97.1 The Drive

What 97.1 The Drive does

97.1 The Drive (WDRV Chicago) is a classic rock formatted radio station operating on 97.1 FM and HD Radio in the Chicago metropolitan area, launched in 2001 and celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2025-2026. The station's core product is continuous live classic rock programming featuring recognized on-air personalities including the Sherman & Tingle morning show (5:30-9 AM weekdays), Janda Lane, Tim Virgin, Lern, Professor of Rock, Byrd, Tim Spencer, and Dave Mazur. Its technology stack combines traditional FM/HD broadcast infrastructure with digital streaming via wdrv.com, dedicated iOS/Android mobile apps, an Amazon Alexa voice skill, and distribution on TuneIn.

The business model is pure advertising-based B2C broadcasting: the station sells commercial airtime to local and national advertisers targeting Chicago-area listeners and generates no consumer-facing fees. Beyond the FM broadcast, the company operates an extensive portfolio of branded podcasts (Behind The Song, Professor of Rock with 700+ artist interviews, Rock N Roll Story Guys, Hubbard Helps: Chicago, Stupiracy, Hysteria 51, Unidentified Alien Podcast), a weekly Drive Mail email newsletter, a Listener Rewards loyalty program, and live event activations including the Modelo-sponsored Traveling Thirsty Thursday series.

97.1 The Drive is owned and operated by Hubbard Radio Chicago, LLC, an Illinois-domiciled LLC that is itself a subsidiary of Hubbard Broadcasting, a family-owned media conglomerate headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota. The station's headquarters and studios are located at 130 East Randolph #2700 in Chicago. Recognized with a 2025 NAB Marconi Radio Award, the station serves adult Chicago-area listeners interested in classic rock music, local personality-driven entertainment, concert information, and community engagement.

Name

97.1 The Drive

Legal name

Hubbard Radio Chicago, LLC

Website

https://wdrv.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

97.1 The Drive (WDRV) is a Chicago-based classic rock radio station broadcasting on 97.1 FM, owned by Hubbard Radio Chicago. It serves adult Chicago-metro listeners with live programming, an extensive podcast portfolio, mobile and Alexa streaming, and listener rewards, monetizing exclusively through advertising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Classic Rock Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Non-Interactive Digital Radio (Lean-Back Streaming) (MPAIACAB)

Keywords

• Classic rock radio
• FM radio broadcasting
• Digital audio streaming
• Radio advertising sales
• Podcast production

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Radio Advertising: Traditional broadcast and digital advertising model selling commercial airtime to local and national advertisers targeting Chicago metro area listeners

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

97.1 The Drive (WDRV) is a Chicago-based classic rock radio station that broadcasts live FM/HD radio programming 24/7. The station monetizes its audience primarily through traditional broadcast and digital advertising sold to local and national advertisers. It complements its on-air content with an extensive portfolio of original podcasts, a branded mobile app, an Amazon Alexa skill, a Listener Rewards loyalty program, and live events in the Chicago metropolitan area.

Product overview

97.1 The Drive (WDRV Chicago) is a classic rock radio station providing a multi-platform audio entertainment experience. The core offering is live FM radio broadcasting on 97.1 FM featuring classic rock music with live hosts throughout the day. This is complemented by an extensive portfolio of branded podcasts including Behind The Song, The Sherman & Tingle Morning Show, Professor of Rock, Rock N Roll Story Guys, Hubbard Helps: Chicago, Stupiracy, Hysteria 51, and Unidentified Alien Podcast. Digital access is enabled through The Drive mobile app (iOS/Android) and an Amazon Alexa voice skill. The station also offers a Listener Rewards program for audience engagement. The products work together to provide continuous classic rock content across FM radio, streaming, on-demand podcast listening, and voice-activated platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Behind The Song: A podcast by The Drive's Janda Lane that dives deep into the stories behind classic rock's biggest hits. Episodes released weekly on Wednesdays.
• Professor of Rock
• Sherman & Tingle Morning Show
• Classic Rock U

