Al Ross

Public radio hosts are more than disembodied, sonorous voices – they’re real, honest-to-goodness human beings. (Seriously, it’s true: I once met Garrison Keillor in the flesh.) If you don’t believe me – or even if you do – you and the rest of Wisconsin Public Radio’s western Wisconsin listening audience are invited to an open house at 4-6pm on Tuesday, Aug. 25, at the WPR Broadcasting Center, 1221 W. Clairemont Ave. Yes, those WPR voices don’t just come from Madison: Some of them are based right here in Eau Claire, as they have been for a quarter century. In fact, the open house is being held to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Eau Claire office, which broadcasts four WPR stations: WHWC-FM (88.3) and WRFW-FM (88.7), which are part of the Ideas Network, and WUEC-FM (89.7) and WVSS-FM (90.7), which carry news and classical music. At the event you’ll have the chance to meet WPR reporter and The West Side host Rich Kremer, host Al Ross and correspondent Jim Oliver of Spectrum West, and financial guru Kevin McKinley of On Your Money. There will also be refreshments, studio tours, interactive displays, and – we can only hope – plenty of “talk about issues that matter to you.”

To learn more, call (800) 228-5615 or go to www.wpr.org/eauclaire.