LesBiGay Radio
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- Alan Amberg
- Amy Matheny
- David Cottrell
- Mary Morten
- Rick Karlin
- Alexandra Billings
 | |
| Running time | 2 hours |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Home station | WSBC and WCFJ |
| Hosted by |
|
| Created by | Alan Amberg |
| Original release | June 1994 – April 27, 2001 |
LesBiGay Radio was a radio show catering to the LGBT population of Chicago, Illinois. A contraction of lesbian, bisexual, and gay, the radio program was founded in June 1994 by Alan Amberg, and broadcast until April 2001, just shy of its 7th anniversary.
It was America's only daily show for the LGBT community, with 520 hours broadcast a year.[1][2]
The show was inducted into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame in 1998.[3]
LesBiGay Radio was first announced to the public in the Chicago Tribune on May 22, 1994. It first aired in June, 1994 on WCBR, broadcasting primarily to the North Side due to the local gay population mostly being in that region.[3][4] It was founded in response to a lack of radio shows that appealed to the broad Chicago LGBTQ+ community. It billed itself as being for “gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgenders and the people who love us."[5]
The show moved to WNDZ to get a morning commute slot. Following this, it gained an evening slot for those commuting back home, with North Side listeners tuning in on WSBC and South Side listeners tuning in on WCFJ.[3]
In March 1996, the show became the first openly gay business to post billboards. It placed them in six locations across the North Side to advertise the show. It also posted advertisements on radio and television and sponsored various community events, and hosted a toll-free phone line.[5][3]
The show only began to break even in 1997, getting its start with a $100,000 inheritance from the late gay activist Jerry Cohen. It derived much of its income from advertisements and event tickets. It was able to afford five full-time staff.[5]
The radio show had its final show on April 27, 2001, just before its 7th anniversary. It was purchased by the Windy City Media Group, evolving into Windy City Radio Sunday nights on WCKG. This then became the Windy City Queercast in 2006, hosted by Matheny, Billings, among others. This show lasted until May, 2015.[6][7]