WKAR - Public Media from Michigan State University

12/24/2025

It’s been a year—but at least we’ve spent it together.

Through the ups, downs, and all the sideways moments, WKAR has provided the soundtrack of the year with locally hosted classical, jazz, and folk music—freely available to everyone in mid-Michigan thanks to listener support.

As you gather with friends and family this season, remember the station that’s been with you all year long. Make a sustaining gift to WKAR by December 31, and your donation will be matched dollar for dollar—doubling your impact in support of the music you love.

Donate now at the link in the comments.

12/23/2025

A true story that hits close to home, Judy and Dick Winter join Melorie Begay to talk about the WKAR-TV release of Camp RicStar, their very personal documentary highlighting the Eric 'RicStar' Winter Music Therapy Camp.

After the unexpected passing of their son Eric "RicStar" Winter, the Winters worked with Michigan State University Community Music School to honor his memory with an inclusive camp for people with disabilities to play music, explore and find community. The positive impact of the camp on participants and staff inspired the Winters to document and share the story, highlighting how people with disabilities shine when given the opportunity to be the star of the show.

Read more and listen to the full interview at https://bit.ly/WKAR-News-Camp-RicStar.

"Camp RicStar" airs Wednesday, Dec. 24 at 2 p.m. on WKAR-TV and is available on the PBS app.

The documentary focuses on the Eric 'RicStar' Winter Music Therapy Camp at MSU which has helped people with disabilities express themselves through music since 2003.

12/22/2025

WKAR friends, family, and community—thank you for your support and encouragement this year. We are looking forward to 2026 because of YOU. 💚 🤍

Read the full message from WKAR General Manager Shawn Turner: https://bit.ly/GM-Note-Thank-You-2025

Your belief in public media renews our determination to persevere, grow and innovate on behalf of everyone we serve

12/21/2025

A bell-to-bell cell phone ban in Avondale schools, now in its third year, has brought a significant reduction in school violence. While some school districts throughout Michigan are implementing similar bans, efforts to pass statewide cell phone ban legislation have failed to date.

Rep. Mark Tisdel (R-Rochester Hills) joins Tim Skubick on Off the Record to discuss why he thinks a ban is necessary and what has changed in proposed legislation that will help it receive bipartisan support in the new year.

Watch the full Off the Record episode at the link in the comments.

12/21/2025

The Saline Township data center has been conditionally approved by the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) – and the electricity needed to run it is equivalent to 900,000 Michigan homes.

On Off the Record this week, the correspondent panel discusses the MPSC considerations and potential implications of the approval for DTE and nearby residents. Also on the OTR agenda, last week's state work project budget cuts (and subsequent reinstatement) and legislation banning cell phones in Michigan schools.

Watch the full Off the Record episode at the link in the comments.

12/18/2025

Janet Guinter has been a volunteer for WKAR’s Radio Reading Service for more than 50 years. After reading the written words of others for the benefit of our community with reading impairments, she's now telling her own stories on this week's Community Classical.

Janet's love of classical music goes back to childhood, a connection credited to her grandparents. From listening to Scheherazade on repeat with her siblings as a child to Gershwin’s Concerto in F helping her through a difficult time in adulthood, classical music has been a comforting presence throughout her life.

This week on Community Classical, Janet shares the music that has shaped her life, both behind the microphone and beyond it.

🎧 Listen to Janet’s playlist on Community Classical Friday at 3pm and Sunday at 4pm on 90.5FM and streaming at wkar.org.

12/17/2025

🎶 CAMP RICSTAR is a joyful, award-winning documentary about music, inclusion, and belonging – and it’s coming soon to WKAR.

Follow eight campers as they sing, dance, connect, and take center stage at the Eric 'RicStar' Winter Music Therapy Camp at Michigan State University Community Music School. Created in honor of Eric Winter, the one-of-a-kind summer camp celebrates authentic self-expression and the transformative power of music and community.

✨ An uplifting story for anyone who believes music can change lives.

📺 Premieres Thursday, December 24 at 2pm on WKAR TV 23.1 and will be available streaming on wkar.org, pbs.org, and in the free PBS app.

Premiere Wed Dec 24 2pm WKAR TV 23.1 and streaming | Celebrate the power of music, community, and authentic self-expression at a one-of-a-kind music therapy camp.

12/14/2025

What if the paintings we’ve relied on to understand early Michigan history aren’t telling the full story?

In the final episode of Before America, historians unpack famous artworks tied to Detroit and Michigan history – and reveal what they left out. From invented romantic legends to the absence of authentic Indigenous representation, these images shaped public memory for generations.

Watch “The Painting That Lied to America: The Truth About Pontiac’s War” and learn how modern perspectives are helping reclaim a more accurate and complete story of the Great Lakes in the age of revolution.

12/13/2025

$645 million was eliminated for state work projects this week, cutting funding for programs across Michigan without warning. It was no surprise for House Appropriations Committee Chair Ann Bollin, who has questioned work project spending since joining the legislature in 2019.

On Off the Record this week, Rep. Bollin defends the vote that has shocked and angered many across the state. She joins Colin Jackson, Beth LeBlanc, Simon Schuster, and Tim Skubick to discuss.

Watch the full Off the Record episode at the link in the comments.

12/12/2025

That's a wrap! 🎬 The Fall 2025 WKAR Experiential Learning Program has come to a close.

This semester, WKAR interns were an essential part of how we served communities across mid-Michigan and at Michigan State University. In radio, TV/digital production, news, communications, and community engagement, our student interns took on meaningful responsibilities and produced impactful work that supported WKAR and our community at a turning point in the history of public media.

We are grateful for their dedication and creativity and are proud of the talent and skills they honed in their work this semester. We wish them the best as they continue telling important stories beyond WKAR!

12/11/2025

Eric Olmscheid is the executive director of the Wharton Center for Performing Arts and has spent a lifetime shaped by music. From singing in church choirs to performing in school bands and orchestras, classical music has been part of his world since childhood, and it continues to inspire his work today.

With more than 20 years in performing arts management, Eric brings his lifelong love of music to this week’s Community Classical, featuring the choral works, orchestral pieces, and personal favorites that have inspired him through the years.

🎧 Listen to Eric’s playlist and story on Community Classical Friday at 3pm and Sunday at 4pm on 90.5FM and streaming on wkar.org.

12/07/2025

Did you know Michigan played a central role in the events that sparked the American Revolution?

At Middle Village/Good Hart – once the heart of the Northern Michigan Odawa – hundreds of warriors launched from these shores to defend their homelands during Pontiac’s War. Their resistance to broken British promises helped set off a chain reaction: the Proclamation Line of 1763, growing colonial anger, and ultimately the push for independence.

Michigan history is Indigenous history – and these stories shaped the nation we know today.

Watch “How Michigan’s Indigenous Nations Sparked the American Revolution” to learn what your American history class left out.