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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
3Representatives wish to congratulate WJOL Radio on the 
4occasion of the 100th anniversary of its founding; and
 
5    WHEREAS, WJOL Radio traces its roots to the early days of 
6radio broadcasting as WJBI and WCLS when on June 9, 1925, a 
7group of Joliet's elite turned on the 100 watt WJBI at 1400 
8kHz; and
 
9    WHEREAS, WJOL Radio began with Madame Gertrude Wagner 
10Gaume singing The Lass With The Delicate Air, followed by an 
11address by Thomas Donovan, Joliet's fire and police 
12commissioner; and
 
13    WHEREAS, WJOL Radio was first operated by local amateur 
14radio operator Harold Couch and was originally transmitted 
15from Couch's home on Summit Street; and
 
16    WHEREAS, WJOL Radio continued to grow throughout the 
171930s, featuring community programming, local news, and 
18sports, and by 1940, it had established itself as a popular 
19local station; and
 
20    WHEREAS, WJOL Radio hired St. Louis sportscaster Harry 
 
 
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1Carabina in 1940 and suggested he change his name to the far 
2easier to pronounce Harry Caray, who spent the next two years 
3at the station as the sports and special-events announcer 
4before moving on to a Kalamazoo station and then becoming the 
5voice of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1945; and
 
6    WHEREAS, WJOL Radio shifted to its current dial position 
7at 1340 kHz on March 29, 1941; and
 
8    WHEREAS, WJOL Radio featured a full service format of 
9popular music, local news, sports, and civic affairs 
10throughout the 1940s and 1950s; and
 
11    WHEREAS, WJOL Radio was ranked as one of the most listened 
12to and profitable suburban Chicago radio operations through 
13the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s; and
 
14    WHEREAS, WJOL Radio dominated all other local stations, 
15even drawing bigger audiences in Will County than the nearby 
16Chicago powerhouse stations; and
 
17    WHEREAS, WJOL Radio left the aging Walnut Avenue studios 
18for a new state of the art building on Caton Farm Road in Crest 
19Hill in August of 2000; and
 
20    WHEREAS, WJOL Radio, The Voice of Joliet, continues to 
 
 
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1spotlight news, people, and events in one of the most rapidly 
2growing areas in Chicagoland; along with hosting a high school 
3basketball tournament for 30 years, a baseball tournament for 
420 years, and a softball tournament for six years, it has been 
5the home of professional baseball as the flagship station for 
6the Joliet Jackhammers since 2001, and now, the Joliet 
7Slammers, Lewis University basketball, and a full schedule of 
8high school football, basketball, and baseball games are aired 
9on the station; and
 
10    WHEREAS, WJOL Radio continues to innovate and break new 
11ground to connect with its listeners after 100 years; 
12therefore, be it
 
13    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE 
14HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
15we congratulate WJOL Radio on the 100th anniversary of its 
16founding, and we wish it many more wonderful years; and be it 
17further
 
18    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
19presented to WJOL Radio as a symbol of our respect and esteem.