RELEASE: The New 101.1 WRR Classical Music and the Arts for North Texas

NEW 101.1 WRR
CLASSICAL MUSIC AND THE ARTS FOR NORTH TEXAS

DALLAS: Great classical music for North Texas just got better! The New 101.1 WRR…Classical Music and the Arts for North Texas features a new sound, new programs, longer music sets, and a renewed focus on live, locally-hosted classical music programming for North Texas. The new programming lineup begins at 6:00 a.m., Monday, January 5, 2015. Highlights of the first phase of the New 101.1 include:

• A move to only two commercial breaks per hour, allowing WRR to program longer, more significant works and adding more than 4 hours of music programming each week.

• Elimination of traffic, financial reports and other non-music features.

• More than 10 additional hours of locally-hosted programming each week, primarily during the weekday evening hours. The WRR weekday on-air hosts include Barry Samsula from 6 to 10 a.m., Nancy Brunson from noon to 4 p.m., Kevin Pytcher from 4 to 6 p.m. and Ed Blaylock from 6 to 7 and 8 to 11 p.m. with Mary Sefzik hosting a Sunday program and providing backup hosting support. The popular syndicated program Through the Night with Peter Van degree will air during overnight hours. WRR’s local air personalities will also host a variety of weekend programming.

• WRR will continue its dedication to airing performances by the Dallas and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestras (Monday evenings from 8 to 10 pm). Additional programming featuring local arts groups will be added in the future.

• The addition of two, important nationally-syndicated programs to the lineup:

Performance Today
Weekdays 10 a.m. to 12:00 noon

The most popular classical music program in the United States, Performance Today is a nationally-syndicated program that features live recordings of public concerts and private recitals that have not been commercially released and are unavailable from any other source. Enjoy the radio music game Piano Puzzler and hear the music of young soloists from American conservatories in the feature PT Young Artist in Residence program. Fred Child hosts.

Exploring Music
Weeknights from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

With programming that follows weekly themes, Exploring Music is a national program takes listeners through an in-depth assessment of composers, symphonies, concertos and string quartets. The program devotes 5 programs to a single topic, exposing listeners to the breadth of music based on specific themes throughout the week. Host Bill McGlauchlin.

• Other syndicated shows that will stay in the program lineup, but move to a new time slot include: From the Top Saturday mornings from 10 to 11 a.m., Wind and Rhythm Saturday evening from 8 to 9 p.m., Fiesta! Saturday evenings from 9 to 10 p.m., Millennium of Music Sunday evening from 8 to 9 p.m. and Pipedreams Sunday evening from 9 to 10 p.m.

• The popular WRR programs Girl Power (featuring in-depth looks at important women composers and performers hosted by Nancy Brunson) and Command Performance (a weekly program hosted by Kevin Pytcher featuring works requested by WRR listeners) will continue and air at new times. Girl Power will air at 7 to 8 p.m. Sundays and Command Performance will be broadcast on Saturday from 4 to 5 p.m.

• WRR will continue to carry the popular Metropolitan Opera broadcasts on Saturday afternoons at 12 noon during the Met broadcast season.

“We’re excited about the changes at WRR and are certain that our audience will immediately appreciate the additional hours of music each week, fantastic new programs like Performance Today and Exploring Music and our airing of the great showpieces of the classical repertoire that our prior programming structure would not allow. We’re dedicated to keeping classical music alive and on the air in North Texas and will be making other changes as we move through the coming year to make listening to WRR a treat for the mind and hearts of our listeners,” said George Landis, interim general manager of programming and operations.

Please contact George Landis, interim general manager of programs and operations with WRR, for more information. He can be reached at 214-670-8772 or by email at glandis@wrr101.com.

About WRR Classical 101.1 FM
WRR Classical 101.1 FM is a division of the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs. The station is an integral component of the City’s commitment to provide access to arts opportunities to all of its citizens. The Station presents a diverse classical music repertoire that includes broadcasts of local and national music performances, and recordings by national and international artists. Licensed on August 5, 1921, WRR is Texas’ first commercial radio station and the second-oldest in the United States. WRR 101.1 FM has maintained its classical format since 1948. Broadcasting 24 hours a day from historic Fair Park in Dallas, WRR’s 100,000-watt signal can be received throughout North Texas. The Station can also be heard online at http://www.wrr101.com and via the WRR 101.1 Classical FM mobile application, which is available as a free download on the station website.

About the Office of Cultural Affairs
The Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA) provides opportunities for all Dallas citizens and visitors to have access to the arts and the means of cultural expression. The Office of Cultural Affairs works with its citizen advisory board, the Cultural Affairs Commission, to foster the development of the cultural system in Dallas. OCA provides a variety of programs and services, including the management and operations of cultural facilities, a public art program, cultural funding programs and WRR Radio. More information on the Office of Cultural Affairs’ programs can be found on its website at http://www.DallasCulture.org.

 

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