UIS grad assistant Evie Rodenbaugh expands on her research into a half century of 91.9 FM in Springfield. In this first episode, she goes back to the beginning. The Lincoln Library exhibit is currently running through May.
NPR Illinois is turning back the dial to celebrate 50 years on the air with a new Community Voices segment called Radio Rewind.
Hosted by Evie Rodenbaugh, the series explores the rich history of public radio in central Illinois, beginning with the station’s first broadcast on January 3, 1975, as WSSR. Created at Sangamon State University, the station was born from a bold vision: that a state capital and a university devoted to public affairs should have strong public broadcasting. At the time, Springfield was one of the largest state capitals in the country without a public media outlet.
Drawing from archival tapes, newsletters, and photographs—now featured in the Sangamon Experience exhibit, 'Radio That Listens to You'—Radio Rewind traces the station’s evolution through funding battles, technological revolutions, and multiple call letter changes: WSSR to WSSU, then WUIS, and finally NPR Illinois in 2015.
Along the way are unforgettable moments, from Governor Jim Thompson restoring state funding in 1985, to reflections from the station’s first general manager, Dale Utz, who emphasized that public radio’s true mission is responding directly to community needs.
As public broadcasting once again faces national funding challenges, Radio Rewind offers a timely reminder: NPR Illinois has always depended on—and belonged to—the community it serves. Fifty years later, that connection remains its greatest strength.
Transcript pending.
