WCBU
Encyclopedia
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.
WCBU first signed on in 1970. In 2007, WCBU became the first radio station in Central Illinois to offer a second channel of separate programming for listeners with HD Radio
receivers.
.
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
, Talk of the Nation, Fresh Air, Car Talk," "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me," and others, along with programs from other sources, such as WBUR's
Here & Now
and American Public Media's Marketplace
.
Along with NPR programming, WCBU also offers shows from Public Radio International
and American Public Media
. These programs include This American Life
, A Prairie Home Companion
, Michael Feldman's Whad'Ya Know?
, and Living on Earth
. Performance Today
, and SymphonyCast.
WCBU also offers weekly specialty programs. Documentary shows from American RadioWorks, America Abroad Media (part of Public Radio International), NPR, PRI
, and WNYC
, as well as other independent works, can be heard on WCBU Showcase, which airs every Tuesday night the Peoria city council is not in session.
The station also includes local programming:
WCBU2 airs a full schedule of classical music, including Performance Today, concerts by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
, SymphonyCast, NPR World of Opera, and many others.
Programs from that period included "Why Did They Come?" a historical review of the original settlers of the Peoria River Valley. Produced by Terry Solomonson and Frank Thomas, the program's host, "Why Did They Come?" blended original insight with the very best of radio dramatization. Other locally produced programs included "Pipes on the Prairie" produced and hosted by Terry Solomonson, which featured first class recordings of historic pipe organs from throughout central and southern Illinois, and "The Duke Knight Radio Hour." Produced by Peter Marathas and Peter Marathas Jr., and directed by Dave Houghtaling, "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. The show's host, Frank Thomas, amused the crowd with his growing frustration over the continued absence of the show's missing host, Duke Knight. "Where's Duke?" the crowd would yell and Thomas would respond "Duke's Not Here."
Those who followed the show remember well the Duke Knight Detective Series, which featured radio sound effects and the noire writing of Jim Meadows. Many of the shows best comedy sketches were written by Peter Marathas, Frank Thomas and Dave Houghtaling.
s 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, WCBU2 would be airing music, and vice versa. Streaming of WCBU2 officially began on February 15, 2007. In March of 2011, WCBU programming switched to all news, information, public affairs and entertainment on the main channel (WCBU HD-1), and full time classical music on WCBU2, now known as Classical WCBU2.
Outside the Horseshoe, hosted by Tanya Koonce, airs Tuesday evenings before the live broadcast of the Peoria City Council meetings. Horseshoe previews the top issues on the agenda, or delves into an important topic in city politics and government.
WCBU News also features special programs throughout the year, including a "Year in Review" in December and live coverage of statewide elections.
Bradley University
Bradley University, founded in 1897, is a private, co-educational university located in Peoria, Illinois. It is a small institution with an enrollment of approximately 6,100 undergraduate and postgraduate students and a full-time faculty of approximately 350....
in Peoria, Illinois
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
. The station is a National Public Radio affiliate and is located on Bradley's campus.
WCBU first signed on in 1970. In 2007, WCBU became the first radio station in Central Illinois to offer a second channel of separate programming for listeners with HD Radio
HD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
receivers.
Programing
WCBU 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 streamingStreaming media
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...
.
The station's main channel airs news and information and entertainment programming, including NPR's top news programs, All Things Considered
All Things Considered
All Things Considered is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio. It was the first news program on NPR, and is broadcast live worldwide through several outlets...
, Morning Edition
Morning Edition
Morning Edition is an American radio news program produced and distributed by National Public Radio . It airs weekday mornings and runs for two hours, and many stations repeat one or both hours. The show feeds live from 05:00 to 09:00 ET, with feeds and updates as required until noon...
, Weekend Edition
Weekend Edition
Weekend Edition is the name given to a set of American radio news magazines produced and distributed by National Public Radio . It is the weekend counterpart to Morning Edition. It consists of Weekend Edition Saturday and Weekend Edition Sunday , each of which airs for two hours, from 8 a.m. to 10...
, Talk of the Nation, Fresh Air, Car Talk," "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me," and others, along with programs from other sources, such as WBUR's
WBUR
WBUR refers to two radio stations in Massachusetts, WBUR AM and FM, both owned by Boston University. WBUR is the largest of three NPR member stations in Boston, Massachusetts, along with WGBH and WUMB-FM, and the only one to focus exclusively on news and talk...
Here & Now
Here and Now (Boston)
Here and Now is a public radio magazine program produced by WBUR in Boston, Massachusetts, and distributed across the United States by Public Radio International. The one-hour program airs Monday to Friday at noon locally and generally at 11am, noon or 1pm on affiliate stations...
and American Public Media's Marketplace
Marketplace (radio program)
Marketplace is a radio program that focuses on business, the economy, and events that influence them. Hosted by Kai Ryssdal, the show is produced and distributed by American Public Media, in association with the University of Southern California...
.
Along with NPR programming, WCBU also offers shows from Public Radio International
Public Radio International
Public Radio International is a Minneapolis-based American public radio organization, with locations in Boston, New York, London and Beijing. PRI's tagline is "Hear a different voice." PRI is a major public media content creator and also distributes programs from many sources...
and American Public Media
American Public Media
American Public Media is the second largest producer of public radio programs in the United States of America after NPR. Its non-profit parent, American Public Media Group, also owns and operates radio stations in Minnesota, California, and Florida. Its station brands are Minnesota Public Radio,...
