Searching through my saved photos for some WWFM – The Classical Network memories. Here are four of many. Help us celebrate 40 years with your donation of $40 (or more) at 1-888-232-1212 or online at wwfm.org. Thank you for everything you do to support the music we love to share.
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: cueing up a symphony by Janis Ivanovs; group hug with Bill Zagorski and Rachel Katz; between membership pitches with Michael Kownacky; New Year’s hijinks with Carl Hemmingsen
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):
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.
For many, the first day of summer signals a season of relaxation, more time spent outdoors, perhaps even a vacation or two. But for those of us in public radio, June means it’s almost the end of our fiscal year!
Help us help YOU by enabling the widest range of great classical music on the radio and hopefully more community engagement in the coming year, with your donation today. Your contribution in any amount helps us to set our budget for 2022-23.
Give us a call, send in your renewal check, or make a commitment online. Then be sure to have your radio, phone, or other electronic device with you this summer, so that you can listen with greater involvement, knowing that you’ve done your part to ensure the continued presence of classical music in your community.
Call now at 1-888-232-1212 or donate online at wwfm.org. Make the opportunity to enjoy the finer things over the coming weeks: a portable chair, a cold beverage, a good book, some fine weather, and a lots of quality music.
Happy summer, and thank you for your continued support of WWFM The Classical Network!
Johann Sebastian Bach once traveled 250 miles on foot to hear Dietrich Buxtehude play the organ. Then he got himself a race car…
The WWFM Bach 500 is underway!
In celebration of the 337th anniversary of Bach’s birth (on March 21st, 1685), The Classical Network presents its annual Bach fundraiser.
We’re looking for 500 listeners to step up and make a contribution IN ANY AMOUNT. You set the level. Once we reach 500 donations, we’ll tally in the funds from our Bach Pot – contributions solicited in advance from some especially ardent supporters. Then the pitching stops, and Bach’s music continues uninterrupted.
You can do your part to make that happen by donating online right now at wwfm.org or calling 1-888-232-1212. While you’re over there at the WWFM website, you can monitor our progress by consulting the Bach 500 membership thermometer.
Your donation is like a blast of nitrous oxide, but we’re definitely built for speed. Put the pedal to the metal, and thank you for your support of WWFM – The Classical Network!
November 22 is St. Cecilia’s Day. Hail, bright Cecilia, the patron saint of music!
To coincide with this special day – a kind of musical Thanksgiving – The Classical Network will offer a GRAND FINALE to its fall fundraiser. You provide the fireworks; we’ll provide the music! Light up our skies with your contribution by calling us at 1-888-232-1212 or donating online at wwfm.org.
Every art can use a patron. Thank you for your support of great music on WWFM – The Classical Network!
Aaron Copland (92) Beethoven (94) Composer (114) Conductor (84) Film Music (106) Film Score (143) Film Scores (255) Halloween (94) John Williams (179) KWAX (227) Leonard Bernstein (98) Marlboro Music Festival (125) Movie Music (121) Mozart (84) Opera (194) Picture Perfect (174) Princeton Symphony Orchestra (102) Radio (86) Ross Amico (244) Roy's Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner (290) The Classical Network (101) The Lost Chord (268) Vaughan Williams (97) WPRB (396) WWFM (881)