Randy Eccles
General Manager/ Community Voices Co-Host/ CAB Ex-OfficioSpringfield
Please reach out at randy.eccles@nprillinois.org.
Randy Eccles became NPR Illinois general manager in 2013 after serving as development director since moving to Springfield in 2008. Randy served on the Governor's Local Journalism Task Force 2023-2024.
Randy currently serves as the past-president of the Illinois Public Broadcasting Council (IPBC) – the association for all public media organizations in Illinois.
Randy previously worked at KTAR in Phoenix and WGN in Chicago in programming and marketing management after producing talk shows and sports coverage. He also served in management and news stints at student-run stations WHFH, WONC, and WUEV.
Born in Hinsdale, he was raised by teachers in south suburban Glenwood and graduated from Homewood-Flossmoor High School, then North Central College in Naperville. Randy also spent a lot of time at the family farm in Industry, Illinois (south of Macomb).
Randy served on the Springfield Area Arts Council board and was awarded the best of show in the Springfield Art Association's 2023 Art Synergy program in a collaboration with professional artist Alissa Ohashi.
Randy co-hosts Community Voices and its music-focused edition, CV-X, Saturdays 5 to 7 p.m.
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Matt Brookens grew up in Springfield, got his film degree in Chicago, and works on productions in Los Angeles. Illinois Hell Hole is his passion project he has made into a radio film. -
Tyler Caraballo-Pisani and Ginny Racette visit to discuss their production of the maneating play, Little Shop of Horrors at the Hoogland Center for the Arts Oct. 24-26, Oct. 31-Nov. 2. -
Andy Coon, Springfield Park District tennis manager and recreation assistant, and Rod Remolina, Springfield Platform Tennis Association, discuss Washington Park's platform tennis courts and how they heat up so the game can be played all winter at the Valasco Tennis Center. -
ArRell Bradly is the CEO of ArRell Accessories and is 10 years old. Her mom joins Community Voices for a discussion of business and why it's never too soon to start learning. -
Editor Fletcher Farrar and Publisher Michelle Ownsby discuss the first 50 years of Springfield's alternative weekly, Illinois Times, and how it is evolving to increase its coverage of local news. -
Jessica Baumberger and Dr. Neetu Singh joins Community Voices to update the use of AI in higher education and why learning it is advantageous. -
Christina Shutt highlights artifacts from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in new book, exhibit. -
Bea Bonner does her exit interview on Community Voices with Sean Crawford and Randy Eccles after eight years at NPR Illinois. -
NPR Illinois and the UIS Center for State Policy and Leadership present a panel discussion on how news media, the press, are under multiple threats to their independence. Medill's Tim Franklin and attorney Don Craven join moderator Sean Crawford to sort through the issues. -
The new Mid-Illinois Communications Association is hosting the Mid-Illinois AI for Communicators Workshop Oct. 23 at the UIS Student Union. MICA joined Community Voices to preview the conference and explain how AI is a tool if you learn it.