Products and services

• WDRV Classic Rock Live Radio Broadcast Continuous 24/7 classic rock music programming on 97.1 FM, with HD radio simulcast, featuring live on-air personalities (Sherman & Tingle mornings, Janda Lane, Tim Virgin, Lern, Professor of Rock, Byrd, Tim Spencer, Dave Mazur) throughout the day for Chicago metro listeners.
• Behind The Song Podcast On-demand podcast hosted by Janda Lane that dives deep into the stories, lyrics, and artists behind classic rock's biggest hits, distributed via the station's website, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
• The Sherman & Tingle Show Podcast On-demand podcast companion to the Sherman & Tingle weekday morning radio show (5:30AM-10AM CT), featuring classic rock content, the 7:30 Song Challenge, and the 'What's That Noise' segment for Chicago classic rock listeners.
• Professor of Rock Podcast On-demand podcast featuring stories of the greatest songs and artists of the Rock Era, told by the artists themselves through more than 700 interviews, produced at The Drive's Chicago studios.
• Rock N Roll Story Guys Podcast On-demand podcast in which two hosts discuss and demystify rumors, innuendos, and hidden details surrounding some of the biggest bands and songs in rock and roll history, for classic rock enthusiasts.
• Hubbard Helps: Chicago Podcast On-demand locally-produced Public Affairs podcast featuring weekly conversations with Chicago-area officials, experts, and organizations working to make a difference in the community, hosted by Kara Hernandez.
• Stupiracy Podcast On-demand podcast exploring bizarre tales where conspiracy and history meet absurdity, hosted by Scott Rizzuto and Tim McKernan, with new episodes released every Monday.
• Hysteria 51 Podcast On-demand weekly podcast covering UFOs, paranormal topics, and unexplained phenomena, hosted by Brent Hand and David Flora alongside Conspiracy Bot.
• Unidentified Alien Podcast

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ModelominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 July 2026Sponsor of Traveling Thirsty Thursday events with Sherman & Tingle, providing promotional support and brand visibility at local bar events in the Chicago area
• Hubbard Radio ChicagocoreOthersParent company owning and operating WDRV as part of the Hubbard Radio Chicago station group. Responsible for station management, advertising sales, and corporate operations.
• Village of Bedford ParkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Classic Rock U radio program, an audience-engaging venture featuring over 700 captivating interviews with classic rock artists

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Q104.3 (iHeartMedia, New York): Long-running New York classic rock station. Same format, similar on-air personality model, comparable multi-platform distribution — the prototypical top-market classic rock brand and a useful strategic comp.
• WZLX 100.7 (Audacy, Boston): Boston classic rock station with a strong personality-driven lineup (e.g., Carter Alan) and active event strategy. Direct format and operating-model twin to WDRV in a different top-10 market.
• WXRT 93.1 FM (Audacy): Chicago's other heritage classic rock station, directly competing for the same classic rock listener, ad dollars, and talent within the Chicago MSA. Most head-to-head comparable station in the local market.

Others

• Townsquare Media: Operator of mid-market terrestrial radio clusters and a strong digital/programmatic ad stack (Townsquare Interactive). Comparable broadcast + local digital monetization playbook, though smaller-market focus.

Broad incumbents

• iHeartMedia Chicago: Major Chicago radio cluster operator (V103, WGCI, WVAZ, etc.) competing for the same Chicago ad budgets and audience across multiple formats. Operates at scale across many dayparts that 97.1 The Drive does not address.
• Spotify: On-demand music streaming platform with lean-back curated playlists (e.g., Classic Rock, All Classic Rock) targeting the same adult listening occasions. Primary digital competitor for share-of-ear among the same demo.
• SiriusXM: Subscription digital radio service featuring dedicated classic rock channels (Classic Vinyl, Classic Rewind). Competes for the same in-car and at-work listening occasions via a national, mobile-first delivery model.
• Audacy, Inc. Parent of WXRT and other heritage classic rock stations (e.g., WZLX Boston). National scale broadcaster with directly overlapping format expertise and competing podcast sales infrastructure.
• Cumulus Media Chicago / Westwood One: National radio group with a Chicago cluster that competes with WDRV for both listeners and local/regional ad spend. Same broadcast + digital distribution model, broader format portfolio.
• iHeartRadio (digital): National digital streaming aggregation of iHeart stations plus custom stations. Competes directly with the WDRV app and TuneIn for digital listenership of the same classic rock audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/971TheDrive
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@behindthesongpodcast
• Facebookfacebook.com/971TheDrive
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/97-1-fm-the-drive
• Instagraminstagram.com/971thedrive

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 97.1 The Drive