Illinois Public Media seeking input on new audio service focused on Black community.

URBANA – Illinois Public Media, which includes WILL-AM 580, FM 90.9, WILL-TV, will.illinois.edu, and IllinoisNewsroom.org, is developing a new on-air/online audio service focused on the Black community in Central Illinois.

The station will be a format unlike any other currently offered in Central Illinois. It will feature jazz and other music genres rooted in Black communities. It will also feature news, public affairs and NPR programs inclusive of Black communities and with diverse hosts. The tentative launch date is January 2024.

Illinois Public Media is currently surveying the community about its needs and interests, as well as its familiarity with selected NPR and PBS programs.