 Currently, the station has some of the country's best-respected thought leaders as talk show hosts including Al Sharpton, Tavis Smiley, Roland Martin, and Jesse Jackson Sr.

WVON's origins lie in WHFC, which began in 1926, broadcasting from the Hotel Flanders in Chicago.It was owned by Richard W. Hoffman.Like many stations of the time, WHFC shared time with other stations on its frequency.