A FEW WORDS

WVON Vintage Logo
History
The Original owners of Chess Records, Leonard and Phil Chess, first carved out the canvas of WVON in 1963, a station designed to be “The Voice of the Negro.”
Later they assembled the dynamic group of Radio personalities, The Good Guys. This group had the title of the Top 3 Radio Stations in Chicago.
Political activism and cultural awareness became the nationwide recognition attached to WVON. To magnify the station’s capabilities, in 1977, WVON was bought by Midway Broadcasting owners Wesley South and Pervis Spann. Today the station is continuing to flourish with Melody Spann-Cooper’s radio expertise in Chicago.
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Meet Our CEO
Melody Spann Cooper is the driving force behind Midway Broadcasting Corporation. As the daughter of the company’s co-founder Pervis Spann, she joined an elite list of female-owned media companies in 1999 when she became Chairwoman of the company, which now includes broadcast and digital platforms. In addition to the company’s flagship station WVON, Spann Cooper expanded the company’s assets in 2007, with the development of WRLL Radio, The Voice of Chicago’s Latino Community. In October 2020, she oversaw the launch of Midway Broadcasting’s new OTT Digital Streaming Platform, VONtv, (pronounced Vaughn) which can be seen in more than 100 million+ households on ROKU, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime and at von.tv.
Spann Cooper serves on many professional and civic boards including as Co-Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Council for the Obama Foundation; as Commissioner of the Illinois Liquor Control Commission; as Chair of the Illinois Broadcasting Association; as a board member of the FCC Communications Equity and Diversity Council (CEDC), and as a board member of the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters,
In 2019, she released her first book, The Girlfriend’s Guide to Closing the Deal, a semi-biographical publication for women about people, power and purpose.

WVON in the News
Introducing VON.tv Digital TV Streaming Network with Culturally Relevant Original & Commercial Content
PR Newswire – October 1, 2020
Illinois Black-owned media coalition seeks bigger slice of $2 billion state advertising pie
Chicago Tribune – September 23, 2020
Feder: WVON to add ‘enhanced news’ with Black Information Network
Daily Herald – July 16, 2020
UChicago symposium focuses on business diversity in professional services
UChicago News – December 9, 2019
To Chicago’s next mayor: Words of anticipation, hope from black women
Chicago Suntimes – April 1, 2019
With Sale, Essence is Once Again a Fully Black-Owned Magazine
The New York Times – January 3, 2018
Radio disc jockey Herb Kent remembered as a gentleman
Austin Weekly News – October 26, 2016
Chicago Radio Legend Herb Kent ‘The Cool Gent’ Dies At Age 88
DNA Info – October 23, 2016
Chicago’s Iconic WVON Radio Celebrates 50 Fabulous Years
Ebony Magazine – April 17, 2013
WVON AM Radio Celebrates 50 Years in Chicago
DNA Info – April 3, 2013
The 2nd Annual Taste of WVON
Chicago Now – July 22, 2012
Ariel Investments, UBR Radio Show Fetes “Game Changers”
Black Enterprise – August 8, 2010
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