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,
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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 on February 6, 2006. On the way to vital 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.
2008 (March) GLT adds two new programs to its schedule:
Speaking of Faith, conversations about faith, ethics and religon (Sundays at 6AM) and Sound Opinions, the world's only rock'n' roll talk show (Saturdays at 11 AM).
2008 (August) Listeners can subscribe to GLT's email newsletters detailing program highlights, station events, and special news coverage.
2008 (October) GLT begins multicasting on HD radio. GLT HD1: News, Blues and all that Jazz. GLT HD2: Blues Radio 24/7. GLT HD3: News& Ideas.
2009 (April) The GLT Newsroom wins 4 regional Edward R. Murrow awards and 9 Associated Press awards for journalistic excellence.
Songs playing in GLT News/Ideas - WGLT-HD3
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