We Produce Innovative Media with a Faith Focus

We are part of a rich regional legacy of great Chicago storytellers, such as Carl Sandburg and Studs Terkel. That legacy is woven into a civic landscape that is enriched by contemporary storytellers, such as Kartemquin Films, The Second City, and WBEZ’s This American Life.

More than any other American city, Chicago is identified with this tremendous narrative heritage. The Sunday Evening Club has been an active participant in that regional heritage for more than a century.

We gave Jane Addams the opportunity to talk about Hull House. We invited the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King to Chicago — seven times — to speak on our stage. Over the many seasons of 30 Good Minutes, we invited countless Chicago businesspeople to speak about their core ethics and values.

We center on Chicago and the greater Chicago area for the majority of our programming. Nevertheless, many of our programs have a national and international reach.

Our television documentaries for public broadcasting stations premiered first in the Chicago market through WTTW. They were then made available to other major PBS markets in the nation. They are also available for streaming on the internet.

Our radio programs are distributed nationally through PRX - the Public Radio Exchange. They are formatted to fit National Public Radio broadcast standards. Our chief audience centers are currently in California, New York, and Illinois.

Our live events are conducted throughout the greater Chicago area. We have established partner relationships with venues across the city, as well as in the collar counties around Chicago, to host our forums and public discussions.

Our legacy program, 30 Good Minutes, was a television program produced for more than forty years by the Chicago Sunday Evening Club. It was broadcast throughout the Chicago area on WTTW, Chicago's public television station.  All programs are available on the Internet free of charge.

Over the past 20 years, we have received a variety of awards in programming. Click here for a comprehensive list.