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WGLT's Sound Ideas

WGLT
Bloomington
Homelessness
Serial Killers
Path Crisis Center
True Crime
Technology In Law Enforcement
9/11 Attacks
Media Representation
Empathy
Chicago White Sox
National Anthem
Kindness Rally
Surgical Technologists
Public Obsession
DNA Analysis
Criminology
Obesity
Salvation Army
Illinois
Young Wonders Program

Sound Ideas is WGLT's signature local news series. Every weekday, WGLT reporters go beyond soundbites for deeper conversations with newsmakers, musicians, artists, and anyone with a story to share. New episodes air throughout the day on WGLT.

PublishesDailyEpisodes221Founded10 years ago
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Artwork for WGLT's Sound Ideas

Latest Episodes

Unit 5 may soon consider whether closing Carlock Elementary would be beneficial to the school district's efforts to correct enrollment imbalances. The potential closure of the school in northwest McLean County has been a recurring theme in preliminar... more

Bloomington Fire Department [BFD] is making strides in improving internal and external goals for hiring new staff this year. The department has seen recruitment numbers exceed expectations while also getting approval for two full-time community healt... more

The Winter Olympics are officially underway in Milan. A number of the members of Team USA come from right here in Illinois — including four members of the U.S. Olympic women’s hockey team. WBEZ's Noah Jennings reports.

Support the show: dona... more

YouTube

To reduce water use in an ongoing severe drought, the City of Bloomington has asked residents to conserve water by a goal of 10%. Water shortages are not unheard of for the city. Even at its start, water was scarce in Bloomington.

Support the show: ... more

YouTube

Illinois lawmakers say they have concerns with increasing higher education funding because of a tight budget. The Illinois Board of Higher Education is requesting a nearly 5% increase in its budget for public colleges and universities and a change to... more

YouTube

The Meet the Newsroom series pulls back the curtain to introduce you to the team that makes WGLT possible. The series continues with digital content director Emily Bollinger.

Support the show: donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation... more

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Illinois State University's Queer Coalition kicks off a month-long film series this week at the Normal Theater. Fired Up: The American AIDS Crisis on Film captures the early days of the AIDS crisis, with community leaders and scholars introducing eac... more

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A cancer survivor from Springfield is urging Black women in Illinois to share their experiences with health care. Erica Austin earned her Ph.D. from Illinois State University and works in the medical field. She is the Illinois ambassador for "VOICES ... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Rudy Pizzotti
Artist who created 'The Twelve Labors of Hercules', a series of lithographs
Episode: At University Galleries, 50 years in 50 prints mark Normal Editions' golden anniversary
Lisa Lofgren
University Galleries' current registrar and former graduate student intern at Normal Editions Workshop
University Galleries
Episode: At University Galleries, 50 years in 50 prints mark Normal Editions' golden anniversary
Jon Norton
Longtime host and program director at WGLT, retiring after 23 years.
WGLT
Episode: Retiring morning host Jon Norton reflects on over two decades at WGLT
Rebecca Gant
Reverend at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington
Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington
Episode: Bloomington minister 'heartbroken' but 'hopeful' after joining clergy anti-ICE rally in Minneapolis
Jenna Bixby-Nehl
Owner and CEO of Bixby Eye Care in Peoria
Bixby Eye Care
Episode: Downtown Bloomington fixture Specs Around Town gets new owner after 28 years
Chris Sweet
Librarian at Illinois Wesleyan University and author of A History of Bicycling in Illinois
Illinois Wesleyan University
Episode: WGLT's Sound Ideas - Wednesday 12/17/2025
Kyle Merkel
Co-host of Santa's Village
Episode: WGLT's Sound Ideas - Friday 12/12/2025
Shannon Merkel
Co-host of Santa's Village
Episode: WGLT's Sound Ideas - Friday 12/12/2025
Colleen Canaday
Retiring president of Carle BroMenn and Carle Eureka Medical Center
Carle Health
Episode: WGLT's Sound Ideas - Thursday 12/11/2025

Hosts

Charlie Schlenker
Host of Sound Ideas
Lauren Warnke
Host of Sound Ideas

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Community health organizations to host training on child sex trafficking risk factors
Q: Is there something different to recognize between rural and urban environments?
In rural areas, there's more seclusion and less awareness, making it easier to exploit individuals and hide trafficking situations.
Community health organizations to host training on child sex trafficking risk factors
Q: What kind of workers or organizations really will best benefit from this training?
The training is applicable to law enforcement, healthcare providers, educators, and anyone in touch with a child's life.
Sewage infrastructure need prompts Normal council discussion on how to pay
Q: Do you plan to add staff?
We are proposing the addition of two and a half positions for fiscal year 26-27, focusing on succession planning and technology initiatives.
Sewage infrastructure need prompts Normal council discussion on how to pay
Q: What do you mean by significant?
Significant capital investment will be required, estimated in the tens of millions of dollars for pump stations.
Bloomington minister 'heartbroken' but 'hopeful' after joining clergy anti-ICE rally in Minneapolis
Q: Did you ever feel unsafe while you were there? Was there a potential for any sort of escalation?
There were concerns regarding potential escalations during protests but the group decided to avoid specific actions that might lead to arrests.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
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Frequently Asked Questions About WGLT's Sound Ideas

What is WGLT's Sound Ideas about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This podcast provides a platform for in-depth conversations with local newsmakers, artists, and community figures, focusing primarily on events and issues affecting the Bloomington-Normal area. Episodes often explore a wide range of topics, including local governance, community engagement, mental health initiatives, agricultural issues, college athletics, and public infrastructure. Noteworthy is its emphasis on storytelling, allowing guests to share personal and professional insights that cater to the interests of the community. The podcast is crafted to keep listeners informed about local happenings while fostering a sense of connection among residents and organizations in the area.

Where can I find podcast stats for WGLT's Sound Ideas?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for WGLT's Sound Ideas. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to WGLT's Sound Ideas and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does WGLT's Sound Ideas get?

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How many subscribers and views does WGLT's Sound Ideas have?

To see how many followers or subscribers WGLT's Sound Ideas has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to WGLT's Sound Ideas?

These podcasts share a similar audience with WGLT's Sound Ideas:

1. WGLT Newscasts
2. The Daily

How many episodes of WGLT's Sound Ideas are there?

WGLT's Sound Ideas launched 10 years ago and published 221 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact WGLT's Sound Ideas?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for WGLT's Sound Ideas?

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What guests have appeared on WGLT's Sound Ideas?

Recent guests on WGLT's Sound Ideas include:

1. Rudy Pizzotti
2. Lisa Lofgren
3. Jon Norton
4. Rebecca Gant
5. Jenna Bixby-Nehl
6. Chris Sweet
7. Kyle Merkel
8. Shannon Merkel

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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