WGLT

What WGLT does

WGLT is a non-commercial public radio station founded in 1966 and operated as a public service unit of Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. The station broadcasts on 89.1 FM and serves the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area and surrounding Central Illinois communities, with content distributed through over-the-air broadcast, digital streaming at wglt.org, the NPR App, smart speaker platforms (Alexa, Google Home), and podcast distribution via OMNY and major podcast platforms. It is an affiliated member of the NPR Network, the Investigative News Network (INN), and the Illinois Public Broadcasting Council, and participates in collaborative journalism initiatives including Harvest Public Media and Capitol News Illinois.

WGLT's core offerings include regular local newscasts (WGLT Newscasts), original podcasts (Sound Ideas, McHistory, Sound Health), music programming (Highway 309, Tiny Desk Radio), and editorial coverage spanning local news, Illinois state government, education, arts, agriculture, and weather. The station's technology stack centers on standard public radio broadcasting infrastructure augmented by web-based streaming and third-party integrations including the Tomorrow.io Weather API for weather data, E2MA for newsletter distribution, and VeriSign-secured online donation processing.

The station operates as a non-profit public media entity and does not charge content subscriptions. Revenue is generated through a diversified model comprising listener contributions (one-time, monthly, vehicle donations, and legacy planning), corporate underwriting (including named program sponsors such as Central Illinois Regional Airport and Bloomington-Normal Audiology), institutional support from Illinois State University, and grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The station executes a community-led go-to-market model centered on hyperlocal journalism, civic event programming, and listener engagement, with a lean staff of approximately five to ten reporters supplemented by graduate student contributors from Illinois State University.

Name

WGLT

Legal name

WGLT

Website

https://wglt.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WGLT is a non-commercial public radio station operated by Illinois State University, broadcasting on 89.1 FM in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. It provides local news, NPR programming, original podcasts, and arts coverage, funded primarily through listener donations, corporate sponsorships, and CPB grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

National Public Radio Networks & Member Stations (NPR-style) (MPABADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

University/Educational Local Stations (College Radio, Campus TV) (MPABACAH), Public/Community Local Stations (PBS Member Stations, Community Radio, LPFM) (MPABACAG), News Talk Radio & Current Affairs Stations (MPABAIAI)

Keywords

• Public radio broadcasting
• Local news coverage
• NPR affiliate station
• Original podcast production
• Community journalism

Headquarters

HQ city

Normal

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Listener Contributions/Donations: WGLT relies on public contributions from listeners, with donate.nprstations.org/wglt serving as the primary donation portal. The station offers various donation options including one-time contributions, monthly giving, and vehicle donations.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Local businesses and organizations sponsor the station and specific programs. The station has a corporate support page and offers day sponsorship opportunities.
3. CPB Funding: As a public media station, WGLT receives funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The station has a CPB Funding Updates page.
4. NPR Network Affiliation: WGLT is part of the NPR Network, which provides programming and potentially shared revenue from national sponsorship.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

WGLT is a non-commercial public radio station that operates on 89.1 FM as a public service of Illinois State University, delivering local news, state and national NPR programming, arts and music shows, and original podcasts to the Bloomington-Normal community in Central Illinois. The station also distributes content digitally through wglt.org streaming, the NPR App, smart speakers, and podcast platforms, and aggregates agricultural reporting via the Harvest Public Media partnership. Revenue is generated through listener donations, corporate sponsorships, and institutional support including CPB funding.

Product overview

WGLT is a public radio station operated by Illinois State University, offering a multi-platform news and entertainment service. The station provides live radio broadcasting, on-demand podcasts, and digital content. Core offerings include local news coverage, original podcasts (Sound Ideas, McHistory, Sound Health), music programming (Highway 309, Tiny Desk Radio), and newscasts. The station is part of the NPR Network and offers additional programming through the NPR App and smart speaker integration. WGLT also covers Harvest Public Media content on agriculture and food systems. Revenue is generated through listener donations, corporate sponsorships, and support from Illinois State University and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WGLT Newscasts Regular podcast providing local, state, and national news updates throughout the day, presented by Central Illinois Regional Airport and aimed at listeners in Bloomington-Normal and Central Illinois.
• Sound Ideas Weekly long-form audio storytelling podcast exploring arts, culture, and community stories in the Bloomington-Normal area, presented by Bloomington-Normal Audiology.
• McHistory Podcast focused on local history stories from McLean County and the Bloomington-Normal community, serving residents interested in regional heritage.
• Sound Health Podcast exploring health-related topics and wellness stories for the Central Illinois community, addressing regional health and wellness issues.
• Highway 309 Arts and music radio show featuring local and regional music performances and cultural coverage for the Bloomington-Normal audience.
• Tiny Desk Radio Music program featuring intimate acoustic performances inspired by NPR's Tiny Desk concept, distributed to WGLT listeners.
• Local News Coverage Comprehensive on-air and online local news coverage spanning local stories, state news, NPR News, economy and business, crime and courts, education, arts and music, and weather for the Bloomington-Normal area.
• Harvest Public Media Editorial partnership providing coverage of food systems, agriculture, and rural issues across the Midwest and Great Plains, distributed to WGLT audiences.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 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

