In the wake of the challenge, WFCI began broadcasting 24 hours a day with the aid of automation equipment. In January 2005, Franklin College announced it would strike a partnership with Indianapolis public radio station WFYI-FM to begin simulcasting its programming; in exchange for air time, Franklin College journalism students would be offered partnerships and internships at WFYI. The WFYI partnership also provided a strong public radio signal to Johnson County for the first time. Talks between the two began in late 2004 when WFYI visited the college for an Indiana gubernatorial debate. WFYI-FM programming began airing on WFCI on January 31, 2005; since then, the station's only opt-outs from WFYI programming have been student-produced broadcasts of college sporting events.