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 past-president of the Illinois Public Broadcasting Council (IPBC) – 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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Elnora Brooks and Calia Cole join Community Voices to share the work of R&B Live Ladies Edition and to elevate R&B in the central Illinois music scene. -
The exhibit opened Sept. 18, 2025, at the Lincoln Library, Springfield's Public Library (directions/hours) as "Radio that Listens to You: 50 Years of NPR Illinois." It will run through May 2026. Michel Martin, NPR Morning Edition co-host, helped open the exhibit along with current and former staff, volunteers, students, donors, and friends (see slide show). -
Springfield artist Mary Frances shares the work and history behind her exhibit about the east side's People's Bank of Springfield. -
Brandon Damm is organizing the fourth annual Rock & Run for Mental Health at Rochester Community Park Pavilion on September 7, 2025, from 9 a.m. to noon. It will benefit Heritage Behavioral Health in Decatur, which focuses on suicide prevention. If you need emotional support, reach out to the national mental health hotline: 988. -
Musician and producer Aidan McParland played bagpipes with family in Springfield, graduated Illinois, and now finds himself at a studio in Chicago and performing as Forever -
Community Voices addresses the recent cuts to CPB funding. -
Amina and Hafsa Rahman completed their project as the first NPR Illinois J-Corps citizen journalists. Before the recognition dinner on June 17, we reviewed the experience with our mother-daughter team. -
Community Voices has a new theme thanks to the Micah Walk Band dusting off the masters and stripping the vocals from their song, Last One Home. The band shares what they have been up to since playing together. -
Williamsville Public Library & Museum Director Natalie Albers explaines why libraries are relevant in the digital age. -
#centralIllinoisMusicScene duo Bill Poss and JJ Passalacqua share their project LoveSeat and their new album, Our Way. Bill also organizes the Moccasin Creek Festival at Lake Sara in Effingham, this year June 19-22, and he shares this year's lineup.