. These programs include This American Life
This American Life
This American Life is a weekly hour-long radio program produced by WBEZ and hosted by Ira Glass. It is distributed by Public Radio International on PRI affiliate stations and is also available as a free weekly podcast. Primarily a journalistic non-fiction program, it has also featured essays,...
, A Prairie Home Companion
A Prairie Home Companion
A Prairie Home Companion is a live radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor. The show runs on Saturdays from 5 to 7 p.m. Central Time, and usually originates from the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota, although it is frequently taken on the road...
, Michael Feldman's Whad'Ya Know?
Michael Feldman's Whad'Ya Know?
Whad'Ya Know? is an American comedy, interview, and quiz radio show. Hosted by Michael Feldman, it was created in 1985. It is produced by Wisconsin Public Radio and distributed weekly by Public Radio International...
, and Living on Earth
Living on Earth
Living on Earth is a weekly, hour-long and award-winning environmental news program distributed by Public Radio International.Hosted by Steve Curwood, the program features interviews and commentary on a broad range of ecological issues, exploring how humans interact with their landscape. The show...
. Performance Today
Performance Today
Performance Today is a Peabody Award-winning classical music radio show, currently hosted by Fred Child. It is the most listened-to daily classical music radio program in the United States, with 1.2 million listeners on 237 stations...
, and SymphonyCast.
WCBU also offers weekly specialty programs. Documentary shows from American RadioWorks, America Abroad Media (part of Public Radio International), NPR, PRI
Public Radio International
Public Radio International is a Minneapolis-based American public radio organization, with locations in Boston, New York, London and Beijing. PRI's tagline is "Hear a different voice." PRI is a major public media content creator and also distributes programs from many sources...
, and WNYC
WNYC
WNYC is a set of call letters shared by a pair of co-owned, non-profit, public radio stations located in New York City.WNYC broadcasts on the AM band at 820 kHz, and WNYC-FM is at 93.9 MHz. Both stations are members of National Public Radio and carry distinct, but similar news/talk programs...
, as well as other independent works, can be heard on WCBU Showcase, which airs every Tuesday night the Peoria city council is not in session.
The station also includes local programming:
- Music from the Heartland, which showcases local operas, orchestras, and vocal ensembles. The program airs Wednesday and Sunday nights, and is hosted by Terry Solomonson.
- Jazz from the Hilltop showcases the best jazz musicians in the area. The program airs every Sunday night and is hosted by local jazz musician and professor at Bradley UniversityBradley UniversityBradley University, founded in 1897, is a private, co-educational university located in Peoria, Illinois. It is a small institution with an enrollment of approximately 6,100 undergraduate and postgraduate students and a full-time faculty of approximately 350....
, Ed Kaizer.
WCBU2 airs a full schedule of classical music, including Performance Today, concerts by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1891, the Symphony makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival...
, SymphonyCast, NPR World of Opera, and many others.
Golden Age
Some of the station's 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 extensive local radio programming and productions (although of varying production quality).Programs from that period included "Why Did They Come?" a historical review of the original settlers of the Peoria River Valley. Produced by Terry Solomonson and Frank Thomas, the program's host, "Why Did They Come?" blended original insight with the very best of radio dramatization. Other locally produced programs included "Pipes on the Prairie" produced and hosted by Terry Solomonson, which featured first class recordings of historic pipe organs from throughout central and southern Illinois, and "The Duke Knight Radio Hour." Produced by Peter Marathas and Peter Marathas Jr., and directed by Dave Houghtaling, "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. The show's host, Frank Thomas, amused the crowd with his growing frustration over the continued absence of the show's missing host, Duke Knight. "Where's Duke?" the crowd would yell and Thomas would respond "Duke's Not Here."
Those who followed the show remember well the Duke Knight Detective Series, which featured radio sound effects and the noire writing of Jim Meadows. Many of the shows best comedy sketches were written by Peter Marathas, Frank Thomas and Dave Houghtaling.
WCBU2
In January, 2007, WCBU created a second channel, WCBU2, to listeners with HD radioHD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
s 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, WCBU2 would be airing music, and vice versa. Streaming of WCBU2 officially began on February 15, 2007. In March of 2011, WCBU programming switched to all news, information, public affairs and entertainment on the main channel (WCBU HD-1), and full time classical music on WCBU2, now known as Classical WCBU2.
WCBU News
The WCBU news department includes News Director Tanya Koonce, and reporters Denise Molina and Alex Rusciano. WCBU News can be heard seven times each weekday and twice on Saturday mornings. Since 1999, WCBU News has won 7 national, 6 regional, and 16 state awards for journalistic excellence.Outside the Horseshoe, hosted by Tanya Koonce, airs Tuesday evenings before the live broadcast of the Peoria City Council meetings. Horseshoe previews the top issues on the agenda, or delves into an important topic in city politics and government.
WCBU News also features special programs throughout the year, including a "Year in Review" in December and live coverage of statewide elections.