Sears' optimistic growth projections were not met. Competition from its traditional rivals (like
Montgomery WardMontgomery Ward is an online retailer that carries the same name as the former American department store chain, founded as the world's #1 mail order business in 1872 by Aaron Montgomery Ward, and which went out of business in 2001...
) continued, with new competition by retailing giants such as
KmartKmart, sometimes styled as "K-Mart," is a chain of discount department stores. The chain acquired Sears in 2005, forming a new corporation under the name Sears Holdings Corporation. The company was founded in 1962 and is the third largest discount store chain in the world, behind Wal-Mart and...
,
Kohl'sKohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...
, and
Wal-MartWal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
. The fortunes of Sears & Roebuck declined in the 1970s as the company lost market share; its management grew more cautious. The Sears Tower was not the draw Sears had hoped it would be. The tower stood half-vacant for a decade as a surplus of office space was erected in Chicago in the 1980s.
By 1990,
Keck, Mahin & CateKeck, Mahin & Cate was a law firm based in Chicago, Illinois that was founded in 1886 and stopped operations in 1997.The firm worked in general practice, banking and bankruptcy law, corporate finances, mergers and acquisitions, and the like. By 1985, it employed 95 lawyers.The firm had branches in...
, a law firm, considered moving out of its space in the Sears Tower and moving into a potential new development, which would become
77 West Wacker Drive77 West Wacker Drive, also known as the United Building, is an office building in the Loop, Chicago. Finished in 1992, the building rises to a height of 668 ft with around of interior space. The building, with 51 floors, was designed by Ricardo Bofill...
. Brokers who were familiar with the lease negotiations stated that Sears was trying to keep Keck, Mahin & Cate in the building. Keck, Mahin & Cate decided to move into 77 West Wacker, and the Prime Group, developer of 77 West Wacker, finalized the development of the facility. During the time that Keck, Mahin & Cate was scheduled to move out of the Sears Tower, Sears planned to move its offices to its merchandise group facilities in
Hoffman EstatesHoffman Estates is a northwestern suburb of Chicago in Illinois. The village is located primarily in Cook County with a small section in Kane County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 49,495 and estimated to be 52,520 in 2003...
, Illinois. Sears began moving its offices out of the Sears Tower in 1992.
In 1994 Sears sold the building to Boston-based AEW Capital Management with financing from MetLife. At the time it was one third vacant. By 1995 Sears had completely vacated the building, moving to a new office campus in Hoffman Estates.
In 1997 Toronto-based TrizecHahn Corporation (the owner at the time of the
CN TowerThe CN Tower is a communications and observation tower in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Standing tall, it was completed in 1976, becoming the world's tallest free-standing structure and world's tallest tower at the time. It held both records for 34 years until the completion of the Burj...
) purchased the building for $110 million, and assumption of $4 million in liabilities, and a $734 million mortgage. In 2003 Trizec surrendered the building to lender MetLife.
In 2004 MetLife sold the building to a group of investors, including New York-based Joseph Chetrit, Joseph Moinian, Lloyd Goldman, Joseph Cayre and Jeffrey Feil, and Skokie-based American Landmark Properties. The quoted price was $840 million, with $825 million held in a mortgage.
In June 2006, seven men were arrested by the FBI and charged with plotting to destroy the tower. Deputy FBI Director John Pistole described their plot as "more aspirational than operational." The case went to court in October 2007; after three trials, five of the suspects were convicted and two were acquitted. The alleged leader of the group, Narseal Batiste, was sentenced to 13½ years in prison in November 2009.
Future plans
In February 2009, the owners announced they were considering a plan to paint the structure silver. The paint would "rebrand" the building and highlight its advances in energy efficiency. The estimated cost is $50 million.
Since 2007, the building owners have been considering building a hotel on the north side of Jackson, between Wacker and Franklin, at the plaza that is the entrance to the tower's observation deck. The tower's parking garage is beneath the plaza. Building owners say the second building was considered in the original design. The plan was eventually cancelled as city zoning does not permit construction of such a tall tower there.
