Illinois Soul will be a radio station that, according to Executive Director Moss Bresnahan, “will not only celebrate Black voices, history, and culture, it will connect listeners to the issues that matter most to those across our region.”
Launching February 1st of next year, listeners can expect a 24/7 service featuring jazz, R&B, and gospel, NPR programs with Black hosts such as Code Switch and It’s Been a Minute, as well as a local public affairs program focused on issues important to the Black community in our area. It will air on WILL-FM 101, and will also be streaming on the Illinois Soul website.
Jill Clements, assistant corporate support director at Illinois Public Media, has been leading the charge in the development of this new station, and has done so with input from a variety of community voices. including an advisory board with Black community leaders and University of Illinois professionals. The team has also conducted surveys and face-to-face events to gather information from the community at large.
From Reginald Hardwick, Illinois Public Media’s Director of News and Public Affairs:
After the murder of George Floyd, there was a racial reckoning in America, including the media. It would have been easy to put up a slogan and vow to ‘work on’ more diversity. But here at Illinois Public Media, we’ve put the work into creating an audio service that elevates the voices and culture of central Illinois’ Black community.
You can read more about Illinois Soul on the Illinois Public Media website.