Posted on November 14, 2010 20:15
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Holiday spirit continues with annual broadcast special on WLRA
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Published: November 9, 2010.
Listeners around the globe can download their free iPhone application for WLRA-FMand listen to holiday music 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from Nov. 26-Jan. 1. Newly released Christmas music from new artists Susan Boyle and Jackie Evancho can also be heard.
The application connects listeners to the 11th annual “Christmas Memories for You and Your Family,” a benefit broadcast for the United Way of Will County. Instead of commercials, WLRA will air brief public service announcements every 15 minutes about United Way agencies in Will County.
“Lewis University offers this as our Christmas gift to the greater community,” commented John Carey, Lewis faculty member and director of The Andrew Center for Electronic Media. “We are very pleased that we can share our gift with the world through this new mobile technology. People will have access to Christmas music anywhere they receive a signal and the United Way’s message of goodwill will be heard as well.”
Carey and John Kilpatrick, Director of Television Operations at Lewis, have been active for several years as volunteers for the United Way of Will County. The pair have edited video presentations and assisted with videotaping and programming at United Way events. They were recognized in 2001 for their efforts with a Lewis University Lasallian Volunteer Award.
The WLRA Christmas programming has been prepared so that the same performances will not be repeated every few hours. Carey said. “The selections will feature sacred and popular music from traditional to contemporary with artists ranging from soloists such as Bing Crosby and Luciano Pavarotti, to instrumental groups such as Mannheim Steamroller and the Boston Pops, and ‘pop’ artists such as Justin Timberlake and Shakira. The Christmas music will appeal to people of all tastes and ages.”
Lewis’ Christmas programming as well as the University’s Andrew Center of Electronic Media are made possible with the help of a grant from the Aileen S. Andrew Foundation. The first college radio station to go entirely digital from studio to transmitter, WLRA has been on the air for more than 35 years.
Tuning into WLRA is easier than ever with many ways to listen to the broadcast. Turn the radio dial to 88.1 FM. Visit www.lewisu.edu and click on the link for internet streaming. Download the iPhone app at the iTunes store and listen on your mobile device.
The United Way of Will County is a local, not-for-profit organization that raises money annually to support local human care services provided by local, not-for-profit agencies. With financial contributions from the community, United Way is helping and changing the lives of those who walk by every day. Their research has shown that 25 percent of Will County residents have utilized the services provided by one or more of United Way’s 47 partner agencies.
Lewis University is a Catholic university offering distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 6,000 traditional and adult students. Lewis offers multiple campus locations, online degree programs, and a variety of formats that provide accessibility and convenience to a growing student population. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis prepares ethically grounded, globally aware, and socially responsible graduates. The ninth largest not-for-profit university in Illinois, Lewis has been nationally recognized by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report.