WCBU

Last updated
WCBU
WCBU main.jpg
Broadcast areaCentral Illinois
Frequency 89.9 MHz (HD Radio)
BrandingPeoria Public Radio
Programming
Format News and Information
Subchannels HD2: Classical
Affiliations NPR, PRX, American Public Media
Ownership
Owner Bradley University (operated by Illinois State University under management agreement)
WGLT
History
First air date
1970
Call sign meaning
Central (Illinois), Bradley University
Technical information
Facility ID 6610
Class B non-commercial educational
ERP 26,500 watts
HAAT 197.3 meters (647 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
40°37′44.1″N89°34′12.4″W / 40.628917°N 89.570111°W / 40.628917; -89.570111
Translator(s) 103.5 W278AE (Peoria, relays HD2)
Links
Webcast Listen Live
Website peoriapublicradio.org

WCBU is a listener-supported, non-commercial public radio station owned by Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. The station is a National Public Radio affiliate and is located on Bradley's campus.

Contents

WCBU first signed on in 1970. In 2007, WCBU became the first radio station in Central Illinois to offer a second channel of separate classical programming for listeners with HD Radio receivers.

In April 2019, Illinois State University, owner of Central Illinois' other NPR member, WGLT, and Bradley University signed an agreement in which ISU assumed operations of WCBU starting June 1, 2019. WCBU will continue to run broadcast operations on the Bradley campus and will keep the WCBU call letters and 89.9 FM frequency. ISU will manage WCBU’s personnel operations. WGLT’s translator signal at 103.5 FM in Peoria, which had simulcast WGLT’s signal, will simulcast WCBU-HD2’s classical music format. [1]

Programming

WCBU, Peoria Public Radio offers a wide variety of news and music programs on both its main and HD channels. Both channels can be heard via a live web streaming.

The station's main channel airs news and information and entertainment programming, including NPR's top news programs, All Things Considered , Morning Edition , Weekend Edition , 1A , Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! and Here & Now .

Some of the station's local programming:

Classical WCBU HD2 airs a full schedule of classical music. WCBU HD2 can be heard on HD Radio receivers or online. [2]

Some of the station's older, nostalgic, long time listeners consider the period beginning about 1979 and ending about 1986 to be the "Golden Age of WCBU." That period was marked by varying attempts at local programming and productions of varying quality and indeterminate audience appeal.

Programs from that period included "Why Did They Come?" a historical review of the original settlers of the Peoria River Valley. "Why Did They Come?" blended original insight with the radio dramatization. Other locally produced programs included "Pipes on the Prairie" produced and hosted by Terry Solomonson, which featured recordings of historic pipe organs from throughout central and southern Illinois and "The Duke Knight Radio Hour." "The Duke Knight Radio Hour" featured bluegrass and folk artists from around Central Illinois. It became a very popular program and attracted a large radio and live audience. Local musical favorites Applegate and Company, featuring brothers Bob and Dick Applegate, Rich Mitts and Bill Harlan were regulars on the program, which was broadcast live from the Dingeldine Auditorium on Saturday nights. The Non-Commercial Arts and Storage Company, composed of members of Bradley University's nationally recognized speech team, provided comedy sketches and satire.

WCBU2

In January 2007, WCBU created a second channel, WCBU2, to listeners with HD radios or access to internet streaming. The original programming concept of WCBU2 was to counter WCBU's main channel programming. If WCBU is airing a news or talk show, WCBU HD2 would be airing music and vice versa. Streaming of WCBU HD2 officially began on February 15, 2007. In March 2011, WCBU programming switched to all news, information, public affairs and entertainment on the main channel (WCBU HD1) and full-time classical music on WCBU HD2, now known as Classical WCBU HD2. [3] As of 2019, the classical station also airs on 103.5 FM, the former translator signal of WGLT.

WCBU News

The WCBU news department includes News Director Tim Shelley, reporters Joe Deacon and Collin Schopp, reporter/host Jody Holtz, and anchor Kristin McHugh. Since 1999, WCBU News has won several national, regional and state awards for journalistic excellence. [4]

Related Research Articles

Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) is a public radio network for the state of Minnesota. With its three services, News & Information, YourClassical MPR and The Current, MPR operates a 46-station regional radio network in the upper Midwest.

