Illinois Public Media

Arts and Culture

Still from the interview with Dr. Ollie Watts Davis in a theatre with the red theatre seats surrounding Dr. Watts Davis

All new “Prairie Fire” episode available to watch now

 On February's all new “Prairie Fire,” the team you to the University of Illinois where for one intense week every summer, Dr. Ollie Watts Davis brings kids from Central Illinois to campus to learn the music of Black Americans. Tinisha Spain speaks with Dr. Jeanne Morris about her legacy as a top educator and Black activist in Bloomington Normal.  And finally, “Prairie Fire” will introduce you to the art of Josh Garber, a sculptor who uses industrial materials to make eye popping works of art. 
IPM Newsroom
Call the Midwife Season 15 - Stream Early with WILL Passport
Atomic Age Cocktail Party
Atomic Age logo with an illustration of a trumpet with musical notes around it.

Tijuana Brass & Beyond (158)
Coming up on The Atomic Age Cocktail Party, it’s Tijuana Brass & Beyond—a look at the sound Herb Alpert and company help popularize during the 1960s. We’ll hear from…
Classic Mornings

Bach, Bark, and Looking Back
I told myself: “This is the last one.”
Evening Concert

The Evening Concert on Illinois Classical
ILLINOIS CLASSICAL: The Evening Concert: FEBRUARY 22 – 23 –24 – 25 – 26 – 27, 2026 
The 21st Show
a collage including a man standing in front of a packed display of open food bins, a woman on a silver scooter in front of a line of stopped cars, two women with their hair blowing in the breeze walk past a mural painted on a mint-green backdrop, and three men in suits sitting at a marble table

Are we going to war with Iran?
The Trump administration is continuing to ramp up pressure on Iran — with what’s said to be the biggest buildup of American naval power in the region in decades. Last…
The 217 Today Podcast

217 Today: The 21st Show sought interviews with all 16 candidates for U.S. senator from Illinois. Listen to them here
There's a crowded field of candidates running for Illinois' open U.S. Senate seat this year. Immigration enforcement has been a top issue in the race. We'll hear from…
The 21st Show

Candidate Forum: Meet the Republicans running in IL-13 congressional race
Two candidates vying for the GOP nomination in the 1L-13 congressional race discuss many issues surrounding domestic policy including the economy, healthcare, ICE agents, and…
Prairie Fire

Prairie Fire: Season 3 - Episode 5 - February 2026
We visit the U of I's Black Chorus Camp, sit down for a special Black History Month conversation, and introduce you to the art of sculptor Josh Garber. 
News Local/State
three people at podcast studio

2026 IPM News Forum with Champaign County Executive candidates
The two Democrats running for Champaign County Executive in the 2026 primary shared their views on data centers, federal immigration enforcement and much more.
State of Change

The state of the Illinois Prairie
State of Change 2025 looks at efforts to retain existing prairie in Illinois, as well as strategies to restore some areas to a more natural state.