WCBR (Cyber Radio 92-7) – Arlington Heights/Chicago, IL – 8/22/97 – Jammin’ Down JD
“Broadcasting from Chicago to the world…”
Cyber Radio 92-7 was a brokered Dance CHR format that aired on weekends from approximately May to September 7, 1997 on the suburban WCBR signal. According to this message board posting, it was the first radio station in the Chicago area to broadcast on the Internet.
Cyber Radio debuted around the same time that longtime heritage Rhythmic CHR WBBM 96.3 FM “B96″ shifted its focus from Dance music to a more traditional Rhythmic CHR approach, yet continued to position itself as “Chicago’s Dance Beat”. Cyber Radio poked fun at its competitor, featuring liners such as “This is a dance beat…(insert dance song)…this is not (insert R&B song)”and “We’ve Got the Beat”.
Also from the aforementioned message board posting, legal issues took Cyber Radio off 92.7 FM. It returned to the airwaves for a brief period the following year, airing Friday nights on WCKG 105.9 FM. It later became Cyberradio2000.com, and now lives on as addictedtoradio.com.
WCBR became Mainstream CHR “92.7 Kiss-FM” near the end of the following year, and (ironically) back to Dance CHR as “Energy 92.7 & 5″ in early 2001. Dance music is still heard nightly on this frequency via Dance Factory Radio.
