WVIK Programming FAQ

WVIK is here for you

WVIK is committed to you, the listener. We are always evaluating our existing programs and services to ensure we are meeting the needs of people in our listening area. We know you rely on WVIK for news and music. Starting on May 1st, we are excited to bring you more of what you love!

To do this, we have established one station committed to our award-winning local news and NPR programming and another to music. You’ll hear more news and more music, whenever you want!

90.3 FM WVIK News

90.3 FM WVIK News will be devoted to news and information, with public radio staples like Morning Edition and All Things Considered. You’ll also hear more shows that offer trusted, reliable news and analysis, such as 1A, Here & Now, and The 21st. WVIK will be your place to go to find out what’s happening in the Quad Cities, throughout our region, and around the world, as well as stories about our community members. Check out the WVIK News web page for all of our recent stories.

98.3 FM WVIK Classical

98.3 FM will become WVIK Classical. You’ll hear Perspective with Mindy Huesel and Allegro Mosso (AM) with Marc Zyla, plus other shows devoted to discovering and celebrating classical music, such as Performance Today, Conversations from World Cafe, and Sunday Baroque. WVIK Classical will also continue to share news about the vibrant arts community in the Quad Cities, and also run NPR news at the top of the hour. You’ll find more arts and culture reporting from WVIK here.

Why the change?

We’re separating our news and music formats to bring you more and deeper discussions about each topic. By putting News onto our 90.3 FM and HD1 signal, we’ll offer more shows and trusted reporting at a time when some news organizations are cutting staff and reducing services. We, by contrast, are bringing you more information. This serves you and the entire community with reliable information and analysis. We strive to be your source for news on 90.3 FM WVIK News.

By launching a Classical Music format at 98.3 FM and on our 90.3 HD2 signal, we will have the space to bring you more music and delightful discussions about how arts and culture affect our lives. This may change where you hear your favorite music shows, but all the content you love right now, plus more will be on 98.3 FM WVIK Classical. This will allow us to add even more dynamic, relevant, and important music because you will have a special space to listen to classical music, pause during your busy days, and re-energize with the arts.

Quite simply, we are doubling our service and commitment to the Quad Cities.

Will I be able to hear both stations where I live?

Yes. If you can hear 90.3 FM now, you are able to receive both both WVIK News and WVIK Classical over the air. 98.3 FM will cover the majority of the Quad Cities metro area, but 90.3 HD1 and HD2 have the exact same footprint as 90.3 FM. If you need to order a new HD radio, we recommend this one. And if you live outside of our coverage areas, you can always listen online at our website or through our app, as well as services like Tune In, Spotify and Apple.

Is WVIK more committed to news than classical music?

WVIK remains just as committed as ever to both local news and classical music in the Quad Cities as we have since 1980. A driving factor in this decision was a goal to become an even stronger advocate for the arts through our Classical Music station at 98.3 FM. For the first time ever, the Quad Cities will have a locally hosted morning classical music program with Marc Zyla's Allegro Molto. This new service will not just play classical music, but also share news about the vibrant arts community in the Quad Cities.

We’ve had many ongoing partnerships in the arts community through the on-air broadcasts of local orchestras and music ensembles and included the additions of QCSO chamber music concerts, the Quad Cities Wind Ensembles, and more. We’ve expanded interviews in Mindy Heusel’s daytime program Perspective and she will continue to bring you the people behind the music. We’ve committed thousands of dollars to our ever-growing music library, and will continue to add ever more music. Carolyn Martin’s Talking Art podcast, Footlights with Jaren Michelle and Chris Hicks, and Marc Zyla's Because... are all examples of our ongoing commitment to art and culture in the Quad Cities region.

We welcome your comments and questions. You may reach out to Jared Johnson, General Manager, anytime at jaredjohnson@wvik.org or 309-794-7507.