Quad Cities, IL/IA-WVIK, Quad Cities NPR, is proud to announce changes to its weekend line-up that includes both the addition of a popular national program and two new hours of local programming.

The highlight of this new roster is a brand new partnership between the River Music Experience and WVIK called RME Radio Hour. RME Radio Hour will be hosted by local musician and RME Director of Programming & Community Outreach Ellis Kell and feature an hour of blues and roots music together with interviews of local and visiting musicians. "RME Radio Hour is a perfect example of how two partners can work together to serve our community," said River Music Experience CEO Deb Sandry-Powers. "This program gives us a chance to extend our mission of promoting roots music from along the Mississippi River, as well as keeping our audience aware of what is happening at RME."

This new program will air at 8:00 p.m. on Saturdays beginning October 4. This slot immediately follows A Prairie Home Companion, and runs just before Don Wooten's new jazz program Swing Shift, focusing on swing-era jazz favorites.

The big change at the other end of WVIK's new Saturday line-up is the addition of the "oddly informative," nationally syndicated, and extremely popular news quiz show out of Chicago--Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! hosted by Peter Segal will be aired on WVIK at 11:00 a.m. right after Don Wooten's Saturday Morning Live. This highly-successful program will then be followed by Scribbles, a brand new program focused on the art of writing hosted by Don Wooten and fellow WVIK personality and Augustana College Professor Emeritus of English Roald Tweet.

"To be able to add two hours of local programming, while also adding a nationally successful show, is a really a win-win for the community," explained Station Manager Jay Pearce. "Our listeners have been asking for Wait Wait..., but we also have a strong commitment to local programming."

Other changes include the addition of the Quad Cities Jazz Channel, a mainstream jazz program that will delight both casual listeners and passionate jazz lovers, to run overnight from midnight to 4:00 a.m. on Saturday night, as well as the moving of Krista Tippett's On Being to 9:00 a.m. on Sunday morning.

Please visit www.wvik.org for a complete listing of program times.

KWQC-TV6, the #1-rated NBC affiliate in the Quad Cities, has announced its programming line-up for the 2014-15 broadcast season.
The 2014-15 broadcast season will see a few changes at KWQC-TV6, most notably, the addition of 6 hours of locally-produced news. Starting August 18th, the station will drop the second run of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and expand the News at Noon to one hour.
September 6th brings another big change. KWQC will become the only station in the Quad Cities to offer weekend morning news. The station will move its weekend Agribusiness shows to 5 a.m. to make room for Quad Cities Today Weekend Edition starting at 6 a.m. on both Saturdays and Sundays. QCT Weekend will then break for NBC's Today Show and resume for an additional half hour on Saturdays and a full hour on Sundays.
KWQC VP and General Manager Ken Freedman said, "The community deserves to have a local news option in the morning on weekends. As the news leader in this market, it makes sense that we are the ones to provide that option."
QCT Weekend will be anchored by Brian Boesen, who recently returned to KWQC-TV6 after co-anchoring at WFIE, the NBC affiliate in Evansville, Indiana, for two years.
"We couldn't be happier to have Brian back in the Quad Cities, and back on KWQC," said News Director Rich Kurz. "He's a natural behind the desk and his local roots make him a perfect fit to anchor QCT Weekend."

WTVP to Host WQPT Master Control Operations

Peoria, IL, July 31, 2014 -- Public Television broadcasting in the Quad Cities has come home to Illinois. On June 30 at 7:01 p.m., WQPT-Quad Cities PBS officially moved control of its technical broadcast operations to WTVP-Public Television for Central Illinois in Peoria.

According to WTVP President and CEO Chet Tomczyk, this new arrangement represents months of behind-the-scenes work on infrastructure, equipment and technology by both stations.

"This transition has gone smoothly, and viewers in the Quad Cities won't know anything has changed," noted WQPT General Manager Mary Pruess. "This new broadcasting arrangement is a positive step forward for both stations and provides WQPT with stellar signal quality. Each station's programming, governance and community services continue as before."

Pruess added that master control operations for WQPT, a media service of Western Illinois University, have long been out-sourced; however, instead of coming from Texas, WQPT's signal will originate in Peoria and be sent via fiber to the WQPT transmitter in Orion.