The Skydeck
The Sears Tower observation deck, called the Skydeck, opened on June 22, 1974. Located on the 103rd floor of the tower, it is 1,353 feet (412 m) above ground and is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Chicago. Tourists can experience how the building sways on a windy day. They can see far over the plains of Illinois and across
Lake MichiganLake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
to Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin on a clear day. Elevators take tourists to the top in about 60 seconds, and allow tourists to feel the pressure change as they rise up. The Skydeck competes with the
John Hancock CenterJohn Hancock Center at 875 North Michigan Avenue in the Streeterville area of Chicago, Illinois, is a 100-story, 1,127-foot tall skyscraper, constructed under the supervision of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, with chief designer Bruce Graham and structural engineer Fazlur Khan...
's observation floor a mile and a half away, which is 323 feet (98 m) lower. Some 1.3 million tourists visit the Skydeck annually. A second Skydeck on the 99th floor is also used if the 103rd floor is closed. The tourist entrance can be found on the south side of the building along Jackson Boulevard.
In January 2009, the Willis Tower owners began a major renovation of the Skydeck, to include the installation of retractable glass balconies, extending approximately four feet over Wacker Drive from the 103rd floor. The all-glass boxes allow visitors to look through the floor to the street 1353 feet (412.4 m) below. The boxes, which can bear five short tons of weight (about 4.5 metric tons), opened to the public on July 2, 2009.
In August 1999 French urban climber
Alain "Spiderman" RobertAlain Robert , is a French rock and urban climber, from Digoin, Saône-et-Loire, Bourgogne, France...
, using only his bare hands and feet, scaled the building's exterior glass and steel wall all the way to the top. A thick fog settled in near the end of his climb, making the last 20 floors of the building's glass and steel slippery.
The building's official address is 233 South
Wacker DriveWacker Drive is a major street in Chicago, Illinois, United States, running along the south side of the main branch and the east side of the south branch of the Chicago River...
, Chicago, Illinois 60606.
Height
The Willis Tower remains the tallest building in the Americas. With a pinnacle height of 1729 feet (527 m), it is the second tallest
freestanding structure in the Americas, as it is 86 feet (26 m) shorter than Toronto's
CN TowerThe CN Tower is a communications and observation tower in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Standing tall, it was completed in 1976, becoming the world's tallest free-standing structure and world's tallest tower at the time. It held both records for 34 years until the completion of the Burj...
, and is the only other freestanding structure in the Americas to exceed 1500 feet (457.2 m) in height. As of September 2011, the Willis Tower is the seventh tallest
freestanding structure in the world (by pinnacle height), after the Burj Khalifa, the Tokyo Sky Tree, the
Abraj Al Bait TowersThe Abraj Al-Bait Towers, also known as the Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower, is a building complex in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The complex holds several world records, including the tallest hotel in the world, the tallest clock tower in the world, the world's largest clock face, and the world's largest...
, the Canton Tower, the
CN TowerThe CN Tower is a communications and observation tower in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Standing tall, it was completed in 1976, becoming the world's tallest free-standing structure and world's tallest tower at the time. It held both records for 34 years until the completion of the Burj...
and the
Ostankino TowerOstankino Tower is a free-standing television and radio tower in Moscow, Russia. Standing tall, Ostankino was designed by Nikolai Nikitin. It is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers, currently the tallest in Europe and 4th tallest in the world. The tower was the first free-standing...
.
At 1,482.6 feet (451.9 m) tall, including decorative spires, the
Petronas Twin TowersThe Petronas Towers are skyscrapers and twin towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
in
Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Malaysia, laid claim to replacing the Sears Tower as the tallest building in the world in 1998. Not everyone agreed, and in the ensuing controversy four different categories of "tallest building" were created. Of these, Petronas was the tallest in one category (height to top of architectural elements, meaning spires but not antennas).
