What was it like when public radio first hit the airwaves in Springfield? In the latest installment of Radio Rewind on Community Voices, host Evie Rodenbaugh takes listeners back to 1975—the very first year of WSSR, now known as NPR Illinois.
The inaugural staff was small but determined: Director Dale Utz, News Director Rich Bradley, Station Manager Howard Hill, Production Manager Jim Grimes, and Chief Engineer Jim Newbanks, who famously spent “16 hours a day” wiring the station with the help of an army of volunteers. Community members simply showed up, asking how they could help build Springfield’s first public radio station.
From day one, WSSR set out to be revolutionary. Its mission was bold: open up the Illinois Statehouse to the public and make government more transparent. Through in-depth legislative coverage and year-in-review reports, listeners gained unprecedented access to the people and policies shaping their lives.
But WSSR didn’t stop at politics. The station aired health programs, consumer advocacy shows, legal guidance, oral histories, and nationally recognized documentaries like 200 Years: Native American Perspectives. It also introduced Central Illinois to eclectic music rarely heard on commercial radio—from classical to bluegrass to late-night experimental rock.
By the end of its first year, WSSR ranked 69th nationwide among public radio stations, serving nearly 428,000 Central Illinoisans.
Fifty years later, that original vision—community-powered, curiosity-driven radio—still defines NPR Illinois.
Transcript pending.