WUNC is a listener-supported public radio station, serving the Research Triangle area of North Carolina. It is licensed to Chapel Hill and is operated by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. On weekdays, WUNC carries National Public Radio, American Public Media, Public Radio Exchange, and BBC programming in an "all-news-and-information" format, including shows such as All Things Considered, Morning Edition and Fresh Air. On weekends, in addition to NPR weekend shows, WUNC broadcasts locally produced folk music programming. The longest-running continuously produced program offered by the station is Back Porch Music, a weekly folk and traditional music program. WUNC holds periodic on-air fundraisers seeking listener contributions.

WAMU is a public news–talk station that services the greater Washington, DC metropolitan area. It is owned by American University, and its studios are located near the campus in northwest Washington. WAMU has been the primary National Public Radio member station for Washington since 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WGLT</span> Radio station in Normal, Illinois

WGLT is a public radio station owned by Illinois State University and broadcasting on 89.1 MHz at Normal, Illinois. It broadcasts primarily local news and NPR programs, plus music in the evenings and on weekends.

KUHF branded as News 88.7) is a public radio station serving Greater Houston metropolitan area. The station is owned by and licensed to the University of Houston System, and is operated by Houston Public Media, also known as Houston Public Radio. KUHF is housed in the Melcher Center for Public Broadcasting, along with KUHT, on the campus of the University of Houston. Local productions include The Engines of Our Ingenuity, Houston Matters, Town Square, and Next Question.

WGUC is a public radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is owned by Cincinnati Public Radio and has a classical music format. WGUC broadcasts using HD Radio technology and plays jazz on WGUC-HD2 and adult album alternative on WGUC-HD3. WGUC has radio studios in the same building as PBS Network affiliate WCET Channel 48, the Crosley Telecommunications Center on Central Parkway in Cincinnati.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KKGO</span> Country music radio station in Los Angeles

KKGO is a commercial radio station licensed to Los Angeles, California. It is owned by Mount Wilson FM Broadcasters and airs a country music format, switching to Christmas music from Thanksgiving weekend to Christmas Day. The studios are on Cotner Avenue at Ohio Avenue in Los Angeles' Westwood neighborhood, while the transmitter is atop Mount Wilson. Besides a standard analog transmission, KKGO broadcasts four HD Radio channels and is available online.

WMHT-FM is a listener-supported, non-commercial radio station licensed to Schenectady, and serving the Capital District of New York. It has a classical music radio format, with most programming originating in-house, but with some shows and news from National Public Radio, American Public Media and the Public Radio Exchange. It is the sister station to WMHT Channel 17, the PBS member station for the Albany/Schenectady/Troy media market.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WPLN-FM</span> Public radio station in Nashville

WPLN-FM, is a non-commercial public radio station in Nashville, Tennessee. It airs a news, talk and information radio format and is owned by Nashville Public Radio. The station's studios and offices on Mainstream Drive north of downtown Nashville, considered among the finest radio production facilities in the U.S. WPLN-FM is simulcast on two low-powered repeaters on the fringes of the Middle Tennessee area: WHRS 91.7 FM in Cookeville and WTML 91.5 FM in Tullahoma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WVIK</span> Public radio station in Rock Island, Illinois

WVIK is the flagship National Public Radio station for the Quad Cities region of eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois. It is based in Rock Island, Illinois, and licensed to and owned by Augustana College. The studios are located on Augustana's campus in Rock Island. The station also operates two low-powered translators – K240DZ at 95.9 FM in Dubuque, Iowa and the HD2 subchannel airs on W252EM at 98.3 in Davenport, Iowa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WLRN-FM</span> Public radio station in Miami

WLRN-FM is a class C1 FM station on 91.3 MHz, and is the main public radio station for South Florida and the Keys based in Miami. The station is owned by the Miami-Dade County Public Schools and is the area's flagship NPR member station, therefore carries Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition, and Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!. It is also affiliated with Public Radio International and carries The Takeaway and The World, among others. It airs its own locally-produced music programs Evenin' Jazz with Tracy Fields on weeknights, and Night Train on Sundays, before being taken over by the BBC World Service during the overnights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WMGF</span> Radio station in Mount Dora–Orlando, Florida

WMGF is a commercial radio station licensed to Mount Dora, and serving Orlando and Central Florida. It is owned by iHeartMedia and airs an adult contemporary radio format, switching to a Christmas music for much of November and December. Its offices and studios are on Maitland Center Parkway in Maitland.