Taipei 101Taipei 101 , formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, is a landmark skyscraper located in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. The building ranked officially as the world's tallest from 2004 until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010...
in Taiwan claimed the record in three of the four categories in 2004 to become generally recognized as the tallest building in the world. Taipei 101 surpassed the Petronas Twin Towers in spire height and the Sears Tower in roof height; it also claimed the record for highest occupied floor. The Sears Tower retained one record: its antenna exceeded the Taipei 101's spire in height. In 2008, the
Shanghai World Financial CenterThe most distinctive feature in the design of the building is an aperture at the peak. The original design specified a circular aperture, in diameter, to reduce the stresses of wind pressure, as well as serve as a subtext for the design, since "Chinese mythology represents the earth with a square...
claimed the records of tallest building by roof and highest occupied floor.
On August 12, 2007, the Burj Khalifa in
DubaiDubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, United Arab Emirates was reported by its developers to have surpassed the Sears Tower in all height categories.
When completed, One World Trade Center in New York City is expected to surpass the Willis Tower through its structural and pinnacle heights, but not by roof, observation deck elevation or highest occupied floor. Burj Khalifa currently holds (by a significant margin) all height records, surpassing the Sears Tower, the
CN TowerThe CN Tower is a communications and observation tower in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Standing tall, it was completed in 1976, becoming the world's tallest free-standing structure and world's tallest tower at the time. It held both records for 34 years until the completion of the Burj...
, One World Trade Center,
Taipei 101Taipei 101 , formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, is a landmark skyscraper located in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. The building ranked officially as the world's tallest from 2004 until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010...
and
Shanghai World Financial CenterThe most distinctive feature in the design of the building is an aperture at the peak. The original design specified a circular aperture, in diameter, to reduce the stresses of wind pressure, as well as serve as a subtext for the design, since "Chinese mythology represents the earth with a square...
in every category. The Chicago Spire, which had a planned height of 610 m (2,000 ft) was expected to lay claim to all categories of height records in the Americas upon completion, but the project was later cancelled in 2010 due to major setbacks.
Until 2000, the Sears Tower did not hold the record for the tallest building by pinnacle height. From 1969 to 1978, this record was held by the
John Hancock CenterJohn Hancock Center at 875 North Michigan Avenue in the Streeterville area of Chicago, Illinois, is a 100-story, 1,127-foot tall skyscraper, constructed under the supervision of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, with chief designer Bruce Graham and structural engineer Fazlur Khan...
, whose antenna reached a height of 1,500 ft (457.2 m), or 49 ft (14.8 m) taller than the Sears Tower's original height of 1,451 ft (442 m). In 1978, One World Trade Center became taller by pinnacle height due to the addition of a 359 ft (109.3 m) antenna, which brought its total height to 1,727 ft (526.8 m). In 1982, two antennas were installed on top of the Sears Tower which brought its total height to 1,707 ft (520.3 m), making it taller than the John Hancock Center but not One World Trade Center. However, the extension of the Sears Tower's western antenna in June 2000 to 1,730 feet (527 m) allowed it to just barely claim the title of tallest building by pinnacle height.
Naming rights
Although Sears sold the Tower in 1994 and had completely vacated it by 1995, the company retained the naming rights to the building through 2003. The new owners were rebuffed in renaming deals with CDW Corp in 2005 and the U.S. Olympic Committee in 2008. London-based insurance broker Willis Group Holdings, Ltd. leased more than 140000 square feet (13,006.4 m²) of space on three floors in 2009. A Willis spokesman said the naming rights were obtained as part of the negotiations at no cost to Willis, and the building was renamed the Willis Tower on July 16, 2009. The naming rights are valid for 15 years so it is possible that the building’s name could change again in 2024. The
Chicago Tribune joked that the building’s new name reminded them of the oft-repeated "What you talkin' 'bout, Willis?" catchphrase from the 1980s American television sitcom
Diff'rent StrokesDiff'rent Strokes is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from November 3, 1978 to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985 to March 7, 1986...
