Midway Broadcasting
Midway Broadcasting Corporation is a privately held Chicago media company operating WVON 1690 (Black talk radio), WRLL 1450 (Latino radio), and VON TV (OTT streaming), serving Black and Latino audiences via advertising and event marketing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1963
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Midway Broadcasting does
Midway Broadcasting Corporation is a privately held, African-American-owned media company headquartered in Chicago that operates a portfolio of broadcast and digital properties serving the city's Black and Latino communities. Its core assets are WVON 1690 AM, a Black talk and news radio station that has been on the air since 1963, and WRLL 1450 AM, a Spanish-language radio property operated under a joint venture with iHeartMedia established in 2007. Together these stations, plus digital extensions reaching 300,000+ unique monthly visitors, anchor the company's role as a long-standing community media outlet in Chicago.
In 2020 the company extended into on-demand digital video with the launch of VON TV, an OTT streaming platform distributed through third-party streaming partners with a combined reach of 117 million+ potential households. VON TV represents the company's primary growth vector, layering digital distribution and audience data onto the legacy radio franchise and enabling advertiser access beyond the Chicago terrestrial signal.
The business model is advertising-led, with revenue generated from radio ad sales across WVON and WRLL, digital and OTT ad inventory on VON TV and owned web properties, and event marketing / experiential campaigns. Customer segments are brand and corporate advertisers seeking reach into Black and Hispanic Chicago audiences, supplemented by direct event sponsorships. The company employs 51–100 people and remains under family control, with Melody Spann Cooper serving as Chairman and CEO since acquiring a controlling interest in 1999.
Midway Broadcasting firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Midway Broadcasting
- Legal name
- Midway Broadcasting Corporation
- Website
- https://midwaybroadcasting.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1963
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Midway Broadcasting Corporation is a privately held Chicago media company operating WVON 1690 (Black talk radio), WRLL 1450 (Latino radio), and VON TV (OTT streaming), serving Black and Latino audiences via advertising and event marketing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Midway Broadcasting industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Urban Radio Broadcasting
- NAICS
- Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Television Broadcasting Stations (51612)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising (7310), Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local Multicultural/Language Broadcasters (Spanish/Asian/Other Local Markets) (MPABACAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Live Streaming & Low-Latency OTT Orchestration (LL-HLS, DASH, WebRTC) (MPAHAJAK), Branded Content & Sponsorship Licensing (Integrations, Product Placement) (MPABANAH)
Keywords
Where Midway Broadcasting is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Midway Broadcasting business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Radio Advertising: Traditional radio broadcast advertising on WVON 1690 and WRLL 1450 stations targeting Chicago's Black and Latino communities.
- Digital/OTT Advertising: Digital advertising on VON TV OTT platform and digital properties, reaching 300K+ monthly visitors.
- Event Marketing and Experiential Campaigns: Turnkey experiential marketing campaigns directly linking clients to consumers through events.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Midway Broadcasting product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Midway Broadcasting Corporation operates broadcast and digital media platforms targeting Chicago's Black and Latino communities, including AM radio stations WVON 1690 and WRLL 1450 and an OTT streaming platform (VON TV). The company monetizes these platforms by selling advertising inventory to brand clients and by providing event-marketing and experiential campaign services for advertisers seeking urban, multicultural reach in the Chicago market.
Product overview
Midway Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) operates a multi-platform media portfolio consisting of radio broadcast and digital platforms. The core offering comprises three properties: WVON 1690 (Chicago's urban legacy Black Talk/News radio station founded in 1963), WRLL 1450 (Chicago's Latino community radio station launched in 2007 via iHeart Media joint venture), and VON TV (an OTT digital streaming platform launched in 2020). The company serves Chicago's Black and Latino populations with niche programming and content across broadcast, digital, and streaming channels, achieving over 300K unique monthly visitors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- WVON 1690: Chicago's legendary urban station with Black Talk/News format, recognized as a leading source of information and community empowerment for over 50 years.
- WRLL 1450
- VON-TV
Products and services
- WVON 1690 AM Urban talk AM radio station broadcasting on 1690 kHz to Chicago's Black community, providing news, talk, and culturally relevant programming, and selling advertising inventory to brand clients.
- WRLL 1450 AM AM radio station on 1450 kHz focused on Chicago's Latino community, providing Spanish-language and culturally relevant programming and carrying advertising aimed at Latino consumers.
- VON TV OTT streaming platform extending the WVON brand and Midway Broadcasting programming to digital streaming audiences, with advertising inventory available to brand clients seeking urban reach beyond terrestrial radio.
