R.C. McBride

Contact R.C. at rcmcbri@ilstu.edu.

R.C. began his broadcasting career in his hometown of Danville, Illinois while in high school. A graduate of Illinois State University’s School of Communications, R.C. returned to Bloomington-Normal to work at WJBC in 1997, serving as reporter, severe weather anchor, talk show host (doing hundreds of interviews, including with two future U.S. Presidents and two presidential nominees), and eventually the station’s program director. As a news anchor, R.C. won a national Edward R. Murrow Award in 2002, and during his time as P.D., the station won two Marconi Awards as National Radio Station of the Year and one national and six regional Murrow Overall Excellence Awards.

After a stint with Illinois State University Marketing & Communications, R.C. moved to WGLT as Executive Director in 2017. Since then, WGLT has balanced its budget, expanding its staff of local journalists, dramatically increased online readership, launched a daily news podcast, created a paid internship program, assumed oversight of Illinois State's student news website (The Vidette), moved into new studios, and picked up dozens of honors for its journalism - including two regional Overall Excellence Murrows.

In 2019, WGLT and Illinois State entered into an agreement with Bradley University to manage day-to-day operations of WCBU, Peoria’s NPR station - a first of its kind partnership between public and private universities. Since then, WCBU has stabilized financially and has twice won small market Radio Station of the Year honors from the Illinois News Broadcasters Association.

He was elected to NPR’s Board of Directors in 2022. He’s worked on the Distribution and Interconnection, Governance, and NPR CEO search committees, and is currently chair of the Board’s ad hoc communications committee.

R.C. never quite gave up on his childhood dream to be the next Vin Scully. He’s the TV play-by-play voice for Illinois State women’s basketball on ESPN+, was previously the radio voice of the women’s basketball Redbirds, and did play-by-play of men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, and softball for the Missouri Valley Conference for 20 years.

For R.C., belief in community service extends well beyond public media. He volunteers as the Chair of the Town of Normal’s Planning Commission and is a member of the McLean County Historical Society board. Past community roles include stints with the ACLU of Central Illinois, Bloomington-Normal Convention and Visitors Bureau, Bloomington-Normal Girls Softball Association, Miller Park Zoo, and Unit 5 public schools, and he was elected to Normal’s City Council in 2015 - serving one term. He and his wife live in Normal and have three daughters.

He is a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan who believes optimism is rewarded (eventually).