WONC FM 89.1

WONC broadcasts at 89.1 FM and is licensed to Naperville, Illinois, serving the greater Chicago area. The station is owned by North Central College and has been in continuous operation since July 1, 1968. Studios are housed in a renovated building at 232 E. Chicago Avenue in Naperville, having previously occupied the fourth floor of the Old Main campus building prior to 1997. The broadcast tower is situated at 1805 High Grove Lane on the western edge of the city. The station adopted an album-oriented rock (AOR) format around 1987, operating under the slogan "Pure Rock FM 89." Before that transition, WONC functioned as a more typical freeform college station, with a period of adult contemporary programming preceding the current AOR format. The station has earned significant recognition within college broadcasting circles. Under faculty advisor and general manager John V. Madormo, who held the position from 1980 until his retirement following the 2017-18 academic year, WONC won 20 Marconi awards — more than any other college station during that period. Madormo previously worked as a producer at Chicago's WGN radio. WONC has been an active participant in the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) awards program, winning the 2015 Abraham and Borst Best College Station in the Nation and the 2015 IBS Best College Station in the under-10,000 enrollment category. The station celebrated its 50th anniversary in May 2018 with an alumni event covered by the Daily Herald and NCTV17. Current programming includes specialty shows spanning Latin music, indie, punk, Korean pop, jazz standards, and sports coverage.