WGN-TV Is Chicago’s Very Own
If you were a child in Chicago anytime between 1961 and 1994, you will recognize the following names: Cooky, Wizzo, Cuddly Dudley, Garfield Goose… These characters and more were all regulars on Bozo's Circus and then on the even more popular The Bozo Show, both of which were produced locally and aired on WGN.1
You might drive by the WGN television studios and not even know it. While most of the other TV stations in Chicago broadcast from beautiful skyscrapers downtown (including the NBC Tower), the WGN structure looks like a boring office building. That's because it was constructed in 1963, in the shadow of the Cuban Missile Crisis, when the threat of attack was a serious concern. In light of this, many TV and radio stations were built strong and without drawing too much attention to themselves. If there was an attack, it would be up to stations like WGN to broadcast important information to the country.2
The building is home to WGN Television and WGN America, and housed WGN Radio (720 AM) before it moved to the Tribune Tower. While best known for its coverage of the Chicago Cubs, WGN-TV has televised games from almost all of the city's major professional sports franchises'the White Sox, the Bulls, the Blackhawks (but not the Bears)'and even football and basketball games from some of Chicago's college teams.
Unfortunately, now that the L.A. Dodgers have swept the Cubs, no one will be watching any more Cubs games on the station this season.
Photo credit: (c/o Flickr) Scott Robbin, gingerbydesign, Aaron Brown: Photography
WGN Television: 2501 W Bradley Pl; 773-528-2311
Public trans: Bus # 49, X49, 152
1 The Bozo Show. (2008). Retrieved October 5, 2008, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bozo_Show
2 WGN Television. (n.d.). Retrieved October 5, 2008, from Chicago Architecture Info Web site: http://www.chicagoarchitecture.info/Building/1334/WGN_Television.php
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POSTED IN: Architecture & Attractions, Entertainment, Filmed in Chicago, Sports and Recreation
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