Cincinnati Public Radio Finds New Home in All Timber Facility

By Christian Meininger

The mission behind Cincinnati Public Radio’s new building in Evanston is to “bring the public in,” according to CEO Rich Eiswerth. He explained that their new headquarters are equipped for music performances, political debates, aspiring podcasters and other nonprofits. The building is the first broadcast facility in the country, and the first in southern Ohio, to be made solely with timber. There was no steel or concrete used in the construction process, and all of the wood that was used is integral to the structure.

The decision to build an all-timber building was proposed by the group of architects with whom Cincinnati Public Radio had worked. It was also an environmentally conscious decision. The aim was for the new space to be “warm and inviting,” Eiswerth said.

Cincinnati Public Radio’s new $32 million space has nearly twice the number of studios than it previously had. The search for a new home started when Cincinnati Public Radio realized that the city might want to redevelop WCET-TV’s Crosley Telecommunications Center, where the organization had rented space since 1980, because the real estate is one block south of the FC Cincinnati stadium.

Eiswerth notes that being innovative is not new to the station. Cincinnati Public Radio had the first HD radio in Ohio, and the first FM with surround sound.

WGUC was the founding station behind Cincinnati Public Radio. WGUC started in 1959 after a community drive for a fine arts station led to the University of Cincinnati indicating an interest in obtaining an FM license. Later that year, the FCC granted the university a license to operate WGUC on 90.9.

In 2005, Cincinnati Public Radio purchased WVXU from Xavier University. WVXU started in 1970 at Xavier as a rock station, though it had jazz and R&B programs, too. In 1981, WVXU became an NPR member station. Membership made the station eligible for funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Eiswerth executed the transfer of WGUC’s broadcast license from UC and negotiated the purchase of WVXU from Xavier University in 2005. He has been selected by Cincinnati Magazine as one of the region’s 300 most powerful business leaders in 2019, 2020, 2021, & 2022.

The new building is located at 2117 Dana Avenue, on the edge of Hyde Park in Evanston. For more on Cincinnati Public Radio, go to cinradio.org.

Cincinnati Public Radio Mural Celebrates Freedom of Speech

Over the summer, 1001 Colors (formerly known as ArtWorks) unveiled a mural on Cincinnati Public Radio’s new building. The image was designed by Cincinnati artist Ciara LeRoy and executed by a team of 10 members of the 1001 Colors Youth Apprentice program, led by teaching artists Margeaux Lim and Alex Tanveer.

The project reflects a shared commitment between 1001 Colors and Cincinnati Public Radio to elevate community voices and create spaces where expression, creativity and dialogue can thrive. According to 1001 Colors, the mural explores the relationship between language, media, public dialogue and civic participation. Known for her vibrant text-based works, LeRoy creates artwork that encourages viewers to engage more deeply with the ideas and messages that surround them.

The unveiling and dedication of the mural coincided with the twice-yearly pop-up art auction known as the Red Door Project. Created by Barbara Hauser and now produced by 1001 Colors, the event, Red Door: Freedom Speech featured the work of 53 artists.

For more on 1001 Colors, see their website at 1001colors.org.

Top row: Josh McGrew (1001 Colors project manager), Colleen Houston (1001 Colors CEO + Artistic Director), Mural Designer Ciara LeRoy, Board member Lynne Friedlander, Cincinnati Vice Mayor Jan-Michelle Kearney, Red Door Project founder Barbara Hauser, Cincinnati Public Radio CEO Richard Eiswerth. Bottom row: teaching artist Alex Tanveer, teaching artist Margeaux Lim, three 1001 Colors youth apprentices. Photo provided/1001 Colors.