Focus, or Focus 580, was WILL Radio's flagship talk program from 1981 until 2014. David Inge was the host from 1981 until his retirement in 2012. Always engaging, the program acted as a resource for citizens to directly question politicians and candidates as well as keep up on the arts, science, health, and even the latest from well-known novelists.
The Focus archive below offers thousands of great interviews and serves as a time capsule and a great resource for researchers and those just curious about how influential people spoke of important topics as they were happening.
What’s your fondest memory of Assembly Hall? A concert? A speech? Today on Focus, we remembered 50 years of the Hall with Fred Kroner, author of the new book “A Saucer Coming to Rest, A Half Century of Assembly Hall” and Kevin Ullestad, Assembly Hall’s Director.
Have you been diagnosed with ADHD? Maybe you have a child who has. This hour on Focus, we talk with Dr. Craig Surman of Harvard Medical School about the disorder. We welcome your questions this hour!
If you could have a voice in writing regulations for something you strongly oppose, would you? Or would you walk away on principle? Today on Focus, we talked about controversial legislation that would regulate the hydraulic fracturing industry in Illinois.
Even though the economy is slowly starting to improve, Illinois still has one of the highest foreclosure rates in the nation. Today on Focus, we talked about the problem and about new policies that are supposed to help solve it. We also talk with one community member working to help East Central Illinois families keep their homes.
Have you ever experienced side effects from your medications? What did you do? Today on Focus, we talked about how side effects are currently reported to the Food and Drug Administration and how new technologies could improve that process.
What makes you happy? Can you quantify it? This hour on Focus, we talked with Ed Diener, Emeritus Professor of Psychology at the University of Illinois, who is a pioneer in the study of happiness. He’s the recipient of the 2012 William James Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Psychological Science.
This hour on Focus, host Jim Meadows talks with Kevin Waspi, a lecturer of Finance at the UIUC College of Business about personal finance.
Do you drink tequila? Eat chocolate? Thank a bat. This hour on Focus, we talked about these notorious flying mammals, the role they play in our eco-system and why white nose syndrome is so scary.
Do you make it a point to shop and support locally owned stores and restaurants? It really does make a big difference to the local economy if you do. Today on Focus, we talked about economic development and new trends in the area.
This hour on Focus, we talked with Venezuelan native and Political Science Associate Professor Damarys Canache about Hugo Chavez’s death. Then for the second half of the hour, Theodore Piccone, Deputy Director of Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution joins the show to talk about what changes in Venezuela mean for Cuba.
