Your Voice. Your Community. Your Public Radio.

1954: Humble Beginnings. Northern Public Radio's history began when WNIU signed on the air at 10 watts. Broadcasting only a few hours each day, programming included announcements of campus events, lectures, and music.

1964: Powering Up. Transmitting power was increased to 2,500 watts, allowing WNIU to serve DeKalb, Sycamore, and most of the rest of DeKalb County. Programming evolved as well, to focus more on music and local news and less on campus information.

1967: A National Movement. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a law setting up public broadcasting in the U.S. and establishing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). CPB’s mission is to ensure universal access to non-commercial, high-quality content and telecommunications services.

1971: NPR Charter Member. WNIU became a charter member of National Public Radio, and a tradition of bringing the best in national and international news to northern Illinois began. NPR's first major program was All Things Considered, and the network made an early name for itself by providing live coverage of the Watergate hearings.

1974: Reaching Rockford. A significant increase in service occurred as the station received authority to raise its power to 50,000 watts. Classical music and jazz were programming staples, along with NPR's All Things Considered. The power increase also brought WNIU's unique programming to listeners in Rockford for the first time.

1979: Launching NIRIS. A second service was added as the Northern Illinois Radio Information Service (NIRIS) signed on the air. NIRIS provides the reading of daily newspapers, magazines, books, and other materials for people with print impairments. NIRIS is staffed primarily by dedicated volunteers.

1988: Improving the Signal. WNIU moved its transmitting tower to a site near Lindenwood, Illinois. This move provided significantly better reception to listeners in the Rockford area, instantly providing an opportunity for more people to hear public radio.

1991: A Tale of Two Stations & New Homes. WNIJ signed on the air, and the programming previously provided by WNIU was split into two distinct services: WNIU became an all-classical music station, and WNIJ provided news, jazz, and entertainment. That same year, the 17,000 square foot NIU Broadcast Center in DeKalb and the NIRIS operation at Riverfront Museum Park in Rockford were opened.

1995: Expanding the Footprint. Northern Public Radio received a grant from the US Department of Commerce to build "repeater" stations in LaSalle, Sterling, and Freeport to reach communities that were previously unserved by public radio.

1997: The Big Frequency Swap. A significant commitment was made to news and information as WNIJ became a news-talk station (with Jazz still played each evening). The stations "swapped frequencies," with WNIU moving to 90.5 and WNIJ to 89.5, allowing more people to hear NPR news programming.

1998–1999: Becoming a Network. Northern Public Radio officially became a "network" when WNIW in LaSalle (91.3-FM) and WNIQ in Sterling (91.5-FM) signed on in 1998. They were followed by WNIE in Freeport (89.1-FM) in 1999, bringing the network to five stations. Classical WNIU also began broadcasting to the immediate Rockford area on "translator" frequency 105.7-FM.