| Broadcast area | Macon County, Illinois |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1050 kHz |
| Branding | Fox Sports 1050 AM Decatur |
| Programming | |
| Format | Sports |
| Affiliations | Fox Sports Radio Chicago Cubs Radio Network Chicago Bears Radio Network Millikin Big Blue football |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WCZQ, WDZQ, WSOY, WSOY-FM | |
| History | |
First air date | March 17, 1921 (as 9JR in Tuscola, Illinois)[1] April 5, 1922 (as WDZ)[2] |
Call sign meaning | none (randomly assigned) |
| Technical information[3] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 53348 |
| Class | B |
| Power | 1,000 watts day 250 watts night |
Transmitter coordinates | 39°48′54″N 89°00′09″W / 39.81500°N 89.00250°W |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | nowdecatur |
WDZ (1050 AM) is a commercial radio station, licensed to Decatur, Illinois. It broadcasts a sports radio format and calls itself "Fox Sports 1050." It is owned by the Neuhoff Corporation, which also owns four other local radio stations, WCZQ, WDZQ, WSOY and WSOY-FM. Studios and offices are located on North Water Street. It is one of the oldest radio stations in Illinois, and one of the few that still carry a three-letter call sign along with WGN and WLS Chicago.
WDZ operates on 1050 kHz, a clear channel frequency reserved for Mexico. By day, WDZ is powered at 1,000 watts non-directional. But it must reduce power to 250 watts at night so it doesn't interfere with other stations on the frequency. WDZ is diplexed (i.e., shares the vertical radiator) with co-owned 1340 WSOY. The transmitter site is on St. Louis Bridge Road at Wesley Road in Decatur.[4]