WSSR (96.7 FM, "Star 96-7") is a radio station broadcasting a hot adult contemporary format. Licensed to Joliet, Illinois, United States, it serves South and West Suburban Chicago. The station is owned by Alpha Media, through licensee Alpha Media Licensee LLC. WSSR's studios are located in Crest Hill, and its transmitter is in Homer Glen, Illinois. Using the slogan Star 96-7, the station features a playlist of new pop and pop-rock artists, 2000s and 1990s music.
The station first signed on the air on February 6, 1960, as WJOL-FM, sister station to AM 1340 WJOL.[1] The station shared its studios and transmitter site with the AM in Joliet, where it broadcast with an ERP of 1,000 watts at a height above average terrain (HAAT) of 125 feet.[2] Initially, WJOL-FM simulcast the programming of the AM part of the day, but aired beautiful music, classical music, and standards separate from the AM station during evening hours and weekends.[5][6] The station was owned by Joseph Novy and Jerome Cerny.[7][8]
By 1964, its programming was separate from its AM sister station, and the station was one of the first in the area to broadcast in stereo.[9] That year, WJOL-AM-FM were sold to Publishing Enterprises, owned by Jack Harris and family, for $560,000.[7][8] A year later, its ERP was increased to 3,000 watts and its HAAT was increased to 300 feet.[2]
In 1974, the station's call letters were changed to WLLI, an anagram for Will County, the primary county in its coverage area, and it aired a country music format.[10][2][11] Later that decade, the station switched to a MOR format,[12] and then a top 40 format.[13] By 1980, WLLI had returned to a MOR format.[14]
In 1984, the station switched to a top 40/CHR format.[15] In 1987, the station was sold to Joliet Broadcasting.[16][17] It would shift to an adult rock format in early 1988, and was branded "96.7 I-Rock".[11][18][19]
In early 1995, WLLI was sold to Barden Broadcasting, which changed the station's format to hot AC.[20][21][22] On January 22, 1996, the station adopted a country format.[23]
In January 1997, WLLI adopted a rock format, and was branded "96.7 Will Rock Rocks!".[24][25] Lonny Tyler was morning host and program director.[26][27] During this time the station carried the Motor Racing Network broadcasts of what was then known as the Winston Cup Series.[25]
On February 2, 2004, while playing "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses, the song started slowing down, until the song was cut halfway through. After 15 seconds of dead air and a minute of stunting with radio sounds, this led to the launch of the station's new adult contemporary format as "Star 96.7". The first song to air under the new branding and format is "Lucky Star" by Madonna.[32][33] The "Star" branded adult contemporary format had previously aired on 93.5 WJTW, but the station was sold to HBC and flipped to a Spanish language format, as WVIX.[32] On February 9, 2004, its call sign was changed to WSSR.[3]
In 2008, WSSR moved its transmitting antenna from Joliet (where it was co-located on WJOL's tower) to a 350-foot tower located at 159th Street & Cedar Road in Homer Glen.[34][35] The move solidified the stations signal coverage in the I-88 and I-355 corridor as well as the southwest suburbs.
WSSR and NextMedia's 32 other radio stations were sold to Digity, LLC for $85 million; the transaction was consummated on February 10, 2014.[36] Effective February 25, 2016, Digity, LLC and its 124 radio stations were acquired by Alpha Media for $264 million.[37][38]
Scott Childers joined WSSR in 2008 as afternoon drive host, and became program director in 2012.[39] In April 2019, Childers was replaced in his weekday afternoon and evening shift by Eddie Volkman.[40][41]
WSSR transmits in HD Radio and provides a multicast (extra) channel, which carries sister station, WJOL-AM 1340 on HD 2. The main HD channel, HD 1 simulcasts the over-the-air (analog) channel.[42]
