41 years of Community Radio, 1981 - 2022. Listener Supported, Volunteer Operated!
Thanks to everyone who donated to WEFT Community Radio, during our 2022 Summer Appeal.
We recently had a new roof installed replacing our aging 30 year old roof which leaked in several areas. WEFT is also working on a project to reroute our STL signal path to our transmitter since a new hotel being built in downtown Champaign will block our current route.
Please support YOUR Community Radio Station!
Our Pledge Drive kicks off with WEFT Fest Sunday Oct. 2, 2022!
Listen Live!
Listen to WEFT's live broadcast in your browser, choose TuneIn to take WEFT anywhere on your smartphone or use your preferred streaming player on your computer.
WEFT Fest 2022 - 2:00 - 6:00 pm Sunday October 2, 2022
We'll be closing off Market St. and inviting our neighbors to have a presence. We're planning on music, raffle items, CD's for sale, Birthday Cake and other fun things.
Thanks to Seven Saints for sharing their patio with WEFT, for all their great food and beverages, and their friendly staff.
- Performers inlude:
- Tom Cortese
- Grupo Calle Verde
- Ballet Folklorico
- drOpsy
- Reverend Robert & The Rhumba Bums
We'll be broadcasting WEFT Fest live at 90.1 FM and streaming through this website!
Thank You! ... WEFT is planning on 41 more years of Listener Supported Community Radio
Job Opening - Part-Time Station Manager
Position Description: The Station Manager (SM) is a Part-Time salaried employee of Prairie Air Inc., and oversees the the day-to-day operation and administration of the radio station WEFT 90.1 FM licensed for operation in Champaign, IL.,
Salary and Benefits: Commensurate with Experience
Hours Worked: 20 hours per week
Reporting To: The Executive Committee of the Board of Directors
Airshifter Training!
Life is coming back to WEFT. We're seeing new faces and hearing new concepts for programs.
If you've ever considered going through our airshifter training, we encourage it. It's not hard. It just takes a few hours of training including some time behind the mic with a show host guiding you.
The first step, online training will take place via Zoom 6:30 pm Tuesday October 26. Training is open to current WEFT Members (anyone who joined at the $40.00 level or above in the last calendar year).
With some additional in-studio time, you're ready to solo
Download the Airshifter Training Application now. Or send an email to Vicki at airshiftertraining at weft.org to sign up. You'll be contacted about the online training.
- 3 easy steps
- WEFT Membership: $40
- Airshifter Training Application
- Online and In-Studio training
Special Shows Honoring Dave Monk - The Prairie Monk
Check out WEFT's archives of The Prairie Monk show. Shows going back to 2015 are in the archives.
Special editions of the Prairie Monk show!
- August 14, 2022 - Dave Monk tribute show with Kathy & Glenn Martin. They wrote the recent article in the News-Gazette "We will not see another like David Monk"
- August 07, 2022 - Dave Monk tribute show with live music provided by The Prairie Dogs and John "Catfish" Evans
The Prairie Monk show has been broadcast on WEFT Community Radio on Sunday mornings for many years. Bringing you news and information about environmental issues!
Thanks to the IMC, Independent Media Center, for hosting some of Dave's artwork and silkscreens in their Gallery throughout August.
New Roof Project
In June of 2022 WEFT had our 30 year old roof replaced. This photo highlights the nice job they did of flashing around a chimney and our electric service entrance.
Thanks to the Rotary Club of Champaign for a generous Grant that greatly assisted in funding the project! We appreciate Community Partners like the Rotary Club and the excellent work they do for Non-Profits and the youth in our area.
Thanks also to all our loyal donors who helped make this much needed improvement to our infrastructure possible.
WEFT History and Info
You can read a short version of WEFT's history here
Interestingly back in 1937 the upstairs of WEFT's building 113 1/2 and Dave Monk's building 115 1/2 were a gambling establishment. Thanks to the Urbana Free Library Archives, here's a story about Champaign's Gambling Hotspots one of which was the Turf Club part of Gamblers Row
Joe Lex, was one of WEFT's Founders (and partly repsonsible for some of those vinyl records we have stored up in our attic). He recently dug up this little bit of WEFT History. Here's an early vision of what our Programming would be, Joe Lex - WEFT's 1981 Programming Vision
WEFT Video from the 90's Clips of many WEFTies who helped make WEFT what it is today. How many do you recognize?
Listen Live!
Listen to WEFT's live broadcast in your browser, choose TuneIn to take WEFT anywhere on your smartphone or use your preferred streaming player on your computer.
Listen On Demand!
Two Week Music Archives are Back!
Thanks to our partners at Spinitron many of our music shows will once again be archived
Go to our Spinitron Calendar page and click on any of the green colored shows. You'll be able to start an in-browser player.
Copyright restrictions require us to start all playbacks at the beginning of each show, and you can't jump forward or back. If you want to listen to part of the 2nd hour of the show, you have to wait till the player gets there.
Look for the in-browser player - click on the triangle to start playback.
Because of copyright restrictions music shows can only remain online for two weeks. They also can't be downloaded or podcast.
Public Affairs Archives!
Most of your favorite Public Affairs shows have been archived on a weekly basis by WEFT's own volunteers. We have archives of some shows going back to 2015.
Go to our Public Affairs page to listen to shows such as Disability Beat, Higher Ground, News From Neptune, Radio Free Labor and The Prairie Monk.
WEFT's COVID Policy (revised March 4, 2022)
With the CDC and State of Illinois masks mandates having had recent changes the WEFT Board of Directors wanted to send an update. Please remember, based on the case counts and variants WEFT will adjust accordingly. The CDC has a site that you can check the state and county for community levels (low, medium or high). Currently Champaign County is at the medium level, which translates to:
- If you are at a high risk for serious illness, talk to your healthcare provider about whether you need to wear a mask and take other precautions
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
- Get tested if you have symptoms
As of March 2, 2022 the BOD are standing by the recommendations: People who come into the station, may choose to use a mask due to their own or a family member's health risk. Each individual's choice should be respected. Please continue to sanitize and cleanup after your time at the station.
The Board of Directors recommends that any volunteer who has been in WEFT's facility and tests positive or has been exposed to COVID/variants should:
- Send email to: boardchair at weft dot org stating your positive results.
- Include a list of any other WEFT volunteers that you were in contact with. The BOD make every effort to notify those affected.
- Stay away from WEFT for at least 5 days, per CUPHD recommendation
- If you are unable to produce your show, please email: programming at weft dot org
In order to continue keeping WEFT as a safe environment for all of our volunteers your cooperation is required. Thanks in advance for your adherence to WEFT's COVID-19 policies/procedures.
COVID or not: If you are not feeling well, please stay at home.
Sincerely WEFT Board of Directors
WEFT is a member of the NFCB - National Federation of Community Broadcasters
NFCB Statement on Black Lives Matter and the Death of George Floyd
(Please read the entire statement at the link above, but here's one paragraph that is typical of the statement.)
The National Federation of Community Broadcasters maintains that fairness and justice depend on acknowledging social and historical context. NFCB stands allied with the movement for Black lives. We believe the voices of Black, Indigenous, and people of color must be heard. We are here, ready to listen and support.
Antenna Video
In the spring of 2020 WEFT completed a project our volunteers had worked on for a couple years. Order a new antenna and get it installed on a new, taller tower. This video documents some of the project
thanks Mark Niswander
You can view this and other WEFT related videos on our Youtube Page
WEFT's Rotational Underwriters
Visit our Community Partners page for the complete list. Thanks to all of them for their support over the years. Please support them by doing business with them
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