Illinois Public Media has started its 2024 with the introduction of a new station and format. Coinciding with the start of Black History Month, Illinois Soul 101.1 (WILL-HD2) showcases and celebrates Black culture, experiences, and music in the Champaign/Urbana area.
Illinois Soul aims to connect listeners with relevant issues in the Black community through a mix of NPR news programs and music genres such as jazz, R&B, and gospel. The station features NPR shows like Code Switch and It’s Been a Minute, blended with music from artists like Will Downing and Robert Glasper. Illinois Soul’s launch comes as continued research from Nielsen shows Black audiences are some of radio’s strongest listeners.
Jill Clements, Assistant Corporate Support Director at Illinois Public Media, highlights Illinois Soul as a pioneering format in public media, combining Black NPR news talk shows with diverse music genres to attract Black adult audiences.
Illinois Public Media Executive Director Moss Bresnahan said, “Public media is uniquely positioned in today’s media landscape to meet the needs of its community in ways that commercial media might not, and this new service will not only celebrate Black voices, history, and culture, it will connect listeners to the issues that matter most to those across our region. We are so excited to launch Illinois Soul, bringing the best in jazz, R&B, and gospel to our listeners, with a unique focus on the Black community.”
IPM Director of News and Public Affairs Reginald Hardwick commented, “I’m very excited to help develop a new weekly broadcast and other programs that bring Black communities together to discuss issues and, more importantly, discuss solutions and ways to empower the community. We didn’t just create the station inside the walls of IPM. We had important input from community advisors, hundreds of community surveys, and dozens of face-to-face events. We’ve done our homework.”
Community Advisory Member Tracy Parsons added, “The importance of Black voices and perspectives is more important today than ever. This radio avenue and social media platform are critical life supports to tell the Black communities’ story and builds, empowers, and informs communities of Black values and contributions.”
