WPNA


WPNA is a time-brokered radio station licensed to Oak Park, Illinois, United States, the station serves the Chicago area. The station is currently owned by Alliance Communications.

Programming

The majority of the station's programming is Polish language news, talk, and sports. They also feature polka music on the weekends, such as the long running Eddie Blazonczyk Polka Show hosted by Tish Blazonczyk, and the IPA Polka Show sponsored by the International Polka Association.
WPNA is the home of the Hagerty Family Irish Program, the longest running Irish program in the United States. This program has been on the station every Saturday morning since 1951.

History

The station began broadcasting October 7, 1950. The station's call sign was originally WEBS, but before going on the air the call sign was changed to WOPA to reflect the location of its studios. The studios and antenna were in the former Oak Park Arms Hotel, now a retirement community.
Pervis Spann began his radio career on WOPA in 1959.
In 1984, the station's call sign was changed to WBMX.
In 1987, the station was sold to the Polish National Alliance for $2 million, and its call sign was changed to WPNA. WPNA was the home of the long-running Chet Gulinski Show, which featured polka music and was quite popular in Chicago's Eastern European communities.