and considered the name-change ill-advised in "a city with a deep appreciation of tradition and a healthy ego, where some Chicagoans still mourn the switch from
Marshall Field'sMarshall Field & Company was a department store in Chicago, Illinois that grew to become a major chain before being acquired by Macy's Inc...
to
Macy'sMacy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
." This feeling was confirmed in a July 16, 2009 CNN article in which some Chicago area residents expressed reluctance to accept the Willis Tower name, and in an article that appeared in the October 2010 issue of
ChicagoChicago is a monthly magazine published by the Tribune Company. It concentrates on lifestyle and human interest stories, and on reviewing restaurants, travel, fashion, and theatre from or nearby Chicago. Its circulation in 2004 was 165,000, larger than People in its market...
magazine that ranked the building among Chicago's 40 most important, the author pointedly refused to acknowledge the name change and referred to the building as the "Sears Tower".
Time magazineTime is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
called the name change one of the top 10 worst corporate name changes and pointed to negative press coverage by local news outlets and online petitions from angry residents.
Cultural depictions
Film and television
The building has appeared in numerous films and television shows set in Chicago such as
Ferris Bueller's Day OffFerris Bueller's Day Off is a 1986 American teen coming-of-age comedy film written and directed by John Hughes.The film follows high school senior Ferris Bueller , who decides to skip school and spend the day in downtown Chicago...
, where Ferris and company watch the streets of Chicago from the observation deck. The television show
Late Night with Conan O'BrienLate Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
introduced a character called The Sears Tower Dressed In Sears Clothing when the show visited Chicago in 2006. The building is also featured in History Channel's
Life After PeopleLife After People is a television documentary series where scientists and other experts speculate about what the Earth might be like if humanity no longer existed, as well as the impact humanity's disappearance might have on the environment and the artificial aspects of civilization...
, in which it and other human-made landmarks suffer from neglect without humans around, and it collapses two hundred years after people are gone. In an episode of the television series,
MonkMonk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the titular character, Adrian Monk. It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a mystery series, although it has dark and comic touches.The series debuted on July...
, Adrian Monk tries to conquer his fear of heights by imagining that he is on top of the Sears Tower. Also, in an episode of
Kenan and Kel, Kenan Rockmore and Kel Kimble decide to climb to the top of the Sears Tower, so that Kenan can declare his love for a girl.
On May 25, 1981,
Dan GoodwinAmerican Dan Goodwin is a building, rock, and sports climber, as well as a stage-four cancer survivor, originally from Kennebunkport, Maine, United States, and living as of 2010 in Lake Tahoe, California.-Building climber:...
, wearing a homemade
Spider-ManSpider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
suit while using suction cups, camming devices, and sky hooks, and despite several attempts by the
Chicago Fire DepartmentThe Chicago Fire Department, also known as the CFD, is the principal fire suppression, prevention, and rescue agency of Chicago, Illinois, under the jurisdiction of the mayor of Chicago. The Chicago Fire Department is the second largest fire department in the United States after the New York City...
to stop him, made the first successful outside ascent of the Sears Tower. Goodwin was arrested at the top after the seven hour climb and charged with trespassing. Goodwin stated the reason he made the climb was to call attention to shortcomings in high-rise rescue and firefighting techniques. After a lengthy interrogation by Chicago's District Attorney and Fire Commissioner, Goodwin was released.
In the movie
Category 6: Day of DestructionCategory 6: Day of Destruction is a 2004 four-hour miniseries that was broadcast in the United States on CBS in two parts, with the first part aired on November 14 and the second on November 17. It was later released to DVD on February 15, 2005...
, the tower is damaged by a tornado.
