FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 22, 2013
CONTACT:
George Hazimanolis
412-622-1366
ghazimanolis@wqed.org
Maria Pisano
412-622-1459
mpisano@wqed.org
CLASSICAL RADIO STATION CELEBRATES ANNIVERSARY AS
“THE VOICE OF THE ARTS IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA”
Classical WQED-FM 89.3 in Pittsburgh Kicks-Off Yearlong
40th Anniversary Festivities on Friday, January 25, 2013
It was said best by Goethe: "Men are so inclined to content themselves with what is commonest; the spirit and the senses so easily grow dead to the impressions of the beautiful and perfect, that every one should study, by all methods, to nourish in mind the faculty of feeling these things ... for this reason, one ought every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words." Ladies and Gentlemen, such is the purpose of WQED-FM." -- Leland Hazard, Honorary Chairman of the WQED Board, Noon, January 25, 1973
PITTSBURGH—On January 25, 2013 Classical WQED-FM 89.3 will kick-off the yearlong celebration of its 40th anniversary as “The voice of the arts in western Pennsylvania.”
“For forty years Classical WQED-FM 89.3 has broadcast the region’s finest musical and artistic performances to the community free of charge,” said Deborah L. Acklin, WQED President and Chief Executive Officer. “In return for this service WQED has been fortunate to have so many of our listeners and neighbors consistently support our efforts to be the voice of the arts in western Pennsylvania at a time when funding for and access to fine arts have been challenged.”
From 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, January 25, WQED-FM 89.3 will broadcast its annual “birthday” celebration in recognition of its fortieth anniversary. The broadcast will include a look back at the year 1973, well wishes from members of the community and a ticket giveaway for the premiere of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s 2013-2014 Season with Mozart’s Symphony No. 40.
A television special called, WQED-FM 40th Anniversary Celebration will be broadcast LIVE the following day on Saturday, January 26 from 8 – 11 p.m. on WQED-TV and simulcast on Classical WQED-FM 89.3. Special performances and interviews will be heard from local groups and musical greats including: Chatham Baroque; Pittsburgh Children’s Festival Chorus; Mendelssohn Choir; Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Brass; Noah Bendix-Balgley, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Violinist and Concertmaster; Sarah Botkin, soprano soloist; Sasha Voinov, teen pianist and composer and many more. Interviews with the station’s founder Ceci Sommers, archival footage, and pictures and appearances from the station’s on-air talent including Artistic Director and QED Morning Show host Jim Cunningham will round out the program. Viewers are asked to share their celebratory messages and feedback on social media using hashtag #WQEDFM40.
Broadcasting 24-hours-a-day from both WQED’s Oakland headquarters on Fifth Avenue and in the afternoons and evenings from the Carolyn M. Byham Studio in downtown Pittsburgh’s Cultural District, WQED-FM 89.3 provides quality programming through its radio stations including: Classical WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown, and WQED-HD2 (89.3-2FM).
WQED provides local coverage of music and the arts from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday including Performance in Pittsburgh with Stephen Baum heard Fridays at 7:00 p.m. National classical program favorites From the Top with Christopher O’Riley, A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor and Sunday Baroque can be heard on the weekend. For a full schedule of Classical WQED-FM 89.3’s programming visit wqed.org/fm.
Classical WQED-FM 89.3 is the official broadcaster of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Heard on more than 100 classical stations nationwide, Pittsburgh Symphony Radio is produced in partnership with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and WQED consisting of 26 two-hour programs hosted by WQED-FM 89.3’s Jim Cunningham. Cunningham is in his 25th year as executive producer and host of Pittsburgh Symphony Radio now celebrating its 31st anniversary. WQED has had a long-term on-air relationship with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in regular series or specials since the television station went on the air in 1954 and WQED-FM 89.3 has been showcasing the Orchestra since it went on the air in 1973.
WQED-HD, the Pittsburgh Concert Channel signed on in spring of 2012 and is a partnership between the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and WQED. On HD Radio and online at wqed.org/fm, the Pittsburgh Concert Channel broadcasts archived local performances from Pittsburgh Symphony Radio, and select concerts from Chatham Baroque, CMU School of Music, and other local orchestras; it will also be adding more performances from local arts groups to its roster. All three stations offer classical and fine arts and cultural programs for the region, allowing listeners to hear live and recorded classical performances and learn the latest arts news from around the world.
Listeners can join the conversation and follow updates from Classical WQED-FM 89.3 on Facebook® and Twitter® at @WQEDFM.
WQED Pittsburgh has a proud history of honors, including 134 National and Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards, an Academy Award, and many, many others, including two Emmy® Awards for Station Excellence. WQED was founded in 1954 as the nation’s first community-supported broadcaster. The people of WQED create, produce and distribute quality programs, products and services to engage, inform, educate and entertain the public within their community and around the world. It is the parent company of WQED-TV (PBS); WQED: The Neighborhood Channel; WQED: The Create Channel; WQED Showcase; Classical WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; Classical WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown; the Pittsburgh Concert Channel at WQED-HD2 (89.3-2FM) and online at www.wqed.org/fm; local and national television and radio productions; WQED Interactive (www.wqed.org) and iQ: smartmedia, WQED’s Educational initiative (www.wqed.org/edu).
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