On-air growth
Prior to 1966, WGLT could only be heard on AM broadcast via a closed-circuit radio service to students in the Illinois State University dormitories. On Feb. 6, 1966, that all changed when WGLT-FM hit the airwaves thanks to a whopping 10 watts which extended to a 15-mile radius from campus.
Over the next few decades, WGLT continued upgrades to reach its current 25,000-watt transmitter expanding the on-air signal to approximately a 45-mile radius – the maximum reach allowed under WGLT’s FCC license.
WGLT currently serves more than 11,300 listeners weekly, making the station the No. 1 news-talk radio station in McLean County, according to Nielsen data. NPR's Morning Edition is the No. 1 news-talk morning show in Bloomington-Normal. Podcast and streaming listeners expands the WGLT audience further to 20,000 on-demand listeners a month.
Beyond a radio station
In the last decade, WGLT has evolved into much more than a traditional radio station with its largest audience extending beyond the airwaves.
In 2017, WGLT hired its first digital content director and became a more “digital first” news organization to break news and report local stories. As a result of that digital evolution, traffic on WGLT.org has increased ten-fold — now averaging 450,000 views per month from nearly 200,000 users, making it the first-choice destination for local news consumers in Bloomington-Normal.
WGLT also launched an ongoing short-form video storytelling series spanning multiple social media channels to meet audiences where they’re at.
The WGLT audience at 60 is now the largest in station history. This audience growth comes amidst declining local media trends around the country demonstrating that when media organizations invest in award-winning local news, community members respond with their ears, eyes and clicks for high quality content.
WGLT celebrates 60 years in 2026. Read more station history and get details on special events at WGLT.org/60.
