WLS (1968, Chuck Olin Associates)

A sponsored film made for Chicago radio station WLS as a promotional tool to sell airtime to advertisers. Includes scenes inside the studio with DJ Clark Weber, footage of the WLS programmer John Rook as he rides the train into to the city from the suburbs, and shots of potential radio listeners amongst picturesque views of Chicago.
Chuck Olin Associates (is production company)
Weber, Clark (is participant)
Original: 16mm., Color, Sound, Found in Chicago Film Archives' Chuck Olin Collection (www.chicagofilm...)
Explore over 1200 streaming films from Chicago Film Archives here (!):
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[@fazbell]

John Rook. What incredible pomposity.

[@amycollins8832]

If they played actual 60's -80's WLS playlists on a modern station with well spoken DJs and announcers I would listen to it all day. Radio in general went into the toilet after it was deregulated in the 1990s.

[@bobjlv]

I was stationed at Chanute AFB, IL. WLS was "it" for me! That was in 1969! What a station!! Glad I made unscoped airchecks of them.

[@Eggmanontheair]

So nice to see a time capsule of an era where people actually gave a damn about radio.

[@joeram3289]

"It's good for us but we gotta make sure it's good for the advertiser too otherwise it doesn't make sense." In my entire career in broadcasting, I never heard anyone in management say that!

[@brentmann2988]

LMAO! Great comment!

[@truckerkevthepaidtourist]

RIP Clark. died at 89 coincidence??

[@fatherdmj]

The date of this movie is October 14, 1968.

[@fatherdmj]

"Hey Jude" was a single in 1968. It did not appear on "Let It Be".

[@paulwalker1443]

Fascinating look at the radio biz circa 1968, though heavy on the advertising side. WLS was huge back then, and the jocks didn't run their own boards. Union rules prevented them from doing that. Chicago was one of the greatest US markets in the 60's and 70's. I miss the great AM's of the era. It is gone forever.

[@brentmann2988]

5:48 Lyle Dean has an amazing voice!

[@Johns805]

...great to see and hear WLS when I was listening on my transistor radio at the time in Chicago...thanks , love this stuff.... :)!

[@sueme1954]

Those were the days of Those Were the Days which I sang an hour ago to my grandson .A song I learned from the radio.❤

[@SlickShow]

"It's got to be good for the client, as well as for us..."

[@mariannejadlowski3270]

WLS was always my fave. Clark Weber, Ron Riley, Art Roberts and so many others I was once a Guest Teen DJ on the Art Roberts Show and it was such an exciting event for me? I wish radio was still so entertaining and less political!

[@stevegettler5970]

Remember the guest teen DJ segment

[@OPTIONALWATCH]

Great stuff, I'm from 1971, but love these documentaries. Too bad that hardly anyone listens to radio unless in the car and that's if they didn't bluetooth their cells to the car radio.

[@MIKECNW]

Now how do you know that?

[@OPTIONALWATCH]

Because when I get in someone else's car they don't have the radio on, but back until 2005 they did. Now the car stereo has Bluetooth, and USB access and they rather go that route.

[@boeing757pilot]

Yes, ppl would listen to terrestrial radio if only the programming wasnt so stale and dead.

[@ernestconnell8087]

Well, this was the WLS that was taken away from all of us. 🤬

[@MIKECNW]

Shut up.

[@MIKECNW]

Wasn't around in the 60's but do remember the C&NW and the engines being louder that the modern day Metra ones.Wonder where John is today?Have to admit while I did watch this film for what it was about I also enjoy watching because of what Chicago looked liked and seeing the old C&NW trains. Funny to see him running for the train.I forgot the add Park Ridge was the home of The Deep End Club which was across the tracks on Touhy, Meacham and Busse HWY.

[@MIKECNW]

+MIKECNW I also learned Mr. Rook Passed away early this month.

[@patrickjdoody]

My dad is in this.

[@tommyboy6494]

Doody, really???

[@mikerafone4736]

tom doody cryan shames helped the sound track chicago mid 60s

[@patrickjdoody]

@@mikerafone4736 My dad was Ed - he was in sales for WLS and ended up being the head of sales there. He's in this video very briefly. he was also good friends with Clark Weber who died last month, which was very sad for my father.

[@sueme1954]

Well, then. Howdy!! 😁🤡 You look like your daddy. 👍👍. WLS was the best.

[@timengleman]

This video precedes the Mary Tyler Moore and Bob Newhart shows by several years. The opening seems to anticipate both the scenes and audio of those show theme sequences.

[@THEMOJOMANsince1959]

Great BUT what happened? The other stations simply counter programmed an then it was back to square one. Personalities will always be there FORMULAS won't. The corporate owners just kept moving PDs around and Cue Card Readers around,,,telling the sponsors "Listen what we're doing now".

[@greg11311]

Interesting video

[@jeffglazer5418]

With Clark Weber passing away this spring 2020, isn't it fitting that we was age 89 on his passing.

[@MIKECNW]

Does anyone know the name of the song that plays as Mr. Rook's riding the train that goes "Up To Frisco?"

[@spuzzlightyeartoo]

I don't think there was a single black person in this. lol.

[@stevemoravec2555]

Baloney! 🙄