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

• Dirksen Congressional CenterminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 June 2026WGLT partnered with the Dirksen Congressional Center to host former Congressman Adam Kinzinger at Illinois State University on October 1, 2026. The event includes screening of Kinzinger's documentary 'The Last Republican' followed by a conversation with the WGLT newsroom.
• Normal TheaterminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 March 2026WGLT partnered with Normal Theater for the 1A Film Series, a freedom of the press film series. This community engagement initiative brings documentary films to the local audience.
• NPR NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWGLT is an affiliated member station of the NPR Network, receiving national programming and contributing to the network's collaborative journalism initiatives. This affiliation provides access to NPR's national news coverage, podcasts, and resources.
• Illinois State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWGLT is a public service unit of Illinois State University, headquartered on the ISU campus in Normal, Illinois. The university provides institutional support and the station serves the university community.
• Investigative News Network (INN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWGLT is a member of the INN Network, a collaboration of investigative newsrooms that share resources and best practices for public-interest journalism.
• Harvest Public MediamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWGLT participates in Harvest Public Media, a collaboration of public media newsrooms in the Midwest and Great Plains that reports on food systems, agriculture, and rural issues. The station publishes agriculture and farming content from Harvest Public Media.
• Capitol News IllinoismajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWGLT publishes state government coverage from Capitol News Illinois, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to news outlets statewide. Funded by Illinois Press Foundation and Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
• Illinois Public Broadcasting CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWGLT is part of the Illinois Public Broadcasting Council, a network of public media stations in Illinois that coordinates programming and resources.
• Illinois Arts CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWGLT receives support from the Illinois Arts Council, which provides funding for arts and cultural programming on public media stations.
• Central Illinois Regional AirportminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of WGLT Newscasts podcast, presenting the station's regular news broadcasts.
• Bloomington-Normal AudiologyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of WGLT's Sound Ideas podcast, presenting the station's long-form audio storytelling program.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Indiana Public Radio / WFIU: Indiana Public Radio, anchored by WFIU at Indiana University Bloomington, is an NPR affiliate serving a mid-sized Midwestern market. Comparable as a university-based NPR member station with classical, news, and arts programming, listener-supported model, and similar staff scale.
• WCBU (Peoria Public Radio): WCBU is a Peoria-based public radio station also operated under the Illinois State University umbrella (referenced in WGLT's own privacy materials as an adjacent operating subsidiary). It is directly comparable as an NPR-affiliated, university-supported public radio station serving a similar mid-sized Central Illinois market with a comparable staff size and programming mix.
• WSIU Public Broadcasting: WSIU is operated by Southern Illinois University Carbondale and provides NPR programming across southern Illinois. Comparable as a state university-affiliated public radio station offering NPR news, classical music, and local content with a similar listener-supported model and modest staff footprint.
• WILL Illinois Public Media: WILL is the NPR and PBS member station operated by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. It is a directly comparable university-affiliated public radio service in Illinois with similar news, arts, and music programming, NPR network integration, and listener-supported funding model.
• WUIS (Illinois Public Radio - Springfield): WUIS is operated by the University of Illinois Springfield and provides NPR news and talk programming to central Illinois, including Springfield. Comparable as a public university-operated NPR affiliate serving a mid-sized Illinois market, with state government and public affairs reporting that parallels WGLT's Capitol News Illinois partnership work.
• Iowa Public Radio: Iowa Public Radio is a statewide public radio network providing NPR programming across Iowa. Comparable as a multi-station NPR member network with similar listener-supported funding, local journalism, and agriculture reporting (e.g., Harvest Public Media collaboration that WGLT also participates in).
• Tri States Public Radio (WNIE/WNIU/WNIW): Tri States Public Radio is operated by Northern Illinois University and serves a regional Illinois/Wisconsin/Iowa audience. Comparable as a university-based public radio network with multiple transmitters, NPR membership, and listener-supported funding — closely aligned with WGLT's structure and operating model.

Broad incumbents

• WBEZ Chicago Public Media: WBEZ is the dominant Chicago-area NPR affiliate and produces nationally distributed content such as This American Life. Comparable as an NPR member station with listener-supported funding and local journalism, but materially larger in staff, audience, and revenue than WGLT.
• Wisconsin Public Radio: Wisconsin Public Radio is a statewide NPR affiliate network with significantly larger scale than WGLT. It is comparable in mission and programming format but operates as a larger, more established incumbent with multiple transmitters and broader geographic reach.

Others

• Harvest Public Media: Harvest Public Media is a collaborative public media reporting network on agriculture and rural issues, of which WGLT is a participating station. It is comparable as a content partner/distributor that provides WGLT with agricultural reporting reach it could not support alone, and represents a model of multi-station content collaboration.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/wgltfm
• Facebookfacebook.com/WGLTFM
• Instagraminstagram.com/wgltnews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wglt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 WGLT