WJKA-FM

WJKA-FM (106.9 FM) is a commercial radio station in Chicago, Illinois. The station is owned by Urban One and carries an adult hits format using the Jack FM name.

WJKA-FM's studios are located at the 16th floor of 303 East Wacker Drive in the Chicago Loop, with transmitters being located atop the Willis Tower in the Loop.

As a classical music station
On July 7, 1954, WAPM would launch an FM simulcast known as WAPM-FM. Both stations have classical music formats and were among one of the most popular of their kind for many years.

When it launched, WAPM-FM and its sister AM counterpart were owned by the locally based Chicago Educational Learning Company. But by 1988, both stations were sold to Nassau Broadcasting Partners, the company had a reputation of buying out several classical radio stations in big markets, most notably WCRB in Boston. Soon after the purchase, WAPM-FM would split from its simulcast of WAPM, albeit retaining its classical music format and its longtime call-letters.

Nassau, however, would sell its Chicago radio assets to EZ Communications (owner of WNTY-FM). However, EZ was not comfortable with owning a classical music station, and thus something had to change.

The Buzz
On September 8, 1994, WAPM-FM would drop its classical music format and switched to a hot talk format branded as "106.9 The Buzz: The Hottest Talk!". The switch was intended to introduce Chicago to many popular talk shows, the most notable show to broadcast on WAPM-FM/WBZZ during this period was Opie and Anthony. On October 1, 1994, WAPM-FM would officially change its call-letters to WBZZ.

While the format proved successful, it gained strong competition when rock station WCKG switched to hot talk in July 1996 and taking over the Chicago broadcast rights to many of WBZZ's shows.

In 1996, American Radio Systems would purchase EZ Communications, the sale was made effective on April 4, 1997.

106.9 The Point
On July 17, 1997, WBZZ would drop its hot talk format and would switch to a modern adult contemporary format branded as "106.9 The Point" and adopted the call-letters "WPTX". The first song to play 106.9 The Point was "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" by Puff Daddy.

In 1998, ARS would merge with Infinity Radio. However during the merger, Infinity was over the limits and thus sold ARS' Chicago cluster including WNTY-FM, WYCU, WAPM, WCMX-FM, WPTX to the African-American controlled Radio One (later known as Urban One). After Radio One's acquisition of WPTX, the station would start having an urban lean with his music library.

Rumba and simulcast with WROI
On August 15, 2003, WPTX would drop its modern AC format, with the last song played on 106.9 The Point being "In the End" by Linkin Park and switched to a Regional Mexican format branded "Rumba 106.9" and changed its call-letters to WRMB.

On June 18, 2008, the station would drop its Regional Mexican format and switch to a simulcast of WROI, under the call-letters WROQ. For 6 years, it carried WROI's sports format but both stations would switch to a classic hip hop format in November 13, 2014 as "Boom 91.7/106.9".

106.9 Jack FM
On February 2, 2015, WROQ would split from its simulcast of WROI and would switch to an adult hits format (using the Jack FM name) under the call-letters WJKA-FM, the second time an Urban One owned station in Chicago had an adult hits format since WYCU dropped the format in 2007. This would also mark the re-debut of the Jack FM brand in Chicago after WJMK dropped the brand in 2011 due to viewer outcry.

The first song to play on 106.9 Jack FM was "Need You Tonight" by INXS. The reintroduction of Jack FM into Chicago was proved to have more favorable reception compared to the brand's initial launch. The format has no on-air staff aside from "Jack" (voiced by Howard Cogan) who makes humorous quips and sarcastic comments on current events in between songs.

Unlike most Jack FM stations, including the former WJMK, which depicted Jack as a human, WJKA-FM depicts Jack as an anthropomorphic jackal, as seen in billboard and television ads, this was a callback to WYCU's spokes-mascot during its adult hits format being an anthropomorphic jackal known as Jessica. By mere coincidence, Jessica makes appearances as a secondary spokes-mascot for the station and is shown be Jack's love interest.

On January 1, 2022, the Chicago version of Jack FM gained mainstream notoriety when the station launched an art challenge known as The Year of the Alice, which has prompts related to the Disney version of Alice in Wonderland. While initially just for local listeners, the art challenge blew up in popularity to the point that Jack who stated the following day that the art challenge had nothing to do with a possible new Alice in Wonderland movie but instead was a challenge that Jack made right on the spot while trying to think of ways to engage with fan interactivity.