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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, WILL-AM, then known as WRM, broadcast for the | ||||||
| 3 | first time on April 6, 1922 from the University of Illinois | ||||||
| 4 | Electrical Engineering Laboratory in Urbana; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, From the beginning, the station used the | ||||||
| 6 | innovative power and reach of new technology to educate, | ||||||
| 7 | inspire, and connect Illinoisans; and
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| 8 | WHEREAS, Illinois Public Media, as a media organization, | ||||||
| 9 | has a long history of enriching the State through the arts and | ||||||
| 10 | classical music, even hosting its own chamber orchestra, the | ||||||
| 11 | WILL Sinfonietta, in 1937; and
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| 12 | WHEREAS, From its very first broadcast, WILL-AM has upheld | ||||||
| 13 | the mission of a land-grant university by providing essential | ||||||
| 14 | information to the agricultural community, which continues to | ||||||
| 15 | this day with daily programming and podcasts; and
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| 16 | WHEREAS, WILL-FM signed on with the first FM license | ||||||
| 17 | awarded to a university in 1941; and
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| 18 | WHEREAS, WILL hosted the Allerton Conference for the | ||||||
| 19 | National Association of Educational Broadcasters in 1948, | ||||||
| 20 | which later began delivering programs to noncommercial radio | ||||||
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| 1 | stations across the country, becoming the forerunner of NPR | ||||||
| 2 | and PBS; and
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| 3 | WHEREAS, Mister Rogers Neighborhood debuted on WILL-TV in | ||||||
| 4 | 1968; the show, along with Sesame Street and local children's | ||||||
| 5 | shows such as Stories 'n' Stuff, helped build the important | ||||||
| 6 | educational impact that Illinois Public Media continues to | ||||||
| 7 | provide to children today; and
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| 8 | WHEREAS, Illinois Public Media continues a rich tradition | ||||||
| 9 | of state-focused, locally-hosted news programs with The 21st | ||||||
| 10 | radio talk show, which brings listeners the news, culture, and | ||||||
| 11 | stories that matter to a statewide audience; and
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| 12 | WHEREAS, Illinois Public Media produces award-winning | ||||||
| 13 | local programming on WILL-TV, WILL-AM, and WILL-FM, focused on | ||||||
| 14 | news, arts, and the unique history and culture of our State; | ||||||
| 15 | and
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| 16 | WHEREAS, Today, Illinois Public Media has donors in every | ||||||
| 17 | region of the State as well as a global audience; and
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| 18 | WHEREAS, Illinois Public Media has been an integral part | ||||||
| 19 | of the community for 100 years, providing free services to | ||||||
| 20 | all, and, to this day, remains focused on using the power of | ||||||
| 21 | public media to educate, inform, and inspire the people of | ||||||
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| 1 | Illinois; and
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| 2 | WHEREAS, Illinois Public Media will celebrate the 100th | ||||||
| 3 | anniversary of WILL-AM on April 6, 2022; therefore, be it
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| 4 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 5 | HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 6 | we declare April 6, 2022 as Illinois Public Media Day in the | ||||||
| 7 | State of Illinois in celebration of WILL's 100-year history | ||||||
| 8 | and its profound impact on the community; and be it further
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| 9 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 10 | presented to Illinois Public Media with our sincere | ||||||
| 11 | appreciation for their efforts.
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