[3] The station was originally owned by Chicago area radio announcer, emcee, and engineer Russell G. Salter, and began broadcasting on September 21, 1960.
[9][1] The station initially ran 250 watts during daytime hours only with a three tower directional pattern towards Aurora.
[13][14][15] Chicago weathercaster Tom Skilling began his career at WKKD, c. 1966, while he attended High School in Aurora.
[18][19] In 1983, the station's callsign was changed back to WKKD and it became part of a partial simulcast with WKKD-FM, while continuing to air an adult contemporary format.
[30][31] In 1997, the station adopted an all-news format, airing the national audio feed of CNN Headline News.
[35] In early 2002, the station was sold to Kovas Communications for $825,000, and it began simulcasting the ethnic programming of WONX.