165 Miles for USO of Illinois

Hit-Mix 88.9 is proud to call Brian Andries one of its own, especially in light of his most recent philanthropic efforts! Andries walked 165 miles from Oswego to Charleston in an effort to raise money for USO of Illinois.

Brian was recently featured in Eastern Illinois University's EIU360 online magazine, and the story includes an on-air interview with our own Rob Calhoun! Make sure you check it out!

Nature & Science Programming

For the viewer who always needs to know more about the world around us, we bring you Nature and NOVA each Tuesday evening.

Tuesday, May 21

Nature: The Private Life of Deer, 8 p.m. - From our kitchen windows we spot them, nibbling away at our gardens and shrubs. They wander along our highways, reminders of the wilderness we have paved our way through. From coast to coast some 30 million white-tailed deer make their home in the United States. But once they retreat from our view, where do they go? What secrets do they carry back into the forest, away from our prying eyes?

Deer are among the most highly-studied mammals in the world; but does any typical homeowner with deer in the yard know how long a deer can live? When they sleep? How many babies a doe can have each year? Working with scientists, special camera equipment, and deer experts and devotees of every kind, NATURE reveals the hidden world of white-tailed deer in a whole new light.

NOVA: Venom - Nature's Killer, 9 p.m. - Venom scientists are in a race against time. Inside the bodies of many creatures, evolution has produced extreme toxic cocktails, all designed for one reason: to kill. It took millions of years to perfect these ultimate brews of proteins and peptides and we have only just begun to discover their potential. Now, the race is on to collect and study them before the animals that produce them disappear.

But how does venom do its deadly work? NOVA reveals how venom causes the body to shut down, arteries to bleed uncontrollably and limbs to go black and die. But nature's most destructive and extreme poisons could contain the building blocks for a new generation of advanced drugs that could treat heart attack, stroke, diabetes, obesity and cancer. VENOM follows scientists on their expeditions to track down and capture the planet's most deadly creatures, risking life and limb just to tease out milligrams of venom and get it back to the lab. Find out how nature's deadliest cocktails could be medicine's brightest new hope.

My WEIU Story - Zach Nugent

My name is Zach Nugent and I co-anchor Black Hills FOX News at 9 weeknights in Rapid City, South Dakota. I first became interested in journalism as a freshman at Eastern Illinois University. An academic adviser encouraged me to take a news writing class as an elective, and I fell in love with the field of journalism.

Shortly into my freshman year, I began volunteering at WEIU and continued for nearly five years as I completed my undergraduate and graduate coursework. I can honestly say I learned more from the hands-on experience I received at WEIU than in any single class I took. Starting behind the cameras, I had a chance to work from the bottom up and get a true feel for every position in a working newsroom. From operating a camera and teleprompter, to live reporting and anchoring, WEIU gave me the opportunity to explore and find my niche.

Upon graduating, I applied to stations across the country and pursued an opportunity as a weekend anchor and producer/weekday reporter in South Dakota, and within 18 months I was promoted to weeknight co-anchor. Everyday I still think of the lessons and values I learned through my time at WEIU. Whether out in the field reporting, behind the desk anchoring or picking up any odd production jobs around my current station, I am able to do it with the confidence and drive that was instilled in my by the staff at WEIU.

We've got graduation covered!

In case you couldn't attend EIU's spring commencement ceremonies and missed our live stream of the events, DVD copies are available in our online store to help you preserve these once-in-a-lifetime memories forever!

• Buy Your Graduation DVD Online

Masterpiece Classic!: Mr. Selfridge

F.W. Woolworth tries to undercut his old friend and competitor, Harry, who gives the discount king a run for his money. The temperature rises with Agnes and Henri.

About the Series

This mini-series is a dramatization of the real-life story of Harry Gordon Selfridge, the flamboyant and visionary American founder of the famous London department store that revolutionized the modern shopping experience. Created by Andrew Davies (Little Dorrit) with Jeremy Piven (Entourage) in the title role.

Sam Jones - Ashmore, IL

"I support WEIU because I know that at any time, day or night we can tune in and we can count on good, quality entertainment and good wholesome programming made available to us. WEIU is what I consider to be a family friendly television station because I know that if my children or grandchildren are visiting and they enter the room where I'm watching TV, I don't have to worry about anything inappropriate being on my TV screen. I know that I can trust WEIU and I love that!"

WEIU membership is important to Sam, and you can also be a proud member!

Frances Murphy - Charleston, IL

"I’m very happy to support Classic Gospel ... it is important to me."

WEIU membership is important to Frances, and you can also be a proud member!

Rob Calhoun - Radio Production Supervisor

When Did You Start at WEIU? September 2004 (part-time); October 2006 (full-time)

What Does WEIU Mean to You? WEIU is unique because it offers a variety of things that are different from other stations. We have great local programming that features people in our community. I think community involvement is very important. Our commitment to the local programming is vital to our continued success.

Favorite Show on WEIU-TV: EIU Panther sports broadcasts. Is it wrong to say that since I am on the EIU women's basketball broadcasts? I also enjoy News Watch.

What have you learned while working at WEIU? That we have some of the greatest and hardest working students around. Their dedication to the station astounds me every day I come to work. They are very passionate about what they do and it shows in their work.

Why should someone become a member of WEIU? It is very important to support your local station. With state and federal funding being cut, it becomes more difficult to provide programming. With the help of our members, we can continue to grow and give them great, family-friendly choices.

Is WEIU as important to you as it is to Rob? Become a member today!