In "1969", a
Season 2Season two of Stargate SG-1, an American-Canadian television series, began airing on June 26, 1998 on Showtime. The second season concluded after 22 episodes on February 10, 1999 on British Sky One, which overtook Showtime in mid-season. The series was developed by Brad Wright and Jonathan...
episode of the science-fiction series
Stargate SG-1Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
, the SG1 team accidentally travels back in time to the titular year. At one point, the team travels though
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and the Sears Tower is shown (erroneously, since construction did not begin on the tower until two years later in 1971).
In the movie
I, RobotI, Robot is a 2004 science-fiction action film directed by Alex Proyas. The screenplay was written by Jeff Vintar, Akiva Goldsman and Hillary Seitz, and is very loosely based on Isaac Asimov's short-story collection of the same name. Will Smith stars in the lead role of the film as Detective Del...
, the tower is shown updated in the year 2035 with new triangular antennas. The tower is shown surpassed in height by the USR (United States Robotics) Building.
The Tower was featured in the 2011 blockbuster,
Transformers: Dark of the Moon.
Other
Older versions of
Microsoft Flight SimulatorMicrosoft Flight Simulator is a series of flight simulator programs for the Microsoft Windows operating system, although it was marketed as a video game. It is one of the longest-running, best-known and most comprehensive home flight simulator series...
would begin with the player on the runway of
Meigs FieldMerrill C. Meigs Field Airport , was a single strip airport that operated from December 1948 until March 2003. It was built on Northerly Island, the man-made peninsula that was also the site of the 1933–1934 Century of Progress in Chicago....
, facing a virtual version of the tower.
Figures and statistics
- The top of the Willis Tower is the highest point in Illinois. The tip of its highest antenna is 1,730 feet (527.3 m) above street level or 2,325 feet (708 m) above sea level, its roof is 1450 in 7 in (442.14 m) above street level or 2,046 feet (623 m) above sea level, the 103rd floor observation deck (The Sky deck) is 1,353 feet (412 m) above street level or 1,948 feet (593 m) above sea level, the Wacker Drive main entrance is 595 feet (181 m) above sea level. (The highest natural point in Illinois is the Charles Mound
Charles Mound is a gentle, high hill in northern Jo Daviess County, Illinois, near the small town of Scales Mound and northeast of Galena. It is the highest natural point in the state; thus, it is considered a highpoint.- Geography :...
, at 1,235 feet (376 m) above sea level.)
- The building leans about 4 inches (10 cm) towards the west due to its slightly asymmetrical design, placing unequal loads on its foundation.
- The design for the Willis Tower incorporates nine steel-unit square tubes in a 3 tube by 3 tube arrangement, with each tube having the footprint of 75 × 75 feet (22 × 22 m). The Willis Tower was the first building for which this design was used. The design allows future growth of extra height to the tower if wanted or needed.
- The Franklin Street entrance is 4 feet (1.2 meters) lower than the main entrance on Wacker Drive, for this reason the height of the tower was listed as 1,454 feet (443 meters) for many years, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat measures height from the main entrance and thus the official measurement now stands at 1,450 feet (442 meters)
- The restrooms on the 103rd floor 1,353 feet (412 meters) above street level are the highest (relative to street level) in the Western Hemisphere.
Broadcasting
Many
broadcast stationA broadcast station may be:*a radio station*a television stationIt does not include radio networks or television networks.-See also:*Broadcasting*Broadcast network*Station...
transmitters are located at the top of the Willis Tower. Each list is ranked by height from the top down. Stations at the same height on the same mast indicate the use of a
diplexerA diplexer is a passive device that implements frequency domain multiplexing. Two ports are multiplexed onto a third port . The signals on ports L and H occupy disjoint frequency bands...
into the same shared
antennaAn antenna is an electrical device which converts electric currents into radio waves, and vice versa. It is usually used with a radio transmitter or radio receiver...
. Due to its extreme height, FM stations (all
class B) are very limited in power output.
