Section A, story 44 min read
Chicago’s airwaves speak more than English. The city has two Spanish-language TV networks with local newsrooms, several Spanish-language radio stations and Polish-language radio on both FM and AM. This guide lists the stations we could confirm through the FCC’s public files and the stations’ own websites. We give the call sign, frequency and licensee for each, and quote the station’s own description where it gives one. We do not guess at music formats a station does not state itself.
Spanish-language television
| Channel | Call sign | Name on its website | City of license | Licensee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | WSNS-TV | Telemundo Chicago | Chicago | NBC Telemundo License |
| 66 | WGBO-DT | Univision Chicago | Joliet | WGBO License Partnership |
| 60 | WXFT-DT | — | Aurora | Unimas Chicago |
Telemundo Chicago’s website describes itself, in Spanish, as the place for the latest local Chicago news and weather reports. The Univision Chicago page carries local news, weather and lottery results. WXFT-DT’s licensee name in the FCC’s files is Unimas Chicago. All three are free over the air with an antenna; the UHF channels they use are listed in Chicago TV Channels: The Local Stations You Can Watch With an Antenna.
Watching them with an antenna
All three Spanish-language TV stations broadcast on UHF channels, according to the FCC: WSNS-TV on RF 29, WGBO-DT on RF 35 and WXFT-DT on RF 22, a channel the FCC also lists for WLS-TV. That makes them easier to receive than CBS Chicago, which uses a VHF channel. Even a simple flat indoor antenna placed high in a window should find them in much of the city. WGBO-DT is licensed to Joliet and WXFT-DT to Aurora, but both aim at the whole Chicago market. If one is missing after a scan, move the antenna and scan again before anything else; TV Antennas in Chicago High-Rises: What Works When You Live Above the Street has more tips.
Spanish-language radio
| Frequency | Call sign | City of license | Licensee in FCC files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 93.5 FM | WVIV-FM | Lemont | Univision Radio Stations Group |
| 105.1 FM | WOJO | Evanston | Tichenor License Corporation |
| 106.7 FM | WPPN | Des Plaines | Univision Radio Stations Group |
| 107.9 FM | WLEY-FM | Aurora | WLEY Licensing |
| 1200 AM | WRTO | Chicago | Latino Media Network |
The Univision Chicago page lists 93.5, 105.1 and 106.7 among its frequencies, and the FCC lists two of those, 93.5 and 106.7, under Univision Radio Stations Group. The best-confirmed brand on this list is Latino Mix 93.5 FM: the Chicago Bears’ 2026 game pages name it as the team’s Spanish-language radio home, with Omar Ramos calling play-by-play.
Tip: Station names change more often than call signs. If you are looking for a station you remember by name, its frequency is the more reliable guide.
Polish-language radio
| Frequency | Call sign | City of license | Licensee in FCC files | Name on its website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 103.1 FM | WPNA-FM | Evanston | Alliance Radio | Polskie Radio 103.1 FM Chicago |
| 1030 AM | WNVR | Vernon Hills | Polnet Communications | — |
WPNA-FM’s own site calls it Polskie Radio 103.1 FM Chicago and describes its programming as a Polish-American mix of music, news and shows. Polskie Radio USA, which presents itself as the Polish Radio Network USA with stations in Chicago, New York, Florida and Poland, lists both 103.1 FM and 1030 AM among its frequencies. WNVR on 1030 AM is licensed to Vernon Hills and held by Polnet Communications.
Reception tips
Several of these stations are licensed to suburbs, Lemont, Evanston, Des Plaines, Aurora and Vernon Hills, which affects how strongly they come in across the region. A station licensed to Aurora may be strong in the western suburbs and weaker on the North Shore. AM 1030 and AM 1200 are subject to the usual AM problems: electrical noise indoors and changes at night.
- For FM, extend the antenna fully and try a window position.
- For AM, rotate the radio itself; AM radios use a directional antenna inside the case.
- Keep radios away from LED lights, dimmers and chargers, which cause AM interference.
- In a car, try both the AM and the FM version where a station has one.
HD Radio and streams
Some stations add extra digital channels, labelled HD2 or HD3, which need an HD Radio receiver. Most stations also stream through their websites or apps, which is often the easiest way to listen from outside the coverage area or inside a building where reception is poor.
Emergency information in Spanish
During emergencies, alerts on TV and radio come through the Emergency Alert System, and Spanish-language stations carry them like every other broadcaster. The National Weather Service also publishes guidance on Wireless Emergency Alerts in Spanish. For how alerts reach your phone and TV, see Emergency Alerts in Chicago: TV, Radio, Phones and Weather Radio.
Finding more
The stations above are those we could confirm from official records and the stations’ own pages. There are also smaller stations, HD subchannels and part-time programs in Spanish, Polish and many other languages on Chicago radio. Scanning slowly across both bands in your own neighborhood is the best way to find them. For the complete English-language dial, see Chicago Radio Stations by Frequency: FM and AM From Bottom to Top.