More than radio...

Over 40 years of WGLT...News, Blues and All That Jazz

WGLT stands for "We Gladly Learn and Teach," the motto of Illinois State University. Currently located in the Old Union Building on the ISU campus, WGLT has evolved from a student run station heard only in the dorms to a full service NPR affiliate. GLT broadcasts "News, Blues and All That Jazz" on 89.1 and 103.5 FM to a Central Illinois audience approaching 30,000 listeners a week.

40 Years On Air

WGLT celebrated 40 years on the air throughout 2006. February 6, 2006 marked the actual anniversary, but we knew that one party would never be enough of a celebration for 40 years of accomplishments. On the way to graceful middle age, the station has passed the following growth benchmarks:

1966 (February) WGLT signs on, at 10 watts, from a single studio in Cook Hall

1971 (July) First full time professional staff position funded

1973 (August) Broadcast schedule expands to 92 hours a week, 52 weeks a year. A full-time staff of five operate the station

1976 (July) GLT increases power to 2300 watts and becomes a "full service" station. Station moves across the ISU campus from Cook Hall to Media Center (later re-named Old Union)

1978 (January) GLT begins affiliation with National Public Radio; receives first grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting

1979 (October) Staff expands from eight to ten full-time employees. The GLT broadcast schedule increases to 133 hours per week

1985 Frank Black's first broadcast on WGLT, "The Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame"

1987 (December) First airing on GLT of Car Talk ®

1988 (September) GLT begins carrying Fresh Air ®

1990 (January) Original General Manager Ben Paxton retires. Bruce Bergethon moves from Program Director to General Manager

1991 GLT Celebrates 20 years of All Things Considered ®

1992(January) Weekend Edition Sunday® added to the GLT schedule

1992 (July) The first GLT Recycled Music Sale is held in a 10' x 10' booth during Sugar Creek Arts Festival in downtown Normal

1992 (August) GLT increases power to 25,000 watts and adopts daytime jazz format

1992 (September) Poetry Radio debuts

1993 GLT's Dean of Green™ first blooms

1994 (February) Last vestige of classical music dropped on Sunday for a big band jazz program

1995 (June) yearly listener support tops $100,000 for first time

1997 (March) begins 24 hour-a-day broadcast schedule

1998 (February) GLT Blues expands to Sundays

1999 (June) Freddy Cole, Duke Robillard and Deana Bogart play the first GLT Summer Concert

2000 (July) on-air signal begins streaming at www.wglt.org

2001 (September) McLean County radio icon Don Munson joins the GLT staff with the first airing of Radio Munson

2002 (November) better reception in Peoria is accomplished by boosting power slightly and moving to a better tower location

2003 (February) First GLT Jazz Masters concert, held at Braden Auditorium, features Ron Carter and Tony Monaco

2004 (September) Full-time staff increases to 13

2005 (April) GLT Fall Fund Drive breaks records with listener support reaching $105,000

2005 (April) Assistant News Director Charlie Schlenker wins station's first Edward R. Murrow award for journalistic excellence.

2005 (June) GLT shows off its new rolling billboard - a Honda Element all dressed up and always on the go.

2005 (November) Morning Edition ® host Steve Inskeep is GLT's first guest speaker for Radio Races series

2006 (January) Locally produced science program Uncommon Knowledge™ premiers

2006 (March) GLT Blues Radio debuts at www.wglt.org. Listeners enjoy the same great weekend blues during the week with 24/7 blues stream.