Radio stations
East mast:
- 482 m:
- WLIT FM 93.9 MHz main, 4.0 kW, AMFM
- WNUA
WNUA is a Spanish Pop radio station located in Chicago, Illinois, owned and operated by Clear Channel Communications and branded as Mega 95.5.-History:...
FM 95.5 backup, 3.1 kW, AMFM
- 480 m: WJMK
WJMK is a classic hits radio station in Chicago, Illinois. The station is known as "K-Hits 104.3." The station adopted this format on March 14, 2011, after spending 6 years as Jack FM. Prior to that, WJMK spent 21 years as an oldies station...
FM 104.3 main, 4.1 kW, CBS Radio
- 476 m: WTMX
WTMX is an adult top 40 radio station licensed to Skokie, IL in the Chicago market. It is owned by Hubbard Broadcasting.-History:...
FM 101.9 main, 4.2 kW, Hubbard
- 474 m: WBBM
WBBM-FM, known on air as "B96", is a Rhythmic Contemporary outlet in Chicago, Illinois with a Rhythmic based playlist. The station is owned by CBS Radio and broadcasts at 96.3 MHz with an ERP of 4.2 kW. WBBM's main competition is WKSC-FM "103.5 Kiss FM", as well as urban rivals WGCI-FM &...
FM 96.3 main, 4.2 kW, CBS Radio
- 472 m:
- WKSC FM 103.5 main, 4.3 kW, AMFM
- WGCI FM 107.5 main, 3.7 kW, AMFM
- 470 m: WFMT FM 98.7, 6.0 kW
- 468 m: WLS FM 94.7 main, 4.4 kW
- FCC query
|
West mast:
- 460 & 451 m:
- 443 m:
- WBBM-FM 96.3 backup
- WJMK FM 104.3 backup
- unknown: W264BF 100.7 MHz, 2 W, Calvary Chapel
Calvary Chapel is an evangelical association of Christian churches with over one thousand congregations worldwide. Calvary Chapel also maintains a number of radio stations around the world and operates many local Calvary Chapel Bible College programs. It presents itself as a "fellowship of...
of Costa Mesa
- table of allotments: **WLIT, WLS, WBBM, WTMX, WJMK, WCFS
- FCC query
|
|
Also WB (Weather band)/WX (aka
NOAA Weather RadioNOAA Weather Radio All Hazards is a network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information directly from a nearby National Weather Service office. It is operated by the NWS, an agency of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration within the United States Department of...
) transmit off the top of the Willis Tower on frequency 162.550 MHz (Channel 7) known as
KWO39KWO39 is a NOAA Weather Radio station that serves the Chicago metropolitan area and surrounding cities, however the broadcasts can be heard throughout the southern part of Lake Michigan. It is programmed from the National Weather Service forecast office in Chicago, Illinois with its transmitter...
. Also equipped with SAME (Specific Area Message Encoding) for text alerts and hazardous weather alarm on weather radios. For weather radio station listing, please visit http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/ for more information.
Television stations
East mast:
- 515 m:
- WLS-TV
WLS-TV, virtual channel 7, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, located in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The station operates their full power digital operations on UHF channel 44, with their digital fill-in translator on VHF channel...
7 analog, 55 kW, Disney-ABC (Analog Broadcast discontinued as of June 12, 2009. Now broadcasting only in digital.)
- WLS-TV 7 permanent digital, 4.75 kW
- 510 m:
- WCPX-TV 43 digital, 200 kW, Paxson
- WCPX-TV 38 analog, 3630 kW, Paxson (Analog Broadcast discontinued as of June 12, 2009. Now broadcasting only in digital.)
- WJYS
WJYS is an independent television station owned by Oxford Media Group Inc., licensed to Hammond, Indiana, but headquartered in Tinley Park, Illinois with antennae on top of the Willis Tower in downtown Chicago, serving the Chicago, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan markets on digital...
