2022 Illinois Public Media Annual Report
2022 marked 100 years of WILL-AM, and throughout our celebrations we acknowledged the visionaries from the University of Illinois who saw the powerful potential of broadcast back in 1922 and honored the staff who came after who helped form the public media mission we still hold true to today. One hundred years later, the road ahead is just as exciting as the day we signed on. Digital technology gives us new ways to connect with people. Our local newsroom continues to grow, and we have award-winning local programs in production with more on the horizon. Below is a brief snapshot of what you can find in the 2022 Illinois Public Media Annual Report. To read the full report, see the PDF at the bottom of this page.
A toast to the golden age of hi-fi
We welcomed a new local show to the WILL-FM lineup in 2022. Created and hosted by Jason Croft, Atomic Age Cocktail Party premiered on January 1 and has been celebrating the golden age of the hi-fi and beyond each weekend since. In 2022, the show had 50 original shows, with themes bringing together music from Great American Songbook, Broadway musicals, classic movies, and other familiar standards.
The people behind an American pastime
Over the summer, Illinois Public Media Productions presented a new documentary. County Fair took an intimate look at a treasured American pastime through the lives of six people whose passion, preparation, and pride come together at the 2021 Champaign County Fair. The stories of a seamstress, a demolition derby driver, a circus performer, a French fry vendor, and twin sisters who show cows had us looking at this summer tradition in a brand-new light.
Won’t you be my neighbor?
In August, we hosted a special Be My Neighbor event during Champaign-Urbana Days at Douglass Park. We distributed 300 back-to-school bags filled with socks, dental hygiene kits, books, and fun at-home activities, plus Daniel Tiger had a blast meeting with fans big and small. The highlight for us though was the opportunity to come together and practice being a caring neighbor with all of you, making cards for local senior citizens, teachers, and nurses.
Going into the Midterms informed
As we prepared to cast our votes in November, our news team was hard at work building an election center. This served as a comprehensive voter’s guide, with news coverage, an FAQ section, registration and ballot deadline information, candidate interviews, and a truth test for candidate claims. On top of that, Illinois Public Media hosted several live debates for the 13th Congressional District.
Elevating voices from The Middle
In October, we were honored to host the inaugural episode of a new national call-in series, The Middle. This special four-part series was created by award-winning journalist and Champaign-Urbana native Jeremy Hobson and focused on elevating the voices of those who live between the coasts. The Middle aired over the four weeks leading up to and through the midterm election, and Illinois Public Media served as the distribution partner, providing the technical support to deliver the program to more than 350 stations across the country.
To view a complete audited financial statement, please visit will.Illinois.edu/about/compliance.