WVON 1690AM
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1963
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
WVON 1690AM firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WVON 1690AM
- Legal name
- Midway Broadcasting Corporation
- Website
- https://wvon.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1963
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WVON 1690AM industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Talk Radio Broadcasting
- NAICS
- Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161)
- SIC
- Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Talk/News/Sports Radio Networks & Syndication (MPAIAEAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Commercial Terrestrial Radio Broadcasting (AM/FM) (MPAIAEAA), News OTT & Live News Streaming Channels (MPABAHAK), Multi-CDN, Traffic Steering & Edge Optimization (MPAHAJAL)
Keywords
Where WVON 1690AM is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
WVON 1690AM business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Advertising & Sponsorships: WVON generates revenue through advertising and sponsorship arrangements with partners including ComEd, Wintrust, Metra, AARP, and AIDS Healthcare Foundation. The station offers event marketing and experiential campaigns that connect clients directly to consumers.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
WVON 1690AM product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WVON 1690AM operates an AM talk radio station broadcasting at 1690 AM in the Chicago metropolitan area, delivering culturally relevant news, talk, gospel, and community programming focused on the Black experience. The offering is extended via the VON-tv OTT streaming platform, SoundCloud podcasts, and live community events, with programming featuring on-air personalities such as Al Sharpton, Cleopatra Draper, and Matt McGill.
Product overview
WVON 1690AM operates as a multi-platform media company under Midway Broadcasting Corporation. The core offering is its AM radio station at 1690 AM, delivering talk radio programming focused on Black Chicago. This is complemented by VONtv, a free OTT streaming TV platform launched in 2020, which extends culturally relevant content to connected TV audiences. Additional products include WRLL Radio serving Chicago's Latino community, podcasts distributed via SoundCloud, and live community events. The company positions itself as 'Chicago's Black Talk Powerhouse' and 'Builder of Community' with programming spanning news, politics, culture, gospel, and community affairs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- WVON 1690 AM Radio Station Chicago's Urban Heritage Legacy AM radio station broadcasting at 1690 AM frequency, delivering talk radio programming, news, community discussions, gospel music, and cultural content focused on the Black experience in Chicago. Listeners can access via over-the-air AM broadcast and iHeartRadio streaming.
- VON-tv OTT Streaming Platform Free OTT streaming TV platform powered by WVON Radio, delivering culturally relevant original and commercial content. Available on ROKU, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime, and web streaming at von.tv.
- WVON Podcasts
Companies that use WVON 1690AM
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
WVON 1690AM technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature1 record
WVON 1690AM partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Midway Broadcasting CorporationcoreWVON 1690AM is owned and operated by Midway Broadcasting Corporation, founded by Wesley South and Pervis Spann in 1977. The company also operates WRLL Radio (The Voice of Chicago's Latino Community) and VON-tv streaming platform. Melody Spann Cooper, daughter of Pervis Spann, serves as Chairwoman and CEO.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
WVON 1690AM competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Emmis Communications: Emmis Communications operates urban and talk radio stations across the US, including historically Black-formatted properties. It is comparable to WVON as an operator of local talk/urban AM-FM radio stations monetized through advertising and community engagement.
- Salem Communications: Salem Communications operates a national portfolio of talk and news-formatted AM/FM radio stations across the US. It is comparable to WVON because it shares the talk/news format, conservative-leaning audience targeting, and multi-station advertising-supported business model.
- Urban One: Urban One (formerly Radio One) is the largest Black-owned media company in the US, operating Black-targeted radio stations and the TV One cable network. It is the closest direct peer to WVON because it shares the same Black-community-targeted advertising model, talk/urban radio format, and multi-platform media strategy.
Broad incumbents
- BET Media Group: BET Media Group (owned by Paramount Global) operates Black-targeted television, streaming, and digital media. It is comparable to WVON as a broader Black-culture media brand monetized through advertising and cultural-content programming.
- Audacy: Audacy operates a large portfolio of AM/FM radio stations, digital audio, and the Cadence13 podcast network. It is comparable to WVON as a multi-market radio operator transitioning from over-the-air to digital/streaming audio monetization.
- iHeartMedia: iHeartMedia is the largest US radio operator and the parent of the iHeartRadio network through which WVON is syndicated. It is comparable as the dominant broadcast-radio incumbent that controls distribution, ad inventory, and podcast monetization infrastructure that WVON depends on.
- SiriusXM: SiriusXM is the dominant national subscription audio platform offering talk, news, and music channels. It is comparable to WVON as a national talk/news audio distribution channel that competes for the same listener attention and ad-supported audio budgets.
- Cumulus Media: Cumulus Media operates one of the largest US radio station portfolios including news/talk and urban formats. It is comparable to WVON as a multi-format radio operator with advertising-driven revenue and ongoing digital streaming initiatives.
Regional players
- WGN Radio: WGN 720 AM is Chicago's flagship news/talk radio station, owned by Nexstar Media Group. It is comparable to WVON as a local Chicago-market talk radio competitor targeting a different but overlapping audience with similar news, politics, and community programming.
- WBEZ / Chicago Public Media: WBEZ is Chicago's flagship public radio station and NPR affiliate operated by Chicago Public Media. It is comparable to WVON as a Chicago-market talk/news radio competitor with podcast distribution and community-focused programming, though on the public/nonprofit side of the business model.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
WVON 1690AM social profiles
Digital presenceWVON 1690AM financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WVON 1690AM leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
WVON 1690AM subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
WVON 1690AM funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WVON 1690AM M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WVON 1690AM
What does WVON 1690AM do?
WVON 1690AM operates an AM talk radio station broadcasting at 1690 AM in the Chicago metropolitan area, delivering culturally relevant news, talk, gospel, and community programming focused on the Black experience. The offering is extended via the VON-tv OTT streaming platform, SoundCloud podcasts, and live community events, with programming featuring on-air personalities such as Al Sharpton, Cleopatra Draper, and Matt McGill.
Is WVON 1690AM a public or private company?
WVON 1690AM is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was WVON 1690AM founded?
WVON 1690AM was founded in 1963. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is WVON 1690AM based?
WVON 1690AM is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does WVON 1690AM make money?
One revenue line is on record: advertising & Sponsorships.
Who are WVON 1690AM's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Emmis Communications, Salem Communications and Urban One. Broad incumbents are BET Media Group, Audacy, iHeartMedia, SiriusXM and Cumulus Media. Regional players are WGN Radio and WBEZ / Chicago Public Media.
Does WVON 1690AM have an API?
No public API is recorded for WVON 1690AM.
What industry is WVON 1690AM in?
WVON 1690AM's product category is Talk Radio Broadcasting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAEAG, Talk/News/Sports Radio Networks & Syndication, with a secondary code of MPAIAEAA, Commercial Terrestrial Radio Broadcasting (AM/FM). Its NAICS code is 51611 and its SIC code is 4832.