Although I didn't grown up in Chicago this station will have always have a special place in my heart because of its founding parent company, Field Communications, in which this station's call letters (WFLD) is named after.
In the late 1970s to early 1980s Field owned not only owned WFLD but a TV station in my hometown of Philadelphia, Channel 48 (WKBS), as well. Both were indy stations.
Then 1983 arrived WFLD was sold to Metromedia but WKBS wasn't sold due to Field's inability to sell Channel 48 at their asking price. Therefore Field decided to shut down Channel 48 and return its license back to the FCC in DC.
And then Metromedia sold Channel 32 to Fox in '86 and it became Fox 32 and then later in the late 90s Fox Chicago; while the WKBS call letters resurfaced on Channel 47 in Altoona, PA (350 miles away from Philly) and Channel 48 reincarnated as WGTW in 1992 here as independent turned religious station first owned by Brunson Communications and sold to TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) in 2004.
There is debate among some of us on what WKBS 48 would have became if they didn't shut down. My theory is if Metromedia bought WKBS like they did WFLD we would more than likely became Fox 48 instead of Channel 29 becoming Fox.
I envy you Chicagoans for having a station like WFLD because of its transitions from Field Communications to Metromedia and to Fox showing a beautiful evolution. I just wish Channel 48 went that way as well.
more