Illinois Public Media

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Image of a woman from the first half of the 20th century taking a photograph while sitting atop a car

Catch “Route 66 Women: The Untold Story of the Mother Road”

 As Route 66 is celebrating its 100 year anniversary this year, learn about the women who found freedom and opportunity along America's most iconic highway. "Route 66 Women: The Untold Story of the Mother Road," a three-part series, starts July 16 at 8 PM and will continue to air on WILL-TV on the following Thursdays. Each episode is repeated Fridays at 10 PM and are available to watch anytime with WILL Passport. Stay tuned for more Route 66 content across our stations this summer and fall!
IPM Newsroom
America The Bountiful: America's 250th Anniversary Special
Illinois Classical
Illinois Classical 90.9

Your home for Classical and more in Central Illinois.
Evening Concert

The Evening Concert on Illinois Classical
Music by Corigliano, Bernstein, Copland, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky, Barber, Gershwin, and others.
Dialogue
two people

He traveled for justice and found tragedy: unpacking the death of Antonio Mays in Seattle’s CHOP
Discover the truth behind a utopian protest turned deadly with a new podcast investigating the 2020 unsolved murder of a Black teenager in Seattle's autonomous zone.
The 21st Show
a woman in a white shirt with heart-shaped polka dots holds a pink puppet with a blue dress talking to a young girl wearing a beige t-shirt; a man in a navy windblazer with the University of Illinois orange block-I logo sits in front of double green doors on an urban stoop next to a pink puppet wearing a teal dress

Abby Cadabby’s puppeteer is married to a guy from Normal, Illinois. Here’s how they got to Sesame Street.
He's a Normal, Illinois native who went to U. of I. and ended up writing music for Sesame Street.She's the puppeteer behind Abby Cadabby — and she just won an Emmy for…
The 21st Show
a montage featuring Scott Solomon, a white man with a short beard wearing a navy bowling shirt with gold accents, sitting in front of bookcases and next to the binocular eyepieces of a telescope; the cover of

Do humans have a future on Mars?
It’s the official policy of the U.S. government to work toward putting people on Mars. Debates about that usually focus on cost and national priorities. Less considered is…
The 21st Show
A collage that includes a photo of author Shelby Van Pelt (a white woman with brown hair, wearing a navy blue outfit), and the cover of the book (which features a watercolor painting of bright orange octopus on the ocean floor)

Illinois author Shelby Van Pelt on the smash success of ‘Remarkably Bright Creatures’
Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, novelist Shelby Van Pelt now makes her home in Wheaton, Illinois. Her debut novel, "Remarkably Bright Creatures," has been a…
Prairie Fire

Prairie Fire: Season 3 - Episode 7 - May 2026
For this month's Prairie Fire, students from the University of Illinois’ College of Media spent a semester producing five short documentaries highlighting food, skating,…
Mid-American Gardener

Propagation, Hail Recovery & Summer Garden Tips
In this episode of Mid-American Gardener, Tinisha is joined by horticulturists Karen Ruckle and Ella Maxwell for hands-on advice on how to keep your garden thriving all…
State of Change

Small gestures to make a big difference in preserving our planet
We visit a zero-waste general store, a garden bringing a community together in a Chicago food desert, a program protecting pollinators, and advice to increase sustainability…