Classic Ross Amico

Tag: Radio Station

WWFM Celebrates 40 Years Support Classical Music

WWFM – The Classical Network, West Windsor NJ’s classical music station, signed on for the first time on this date in 1982.

I was hired in September 1995 and served as weekend morning host for the next 19 years. After that, I made the move to weekday afternoons to share hosting and programming duties with David Osenberg.

My specialty show, “The Lost Chord,” devoted to unusual and neglected repertoire, aired for the first time in 2003; “Picture Perfect,” my film music show, made its debut in 2010. Though I have not been back in the studios since the arrival of COVID-19 in March 2020, these syndicated shows continue to be heard.

To my knowledge, only Ted Otten, Michael Kownacky, Alice Weiss, and the recently-retired Win Howard have had a longer, continuous association with the station.

So as one of the old-timers, I appeal to those of you for whom the station has made a real difference over the past decades to honor The Classical Network’s 40th birthday with a gift in the amount of $40 – or more, if the spirit takes you.

Call 1-888-232-1212, or fill out the quick-and-easy form at wwfm.org (linked directly here):

https://wwwfm.secureallegiance.com/wwfm/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=DEFAULT&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=vOU2bz5JCWmgCDbf53nm9ezWDeZ%2BeA1M&fbclid=IwAR0GBmO74UKPZ9uNPi13gv2-LRUsvJ1bw1CtVm6g3ziNLCO9QrxoQoqhEUg

Every donation to The Classical Network makes a difference in keeping classical music on the airwaves in our community and streaming around the world.

Thank you for your part in allowing us to share all the great and engaging music that’s continued to enrich our lives over the past 40 years. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Here’s a rare WWFM staff photo taken in the old broadcast booth in 2003. Since then, on-air operations have been moved next door to a computer-laden room with a better window. The room in the photo now serves as one of our production studios.

Pictured, from left to right:

(front) Darlene Berson, Sandy Steiglitz, and Nancy Fish;

(middle) Walt Gradzki, Marjorie Herman, Diane D’Ascoli, Jeffery Sekerka, and Phil Joiner

(back) Bliss Michelson, Alice Weiss, Andrew Rudin, Glenn Smith, and Yours Truly.

Of those pictured, only Alice remains as a full-time employee, with Walt and Glenn returning on a contractor basis. I continue to maintain a toehold through “Picture Perfect” and “The Lost Chord” – a total investment of 27 years.

September 6, 2022
WWFM Classical Radio Needs You

Classical radio is as delicate as a glass slipper. We at WWFM – The Classical Network have been bringing great music to your community for 37 years, because of engaged listeners just like you.

Thank you to all of you who participated in The Classical Network’s end-of-the-fiscal-year fundraiser. Unfortunately, we are still a little short of our goal.

REMEMBER, YOU CAN MAKE YOUR CONTRIBUTION ONLINE AT WWFM.ORG UNTIL 11:59 TONIGHT and still have it count toward this year’s budget.

Make this a fairy tale ending, won’t you? Work your magic with your donation at wwfm.org.

The ball ends at midnight. Don’t let us start out 2019-2020 in a pumpkin!

June 30, 2019
Support Classical Music Radio WWFM Needs You

If you contributed to The Classical Network this week during our end-of-the-fiscal-year membership campaign, thank you so much for your support. We deeply appreciate your commitment to and concern for maintaining the best in classical music programming for our community and beyond, in a world where the kind of quality and variety we strive for is increasingly hard to find.

Unfortunately, as of 6 p.m. Friday – the end of our on-air fundraising – we came up considerably short of our goal. We’ll see what comes in over the weekend, in the form of electronic contributions, but talk around the station is that cuts will have to be made. That doesn’t mean we’ll be going anywhere, but some of the shows may have to be put on hiatus. In a worst case scenario, as happened a few years ago, local hosts could be removed from the air waves until we are able to balance our budget. (I’m not saying that’s going to happen, but I speak from experience when I say that it has been done!)

The fiscal year does not end until midnight, the morning of July 1. That means anything you contribute through the time Sunday rolls into Monday will count toward our bottom line. If you haven’t gotten around to doing so, I hope you will extend a hand to help us down from the scaffold in the form of a financial contribution at our website, wwfm.org. Click on the donate tab at the top of the page.

We remain your friends in classical music radio. Thank you for your steadfast support of WWFM – The Classical Network.

June 29, 2019
Support Classical Music Radio Donate Now

You can’t take it with you, you know. It’s October, and every non-profit in creation is seeking your support. Amidst all the hurly-burly, I hope you will consider the importance of classical music in your life. If you listen to the radio, and you enjoy the variety of the music and the creativity behind its presentation, just remember, it’s all publicly funded. People in the community, people just like you – perhaps you yourself (and I hope it is so) – have seen to it that the music you love continues to enrich the airwaves. You are the life-blood of public radio. With Halloween right around the corner, you might want to do something about it, if you haven’t already, before it is too late. Thank you in advance for supporting classical music on your favorite radio station.

October 26, 2017
WWFM Celebrates 35 Years of Classical Radio

WWFM – The Classical Network began broadcasting on September 6, 1982 – 35 years ago today. When I joined the staff in 1995, it wasn’t even a 24-hour station – we signed off at midnight, and the morning host would have to come in before 5:00 to fire up the transmitter – but the programming was always superb.

I especially appreciated the fact that virtually everything that gets played on the station by the local hosts, outside of the broadcast concerts, syndicated fare and special promotions, is selected by the hosts. That is a rarity on any professionally-run radio station. If I receive a CD in the mail today, it is conceivable that I could include it on my air shift this afternoon.

That freedom gives the station personality, it gives the hosts an added sense of purpose, and it allows us to do what we love most – share our enthusiasms with an appreciative audience. It’s been an intimate and exciting voyage of discovery, and I think it’s kept the station vital.

Listen closely throughout the month of September, as, in honor of our 35th anniversary, certain hours will be devoted to music reflective of different permutations of the numbers 3 and 5. That could include a favorite composer’s Symphony No. 35 (or 53), an Opus 35, a Sonata No. 15 (which is 3 x 5), music composed in 1935, or whatever else a given host can come up with.

Tune in and marvel at our ingenuity. Also, consider making a gift to the station in the amount of $35 or more, at wwfm.org, to help us celebrate this momentous occasion. We couldn’t have done it without you.

Thank you for your support, and Happy Birthday, WWFM!

September 6, 2017

Tag Cloud

RECENT POSTS