"This change provides financial savings for WQPT, a new source of revenue for WTVP, valuable technological advances for both stations and an invaluable chance for the sister stations to work together," Tomczyk added.

"Western Illinois University has a long standing tradition of serving residents and students in our region. As the public broadcasting service of the University, WQPT in partnership with WTVP have established the beginnings of a win-win relationship with even more future opportunities for collaboration that will benefit our viewing audiences from Peoria, Macomb, Moline, and beyond," said Joe Rives, vice president for the Quad Cities and planning at WIU. "Both Mary Pruess and Chet Tomczyk deserve our thanks for their outstanding leadership in this important project."

The project was led by WTVP Chief Engineer Bill Porter and his team, including engineers James Jordan and Brett Ring, Operations Manager Jackie Luebcke, IT Director Mark Lasswell with Traffic Manager Jed Klabunde and operators Paul Coussens and Will Crotz, along with WQPT Traffic Coordinator Richard Diamond and Program Manager Jerry Myers.

"This collaboration between stations represents another way of being responsible stewards of the public trust placed in us by our members and contributors," Tomczyk said.

There will be a press conference on August 8 at 10 am at WTVP in Peoria to formally announce this new partnership. Please RSVP to Stacey Tomczyk at WTVP Ph 309.495.0594/Fx 309.677.4730

Le Claire, IA, July 10, 2014: Le Claire, Iowa-based Autumn Leaf Productions, is launching an Indiegogo campaign to produce a comprehensive documentary on President Abraham Lincoln's tomb and monument in Springfield, IL. In March the Lincoln Monument Association board voted to authorize owner, Chris Ryder, to produce the documentary.

Autumn Leaf will have access to the LMA archives, including photos that have never been publicly displayed, in addition to the support from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.
"The timing is perfect for the 150th anniversary in 2015 of President Lincoln's death", said Autumn Leaf Owner/Filmmaker Chris Ryder. "There is a wealth of activity happening in Springfield next year. When you factor in the number of Lincoln enthusiasts across the country, it made complete sense to look at the bigger picture in regard to this documentary."

Mary Todd Lincoln insisted her husband's wish was to be buried in a quiet, remote setting. This was a new trend at a time when most cemeteries were developed inside cities.

Immediately there was opposition to Mrs. Lincoln by those who preferred the body either remain in Washington, D.C. or in downtown Springfield for tourism purposes. Ultimately Mrs. Lincoln's wishes prevailed, but it would be some time before Mr. Lincoln's body would be at peace.

From conception of the tomb to final interment, Mr. Lincoln's body would be placed in several graves and ultimately moved 14 times. After a thwarted attempt to steal the body, the casket would later be encased 10 feet below ground in steel and concrete.

"There is so much history encapsulated in the tomb's 12 1?2 acres of property", explains LMA President Pam VanAlstine. "From the architecture, statues, gifts from state and foreign dignitaries, to the commotion of the attempted theft, we have a lot of story to tell. There were millions of Americans who mourned the president on his funeral train route in 1865. To this day we see thousands of visitors each year who are emotionally moved when they visit the tomb. President Lincoln's legacy continues to grow."

Oak Ridge cemetery is the second most visited cemetery in the United States, next to Arlington National Cemetery.

Ryder will serve as producer and director. His production partner, Don Hertz, is executive producer and technical editor. Together they have previously collaborated on projects for PBS, ESPN, TLC, and VERSUS in addition to numerous corporate promotional videos, music videos, and national television commercials.

Indiegogo backers will receive a one-time printing of a 150th commemorative edition of the DVD or Blu-ray paired with a CD of the documentary soundtrack. The soundtrack will contain original recordings of period-appropriate music, led by Nashville recording artist and producer Jeb Hart. There will also be opportunities to fund re-enactment scenes and obtain reserved tickets for the premiere screening and reception in Springfield.

Ryder adds, "When my role is complete, the entire rights to the production will be gifted to the Lincoln Monument Association, so all subsequent copies will raise money for the association and preservation of the tomb. I want this production to be a mini-endowment of sorts for the LMA."

The campaign begins on July 10, 2014 and will run for 30 days.