WVIK

What WVIK does

WVIK is a non-profit public radio station licensed to and operated by Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, serving the Quad Cities metropolitan area and surrounding 20 counties in Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois. Founded in 1980, the station operates three FM frequencies — 90.3 FM/HD-1 and 98.3 FM/HD-2 in the Quad Cities, and 95.9 FM in Dubuque — reaching approximately 45,000 monthly listeners within a 75-mile radius. Its programming spans three streams: WVIK News, WVIK Classical, and APRIS, with content drawn from NPR, PBS, and a substantial library of original local podcasts including Rock Island Lines, Heartland Politics, River Way Stories, and Wellness Wake Up Call.

The station's core technology is conventional FM/HD Radio broadcast infrastructure supplemented by a dedicated mobile app (iOS/Android), website live streaming, and on-demand podcast distribution. WVIK is notably the only Quad Cities radio station with a dedicated news department, providing local journalism that distinguishes it from commercial media in the market. The station operates as a community-supported organization, with deep collaborative partnerships spanning at least 11 regional nonprofits including Quad City Arts, Quad City Symphony, Figge Art Museum, and River Action.

WVIK's revenue model is community-led, combining listener donations (approximately $430,000 annually, representing nearly half of the operating budget), corporate underwriting, and federal funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). Pricing structures include monthly sustainer subscriptions, a Leadership Circle tier at $1,000/year or $85/month, day-sponsorship packages for businesses, and alternative giving mechanisms such as vehicle donations, stock gifts, and IRA/DAF contributions.

Name

WVIK

Legal name

WVIK

Website

https://wvik.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WVIK is a non-profit public radio station operated by Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, broadcasting NPR news, classical music, and local journalism to 45,000 monthly listeners across the Quad Cities region via three FM frequencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Public/Noncommercial Radio Broadcasting (NPR, Community, Campus) (MPAIAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

National Public Radio Networks & Member Stations (NPR-style) (MPABADAB), Radio Streaming & Catch-Up Audio Platforms (MPAIADAJ), Audio Learning Content (Podcasts, Audiobooks, Listening Programs) (EDAGALAM)

Keywords

• Public radio broadcasting
• NPR affiliate programming
• Local news coverage
• Classical music radio
• Community radio station

Headquarters

HQ city

Rock Island

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Listener Support/Membership: Listener donations represent the single largest and most reliable funding source, with nearly half of the operating budget coming from listeners, approximately $430,000 annually. Includes monthly sustainer programs, one-time gifts, and major/leadership gifts.
2. Corporate Underwriting: Business sponsorships and underwriting for programs, with options including day sponsorship and corporate support packages.
3. Corporation for Public Broadcasting Funding: Federal funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which is enhanced by robust listener support levels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

WVIK is a non-profit public radio station licensed to Augustana College that broadcasts NPR news, classical music, local journalism, and cultural programming across the Quad Cities region via FM radio, live streaming, a mobile app, and on-demand podcasts. It operates as a community-supported station funded primarily by listener donations, corporate underwriting, and federal CPB grants, with sub-brands WVIK News, WVIK Classical, and APRIS serving distinct programming streams.

Product overview

WVIK is a public radio station serving the Quad Cities region as a local NPR affiliate. The station operates a unified radio broadcasting platform with multiple distribution channels: traditional FM radio (90.3 FM/HD-1 and 98.3 FM/HD-2 in the Quad Cities, 95.9 FM in Dubuque), live online streaming via the WVIK App and website, and an extensive library of on-demand podcast content covering news, politics, arts, wellness, and local history. The station also produces original programming including Rock Island Lines (local history), Wellness Wake Up Call (health/nutrition), Heartland Politics with Robin Johnson (political interviews), and The Conversation, alongside classical music programming. Revenue is generated through listener donations, corporate underwriting, and community support programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WVIK Classical: Classical music programming stream
• WVIK News
• APRIS

Products and services

• WVIK Radio Broadcasting

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Augustana CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWVIK is owned and operated by Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. The station is housed on campus and benefits from the college's academic resources and facilities. Augustana College logo appears on WVIK materials.
• NPR (National Public Radio)coreTechnology or IntegrationWVIK is affiliated with NPR and carries NPR news programming including Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and distributes NPR content through its platform. NPR logo appears on station materials.
• PBSmajorTechnology or IntegrationWVIK serves as a partner station for PBS content distribution. The station mentioned carrying documentary content from PBS including 'Amerigo: The Search for the American Dream'.
• Quad City ArtsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborative partner for arts programming and community events. Organizations combine resources to better fulfill individual missions.
• Quad City Symphony OrchestraminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborative partner for classical music coverage and cultural programming promotion.
• Figge Art MuseumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborative partner for arts coverage and joint community programming initiatives.
• River ActionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborative partner for environmental programming related to the Mississippi River and regional conservation efforts.
• Nahant MarshminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborative partner for environmental and nature-related programming and coverage.
• WQPTminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal public media partner in the Quad Cities region, collaborating on coverage and programming.
• Putnam MuseumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborative partner for cultural and historical programming content.
• Genesius GuildminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal arts organization partner for theatrical and cultural programming collaboration.
• River Music ExperienceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborative partner for music-related programming and local music scene coverage.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• WBEZ (Chicago Public Media): Large Chicago-based NPR affiliate producing national programming (This American Life) while operating as a comparable listener-supported public radio model.
• Minnesota Public Radio (MPR): Large regional public radio network operating multiple classical and news streams across the Upper Midwest, comparable in programming mix but operating at substantially larger scale.

Direct peers

• Harvest Public Media: Collaborative public radio reporting network covering agriculture and rural issues; WVIK distributes Harvest Public Media content and shares editorial resources with the network.
• Iowa Public Radio: Statewide network of NPR-affiliated public radio stations across Iowa serving overlapping Quad Cities-region audiences with similar classical and news programming formats.
• WGLT (Illinois State University): NPR member station operated by Illinois State University, providing news, talk, and classical programming to central Illinois with a comparable community-supported revenue structure.
• WQPT (Quad Cities PBS): Local public television station in the Quad Cities that WVIK explicitly partners with for cross-platform coverage and programming collaboration.
• WILL Radio (Illinois Public Media): University-licensed NPR-affiliated public radio station in Illinois, broadcasting news, classical music, and cultural programming with a similar listener-supported funding model to WVIK.
• WVIK's regional classical counterparts (e.g., WGUC, WCLV): Public radio classical music stations (such as WGUC Cincinnati) operating with comparable classical-stream sub-brands and listener-supported business models to WVIK Classical.

Regional players

• Wisconsin Public Radio: Statewide public radio network with news, classical, and talk formats serving an adjacent Upper Midwest region with a similar university-affiliated governance structure.

Others

• NPR (National Public Radio): National content network and umbrella organization that provides core programming to WVIK; functions as both content supplier and ecosystem aggregator for member stations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WVIKqc
• Facebookfacebook.com/WVIKqc
• Instagraminstagram.com/wvikqc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wvik-quad-cities-npr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WVIK