Tune in DeKalb, the air waves of the Northern Public Radio now will include talk and call-in shows.

The NIU broadcast center, located on 801 N. First St., received a grant last spring to build a new interview studio.

The money to build this addition came from a foundation whose principle goal is to enhance the quality of the DeKalb community.

The DeKalb County Community Foundation is a public charitable organization that donates money to meet the changing needs of non-profit organizations in the DeKalb area.

Jerry Smith, the foundation’s executive director, said, “The radio’s grant was only one of 53 grants given out last spring.”

The foundation donates money twice a year; once in the fall and once in the spring. Smith said that the foundation donated $205,061 last spring.

According the foundation’s Web site (www.dekalbcountyfoundation.org), it has donated $3.6 million since 1993.

Northern Public Radio general manager, Tim Emmons said the station received $7,432 toward the studio construction.

“We submitted our application for the funds in February and we knew we would receive them in May,” Emmons said.

Emmons explained the money mostly went toward a piece of equipment that works like a board switch for the radio.

“It covered a good amount of the project,” he said. “It certainly helped.”

The equipment will allow control of the microphones in the studio and letting people on and off the air from the telephones.

“We will be able to produce talk and call-in shows once the studio is complete,” Emmons said.

The shows will be up and running soon.

“We just received the other parts of the equipment, and in the next six months we will be ready,” he added.

Emmons explained that this project was just a part of the larger picture, which is the renovation of the whole station.

WNIU can be found on the FM dial at 89.5.