KEDT-FM branded as "KEDT Public Radio," is a non-commercial FM public radio station in Corpus Christi, Texas. It is owned by The South Texas Public Broadcasting System, which also owns PBS station KEDT-TV. KEDT-FM airs news programming from NPR in morning and afternoon drive time and several hours on weekends. The rest of the schedule is made up of classical music, with jazz and other genres on weekends. Programming is simulcast on KVRT 90.7 FM in Victoria.

WJKV is a non-profit radio station in Jacksonville, Florida. It is owned by the Educational Media Foundation (EMF) and airs the national "K-Love" Christian contemporary music radio format.

WKAR-FM is a non-commercial public radio station in East Lansing, Michigan. It is owned by Michigan State University, along with sister stations WKAR and WKAR-TV. They are owned by Michigan State University, with studios are in the Communication Arts and Sciences Building, at Wilson and Red Cedar Roads on the MSU campus.

KPBS-FM is a non-commercial public radio station broadcasting in San Diego, California, affiliated with National Public Radio (NPR). It is owned by San Diego State University as part of KPBS Public Media, and is a sister station to PBS member KPBS-TV. The two outlets share studios located on the SDSU campus at The Conrad Prebys Media Complex at Copley Center on Campanile Drive in San Diego. KPBS-FM's transmitter is located on San Miguel Mountain in southwestern San Diego County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WYQS</span> Public radio station in Mars Hill, North Carolina

WYQS is a radio station licensed to Mars Hill, North Carolina, United States. The station is owned by Western North Carolina Public Radio, Inc., owner of the area's flagship public radio station, WCQS. The format is a mixture of classical music, NPR programs, and jazz.

KHVU is a non-commercial radio station in Houston, Texas. It is owned by Hope Media Group, which owns Christian AC-formatted KSBJ, and airs a Spanish-language Christian adult contemporary radio format. The studios and offices are on Treble Drive in Humble, Texas, near Bush Intercontinental Airport, and the transmitter is located off Sorters McClellan Road in Porter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WMMS-HD2</span> Digital subchannel of Cleveland radio station WMMS (100.7 FM)

WMMS-HD2 is a digital subchannel of WMMS, a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, and features programming from the Black Information Network. Owned by iHeartMedia, WMMS-HD2 serves Greater Cleveland and surrounding Northeast Ohio. Using the proprietary technology HD Radio for its main digital transmission, WMMS-HD2 is rebroadcast over low-power analog Cleveland translator W256BT (99.1 FM), and streams online via iHeartRadio. WMMS-HD2's studios are located at the Six Six Eight Building in downtown Cleveland's Gateway District, while the WMMS-HD2 and W256BT transmitters reside in Seven Hills and Parma, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WAKS-HD2</span> Digital subchannel of Cleveland market radio station WAKS (96.5 FM)

WAKS-HD2 is a digital subchannel of WAKS, a commercial radio station licensed to Akron, Ohio, which features an urban contemporary format known as "Real 106.1". Owned by iHeartMedia, Inc., WAKS-HD2 serves Greater Cleveland and surrounding Northeast Ohio and is the FM radio home of Cleveland Charge basketball. Using the proprietary technology HD Radio for its main digital transmission, WAKS-HD2 is also rebroadcast over low-power analog translator W291BV (106.1 FM), and streams online via iHeartRadio. WAKS-HD2's studios are located at the Six Six Eight Building in downtown Cleveland's Gateway District, while the WAKS-HD2 and W291BV transmitters reside in Brecksville and Parma, respectively.

References

  1. WGLT To Assume Operations At Peoria Public Radio Station WCBU
  2. http://peoriapublicradio.org/#stream/0 Peoria Public Radio Website
  3. http://hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?id=18 HD Radio Guide for Peoria, Illinois
  4. "About WCBU News". Bradley University. 2007-06-27. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-10-30.