TV 36 digital, 145 kW, Jovon Broadcasting
- WCIU-TV
WCIU-TV is an independent television station located in Chicago, Illinois. It operates on UHF digital channel 27 and is Chicago's oldest UHF station, signing on the air in 1964. WCIU-TV is the flagship station of Weigel Broadcasting, a locally-based broadcaster which has owned the station since...
27 digital, 15.1 kW, Weigel Broadcasting
- 509 m:
- WXFT-TV
WXFT-DT is a TeleFutura-affiliated television station, offering Spanish language entertainment programming such as movies, serials, comedies, children's shows, and sports...
59 temporary digital, 200 kW, TelefuturaTeleFutura is a U.S. Spanish-language broadcast television network owned by Univision with headquarters in Miami, Florida.-Overview:TeleFutura Is America’s #2 Spanish-Language Network in prime time...
, Univision Communications
- WXFT-TV 50 permanent digital, 230 kW, TeleFutura
- 498 m:
- WTTW
WTTW channel 11 is one of three Public Broadcasting Service member public television stations serving the Chicago, Illinois market; the others are WYCC and WYIN. WTTW began broadcasting on September 6, 1955 and it is owned and operated by Window to the World Communications, Inc., a not-for-profit...
TV 11 analog, 60.3 kW, Window To the World Comm. (Analog Broadcast discontinued as of June 12, 2009. Now broadcasting only in digital.)
- WBBM-TV
WBBM-TV, virtual channel 2 , is the CBS owned-and-operated television station in Chicago, Illinois. WBBM-TV's main studios and offices are located in The Loop section of Chicago, as part of the development at Block 37, and its transmitter is atop the Willis Tower.-History:WBBM-TV traces its history...
12 digital, 8 kW, CBS
- 480 m:
- WFLD
WFLD, virtual channel 32 , is the Fox owned-and-operated television station, based in Chicago, Illinois; through its parent company News Corporation, the station is owned in a duopoly with area MyNetworkTV affiliate WPWR-TV...
TV 31 digital backup, 475 kW, Fox TV
- WPWR-TV
WPWR-TV, channel 50, is a MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station licensed to Gary, Indiana, and serving the Chicago, Illinois area. WPWR-TV is owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, and is a sister station to Fox network outlet WFLD-TV...
51 digital backup, 508 kW, Fox TV
- 478 m: WGN-TV
WGN-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the CW-affiliated television station in Chicago, Illinois built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WGN-TV's studios and offices are located at 2501 W...
19 digital backup, 310/229 kW, Continental Broadcasting
- 474 m:
- WTTW TV 47 digital backup, 150 kW, Window To the World Comm.
- WLS-TV 52 digital backup, 220 kW, WLS TV
- unknown: W40BY 40 analog, 37.2 kW, Trinity Broadcasting Network
The Trinity Broadcasting Network is a major American Christian television network. TBN is based in Costa Mesa, California, with auxiliary studio facilities in Irving, Texas; Hendersonville, Tennessee; Gadsden, Alabama; Decatur, Georgia; Miami, Florida; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Orlando, Florida; and New...
- FCC query
|
West mast:
- 523 m: WPWR-TV
WPWR-TV, channel 50, is a MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station licensed to Gary, Indiana, and serving the Chicago, Illinois area. WPWR-TV is owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, and is a sister station to Fox network outlet WFLD-TV...
51 digital, 1000 kW, Fox TV
- 514 m, WLS-TV
WLS-TV, virtual channel 7, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, located in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The station operates their full power digital operations on UHF channel 44, with their digital fill-in translator on VHF channel...
52 temporary digital, 153.6 kW, WLS
- 508 m, WMAQ-TV
WMAQ-TV, channel 5, is an owned-and-operated television station of the NBC Television Network, located in Chicago, Illinois. WMAQ-TV's main studios and offices are located within the NBC Tower in the Streeterville neighborhood, with an auxiliary street-level studio on the Magnificent Mile at 401...
