National Celebration Recognizes Local Public Radio Music Stations’ Service to Listeners, Artists & Communities
WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 15, 2021) – The noncomMUSIC Alliance today announced that the second annual Public Radio Music Day will take place on November 10, 2021, with a nationwide celebration uniting public radio music stations, fans, and performers. This year’s Public Radio Music Day is centered around “Keeping Communities Connected” and will highlight the contributions of public radio music stations during the COVID-19 pandemic to listeners in all of America’s communities and artists across genres.
Public radio music has played a dramatic role since early 2020 in keeping communities connected to local artists and musicians, even as stations confronted their own significant challenges in protecting the health of station employees and maintaining broadcast operations across on-air and digital platforms. In the midst of quarantines and times of uncertainty, public radio music has offered consistent emotional encouragement to their communities through their cultural connections, promoting well-being and unity while continuing to enable musical discovery.
On November 10, 2021, local stations across the country will celebrate Public Radio Music Day with a range of special activities, including: performances and virtual concerts, dedicated studio sessions, special programming and hand-curated playlists, and fan and artist stories. With the safety of public radio music communities in mind, all events and activities will be held as COVID-19 conditions permit. Participating public radio music stations are indicated on the Alliance’s virtual map, which will be continually updated with additional stations and local activities taking place on Public Radio Music Day.
“Public Radio Music Stations have provided both musical inspiration and an oasis from uncertainty to the benefit of artists and audiences,” said Roger Lamay, General Manager of triple AAA station WXPN in Philadelphia, PA. “It’s what we do.”
“We steward music that has stood the test of time and creates community through powerful moments of shared listening,” said Bill Johnson, General Manager of classical and jazz station WRTI. “These moments transcend our differences and create a potent opportunity for positive change.”
“As we’ve recently held in-person events I’ve literally had listeners crying, hugging and thanking me for keeping them connected and bringing them comfort throughout the past 18 months,” said Val Hoeppner, Executive Director of WMOT Roots Radio in Murfreesboro, TN and Director of the Center for Innovation in Media at Middle Tennessee State University. “It’s absolutely humbling to know Public Radio has such a huge impact on the wellbeing of our community. Bringing the music community together to celebrate that connection will be pure joy.”
About the noncomMUSIC Alliance
The noncomMUSIC Alliance celebrates nonprofit, local public radio’s role in connecting artists with the communities who enjoy and support their music. Established in 2018, the Alliance represents over 150 partner public radio music stations, all locally owned and operated, yet united by their shared values of music discovery, curation, preservation, performance, and community. To learn more about the noncomMUSIC Alliance, please visit noncomMUSIC.org.
More information about Public Radio Music Day and local events across the country is available at: PublicRadioMusicDay.org.
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Contact:
Marta McLellan Ross, [email protected], 202-805-1360
Vice President, Government & External Affairs, NPR