- Event Marketing Services Experiential/event-marketing campaigns for brand clients, often bundled with radio and OTT media buys, providing on-the-ground community activation in Chicago's Black and Latino markets.
Quantifiable outcome
- 300K+ unique monthly visitors to digital platforms
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Midway Broadcasting
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Midway Broadcasting technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Midway Broadcasting partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- iHeartMediacoreIn 2007, Midway Broadcasting entered a joint venture with iHeartMedia (formerly Clear Channel) that expanded MBC's properties to include WRLL 1450, Chicago's home for Latino independent broadcasters. This partnership enabled MBC to extend its reach into the Latino community and significantly grow its portfolio of stations.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Midway Broadcasting competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Roberts Broadcasting: Operates multicultural TV/radio properties targeting African-American audiences, including the BOUNCE TV network. Comparable as a smaller, multicultural-focused media operator with overlapping audience and content approach.
- Latino Media Network: Spanish-language media company operating radio stations serving Hispanic communities across multiple U.S. markets. Comparable on the WRLL 1450 side as a Spanish-language community radio operator targeting Latino audiences.
Direct peers
- Urban One: The largest African-American-owned radio broadcasting company in the U.S., operating TV One and Radio One networks. Directly comparable to Midway as a multi-platform multicultural media company targeting Black audiences, though at significantly greater scale.
- Salem Communications: Operates radio stations and digital platforms targeting niche audiences including multicultural and faith-based communities. Comparable as a multi-format independent broadcaster with similar ethnic/community-oriented programming strategy.
- Emmis Communications: Independent radio broadcaster operating multiple stations across U.S. markets with a focus on local content. Comparable as an independent radio operator pursuing community-driven local content strategies.
- Inner City Broadcasting: African-American owned broadcaster founded by Percy Sutton, operating urban radio stations and community-focused media properties. Closely comparable as a minority-owned community broadcaster targeting Black urban audiences.
Broad incumbents
- iHeartMedia: Largest U.S. radio operator and existing JV partner of MBC (via WRLL 1450). Comparable on broadcast and digital audio advertising model, and the most relevant partner/distribution counterparty for MBC's OTT ambitions.
- Audacy: Major U.S. radio operator and audio publisher (formerly Entercom/CBS Radio) with significant local-market radio stations and a digital audio platform. Comparable on broadcast model and digital diversification, but at much larger national scale.
- Cumulus Media: One of the largest U.S. radio broadcasters with hundreds of stations nationwide. Comparable at the broadcast format and advertising revenue model level, but operates at vastly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
- Univision Communications: Leading Spanish-language media company in the U.S. with TV, radio, and digital platforms targeting Hispanic audiences. Comparable on the WRLL side for Latino audience strategy, though operates at vastly larger scale with national reach.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Midway Broadcasting social profiles
Digital presenceMidway Broadcasting financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Midway Broadcasting leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Midway Broadcasting subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Midway Broadcasting funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Midway Broadcasting 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 Midway Broadcasting
What does Midway Broadcasting do?
Midway Broadcasting Corporation operates broadcast and digital media platforms targeting Chicago's Black and Latino communities, including AM radio stations WVON 1690 and WRLL 1450 and an OTT streaming platform (VON TV). The company monetizes these platforms by selling advertising inventory to brand clients and by providing event-marketing and experiential campaign services for advertisers seeking urban, multicultural reach in the Chicago market.
Is Midway Broadcasting a public or private company?
Midway Broadcasting is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Midway Broadcasting founded?
Midway Broadcasting was founded in 1963. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Midway Broadcasting based?
Midway Broadcasting is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Midway Broadcasting make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Radio Advertising is the primary driver. The others are digital/OTT Advertising and event Marketing and Experiential Campaigns.
Who are Midway Broadcasting's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Roberts Broadcasting and Latino Media Network. Direct peers are Urban One, Salem Communications, Emmis Communications and Inner City Broadcasting. Broad incumbents are iHeartMedia, Audacy, Cumulus Media and Univision Communications.
Does Midway Broadcasting have an API?
No public API is recorded for Midway Broadcasting.
What industry is Midway Broadcasting in?
Midway Broadcasting's product category is Urban Radio Broadcasting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPABACAI, Local Multicultural/Language Broadcasters (Spanish/Asian/Other Local Markets), with a secondary code of MPAHAJAK, Live Streaming & Low-Latency OTT Orchestration (LL-HLS, DASH, WebRTC). Its NAICS code is 5161 and its SIC code is 7310.