Randy Eccles
General Manager, NPR Illinois/ Co-Host, Community Voices/ CAB Ex-OfficioSpringfield
Please reach out at randy.eccles@nprillinois.org.
Randy Eccles became NPR Illinois general manager in 2013 after serving as development director since moving to Springfield in 2008. Randy served on the Governor's Local Journalism Task Force 2023-2024.
Randy currently serves as the president of the Illinois Public Broadcasting Council – the association for all public media organizations in Illinois.
Randy previously worked at KTAR in Phoenix and WGN in Chicago in programming and marketing management after producing talk shows and sports coverage. He also served in management and news stints at student-run stations WHFH, WONC, and WUEV.
Born in Hinsdale, he was raised by teachers in south suburban Glenwood and graduated from Homewood-Flossmoor High School, then North Central College in Naperville. Randy also spent a lot of time at the family farm in Industry, Illinois (south of Macomb).
Randy served on the Springfield Area Arts Council board and was awarded the best of show in the Springfield Art Association's 2023 Art Synergy program in a collaboration with professional artist Alissa Ohashi.
Randy co-hosts Community Voices and its music-focused edition, CV-X, Saturdays 5 to 7 p.m.
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A special Citizens Club of Springfield series with area residents sharing their experiences moving to Springfield after starting in another country.
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Local Drags is Lanny Durbin's creative local music project. Listen to the interview to hear what is on the horizon.
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Available to stream through Feb. 17, 2024. The X plays many of the 2023 Grammy nominees. Here's a chance to hear the well known and those that may not be featured at the awards show. Make a request at TheX@nprillinois.org.
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Doris Turner, Illinois State Senator; and Mike Coffey, Illinois State Representative discuss how legislative work impacts the capital and central Illinois in their appearance before the Citizens Club of Springfield.
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Bobby Carter, NPR Tiny Desk Concert producer, provides tips to encourage central Illinois musicians to enter the 2024 Tiny Desk Contest. Carter is also a judge.
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Historian and author, Dr. Robert D. Sampson, discusses early baseball in Illinois. The epidemic growth immediately follows the Civil War, where local teams and civic ambition went hand in hand, and the game mirrored many of society’s ills. Sampson is the author of Ballists, Dead Beats, and Muffins — Inside Early Baseball in Illinois.
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Terrance Jordan, Director of School Leadership and Family and Community Engagement, District 186, joins Community Voices to share the resurrection of Real Men Read. The program schedules male volunteers to visit classes to read modeling that reading is for boys, too.
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Damon Soper and Scott Faingold share their podcast project, "Old School Bleep!" It's a look back at the Springfield-area local music scene of the 80s and 90s. It sprung from an archive of VHS video tapes of their early days as musicians. Jeff Williams is also one of the hosts. The audio includes a sample of Episode V.
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Ryan McCrady, CEO, Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance, joins Community Voices to update us on the Scheel's Sports Park, new flights at the airport, downtown plans, state fairgrounds, and more.This audio has bonus content from the interview.
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Cut Flowers is a Springfield-based acoustic duo featuring Arlin Peebles and Erin Darnell. They are preparing to release their second EP Black Heart, Full Sun and brought their guitars to the NPR Illinois studios to preview new tracks on Community Voices.