At its meeting yesterday (2/12), The Eastern Michigan University Board of Regents has approved the renaming of the University’s public radio station broadcast facility to The Timko Broadcast Center at Halle Library, honoring Art Timko, former general manager of WEMU 89.1.

Art Timko at the Board of Regents meeting February 12, 2026.

The newly named center recognizes Timko’s more than four decades of leadership and service, during which WEMU grew into a trusted public media institution while advancing Eastern’s cultural identity, visibility, and public service mission. Now fully operational in Halle Library, WEMU’s broadcast center has relocated after 48 years in King Hall, gaining improved functionality, efficiency, and access to modern technology. Its new home places the station in a highly visible, centrally located space within the University’s primary information hub – bringing WEMU closer to students, faculty, and the daily flow of campus life.

“Moving into King Hall was a godsend,” said Art Timko, executive director emeritus of the broadcast center. “However, the station outgrew that facility by the 1990s. At the same time, State financial support to the University was declining, and EMU rightfully focused its resources on academic and student needs. Station management tried to find alternative locations for the station, but couldn’t afford any of them. The move to the Halle Library is an ideal step into the future of service and technology and I know the station is thankful for this vision.”

“Being in a modern facility in a building that has 21st-century tech infrastructure will not only help our over-the-air broadcasts but also position WEMU to be able to use more digital platforms to expand our reach outside of the analog signal,” said Molly Motherwell, executive director and general manager of The Timko Broadcast Center at Halle Library. “We now have the capacity to do podcasting, more videos, in-studio interviews, and live music performances.”

In approving the renaming, the Board of Regents noted Timko’s distinguished career and lasting impact, including:

• A 42-year career at Eastern Michigan University and WEMU marked by exceptional leadership and service
• Significant contributions to WEMU’s national reputation, including service on the NPR Board and as president of the Michigan Association of Public Broadcasters
• More than three decades as general manager, guiding the station’s growth and reinforcing its role in education, culture, and community engagement

For more than 60 years, WEMU has served as a cornerstone of the community, delivering trusted news, compelling storytelling, and cultural programming. EMU President James Smith, a longtime supporter of the station, emphasized the people behind its success.

“The Timko Broadcast Center stands among the finest NPR stations in the nation, exemplifying the very highest standards of public media storytelling,” said Smith. “For thousands across our region, it is more than a source of news — it is a trusted voice and daily companion, made possible by the dedicated professionals behind the scenes. This new name honors a proud legacy defined by excellence, integrity, and unwavering public service. There could be no more fitting home than Halle Library — the university’s central hub of information, learning, and community connection.”