29 digital, 350 kW, NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
/TelemundoTelemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
- 494 m:
- WMAQ-TV 5 analog, 20 kW (Analog Broadcast discontinued as of June 12, 2009. Now broadcasting only in digital.)
- WPWR-TV 50 analog, 5000 kW (Analog Broadcast discontinued as of June 12, 2009. Now broadcasting only in digital.)
- WXFT-TV
WXFT-DT is a TeleFutura-affiliated television station, offering Spanish language entertainment programming such as movies, serials, comedies, children's shows, and sports...
60 analog, 5000 kW, TeleFuturaTeleFutura is a U.S. Spanish-language broadcast television network owned by Univision with headquarters in Miami, Florida.-Overview:TeleFutura Is America’s #2 Spanish-Language Network in prime time...
(Analog Broadcast discontinued as of June 12, 2009. Now broadcasting only in digital.)
- 475 m: WFLD
WFLD, virtual channel 32 , is the Fox owned-and-operated television station, based in Chicago, Illinois; through its parent company News Corporation, the station is owned in a duopoly with area MyNetworkTV affiliate WPWR-TV...
TV 31 digital, 690/1000 kW, Fox TV
- 473 m: WCIU-TV
WCIU-TV is an independent television station located in Chicago, Illinois. It operates on UHF digital channel 27 and is Chicago's oldest UHF station, signing on the air in 1964. WCIU-TV is the flagship station of Weigel Broadcasting, a locally-based broadcaster which has owned the station since...
26 analog, 5000 kW (Analog Broadcast discontinued as of June 12, 2009. Now broadcasting only in digital.)
- 472 m:
- WCIU-TV 27 digital, 590 kW, WCIU-TV
- WSNS-TV
WSNS-TV, channel 44, is an owned-and-operated station of the Spanish-language Telemundo network, located in Chicago, Illinois, USA. This station is owned by NBCUniversal, which is also the parent company of Telemundo...
44 analog 5000 kW, NBC Telemundo (Analog Broadcast discontinued as of June 12, 2009. Now broadcasting only in digital.)
- WSNS-TV 45 digital 467/665 kW, NBC Telemundo
- 465 m: WTTW
WTTW channel 11 is one of three Public Broadcasting Service member public television stations serving the Chicago, Illinois market; the others are WYCC and WYIN. WTTW began broadcasting on September 6, 1955 and it is owned and operated by Window to the World Communications, Inc., a not-for-profit...
TV 47 digital, 300 kW, Window To the World Comm.
- 455 m: WJYS
WJYS is an independent television station owned by Oxford Media Group Inc., licensed to Hammond, Indiana, but headquartered in Tinley Park, Illinois with antennae on top of the Willis Tower in downtown Chicago, serving the Chicago, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan markets on digital...
TV 36 digital, 50 kW, Jovon Broadcasting
- 453 m: WGN-TV
WGN-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the CW-affiliated television station in Chicago, Illinois built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WGN-TV's studios and offices are located at 2501 W...
19 digital, 645 kW, Continental Broadcasting
- unknown:
- WWME-LD 39 digital, 4.4 kW, Ch. 23 Ltd.
- WEDE-CA
WEDE-CA is a Class-A Independent television station licensed in Arlington Heights, Illinois, serving the Chicago, Illinois market on channel 34. The station is owned by First United, Inc. and broadcasts from a transmitter atop the Willis Tower...
34 analog, 50 kW, First United
- WMEU-CA
WMEU-CA is a class A station in Chicago, Illinois. It is owned by Weigel Broadcasting, which also owns sister stations WCIU-TV and WWME-CA. The station is an extension of WWME's classic programming format, and brands as "MeToo"...
48 analog STAIn U.S. broadcast law, a special temporary authorization or special temporary authority is a type of broadcast license which temporarily allows a broadcast station to operate outside of its normal technical or legal parameters...
, 150 kW, Weigel Broadcasting
- WMEU-LD 32 digital, 15 kW
- FCC query
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