1925.  1925_WLSAd     WLS Talent Ad 1925.  1925_WLSTalentAd
WLS schedule, 1925. WLS advertisement, 1925.
 
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