At Work with WFUV's Bob Ahrens

New York’s longest-running sports call-in show has hit another milestone.

On Sept. 29, WFUV celebrated the 40th anniversary of its successful One on One weekly sports broadcast, a Saturday-afternoon show that has trained hundreds of Fordham students in hosting, producing, engineering, and writing for broadcast media. 

One on One Executive Producer,Bob Ahrens
Photo: Janet Sassi

The celebration, held in the Bronx, also honored the show’s longtime executive producer Bob Ahrens, who, for going on two decades has overseen One on One’s listener growth and transition into the digital age. 

WHAT ONE ON ONE IS

AHRENS: It’s a real talk show. We’ve started the students going to professional games as beat reporters, and immediately they became part of the New York media scene. They got to know the rest of the media, got to speak with players, and upped the opportunity for getting guests on the show. Periodically we will have the guests live on One on One. We’ve had the general managers of the teams live from Yankee Stadium and Citi Field; we’ve had several alumni now in broadcasting, and we’ve had players. The shows have been taken on the road too; we’re in Cooperstown on Hall of Fame weekend, and have access to all the hall-of famers.

ON LAST YEAR’S SEASON

AHRENS: There is no question that the good season last year, especially our football and women’s basketball, helped our show’s listenership; it also benefitted our Twitter and Facebook accounts.

ON TRAINING STUDENTS IN BROADCASTING

AHRENS: We have a lot of applications; they don’t all get in. We have 35 students and most of them work on the air and behind the scenes in some form. When new students come in, we give them a full year of training before they can do anything. So when you listen on Saturday, you are usually listening to sophomores, juniors and seniors. 

Most of the students on staff have been sports fans growing up. If you are on the air you have to be able to talk about the sport; if you are a producer, you have to know enough about it to know whether a host is giving correct information; and if you are an engineer and you don’t understand media time outs, you’re not ready to do your part of it. That said, you don’t have to know every sport; you can learn.

MAKING IT PERSONAL

AHRENS: I grew up in Brooklyn with the Dodgers, and saw them at Ebbets Field many times, and when they left they took my childhood with them. Here, at One on One, I help others make the transition from student to adulthood. It’s part of WFUV’s mission to train Fordham students. It’s great to see where they start, and where they wind up in four years. And once they graduate, it’s also great to see how far a lot of them go.

We once sent a student for an internship at Inside the NFL. He walked in and had already covered the Yankees, Nets, and Jets while he was here. And he’d produced a 3-hour program on the 100th anniversary of the Yankees.

They didn’t believe him. But he had his media credentials with him, and, of course, he got the job.

He’s now an associate producer with the MLB network.

(Editor’s note: some One on One alumni include: 

Mike Breen, voice of New York Knicks on MSG; voice of NBA on ABC/ESPN

Michael Kay, play-by-play broadcaster for New York Yankees, host of CenterStage on the YES network; host of the Michael Kay Show, ESPN Radio New York

Bob Papa, voice of New York Giants on WFAN

Charlie Slowes, voice of Washington Nationals

Chris Carrino, voice of Brooklyn Nets on WFAN

Spero Dedes, CBS sportscaster for NFL, former radio voice of Knicks and Lakers

Chris Majkowski, engineer for WOR/Mets Radio Network, owner Majik Productions)

--Janet Sassi

WFUV Sweeps Awards, again.

Once again, the news and sports departments of WFUV took home a bevy of awards this past spring.

"While WFUV is known as a music-formatted station, we are enormously proud of our award-winning news and sports departments," said WFUV general manager Chuck Singleton.

The New York State Associated Press announced that the station had earned first place in three professional categories. News & Public Affairs Director George Bodarky received two of them: Best News Special Documentary and Best Interview. In addition, Bodarky received special mentions for Best News Series, Best Spot News Coverage, and the Art Athens General Excellence of Individual Reporting award.

The other first place award went to one of WFUV’s student journalists, Alex Smith, FCRH '14, for Best Sports Coverage. In the student competition for The Memorial Award for Best News Story, Kris Venezia took first place.

Earlier this year, The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation presented a Gracie Award to Morlene Chin for Outstanding Host in the Entertainment/Information category.

The Society of Professional Journalists also took notice. The Mark of Excellence Awards went to three WFUV student journalists. Bobby Gubin won a regional award for Radio Feature, as did Alex Smith for Radio Sports Reporting. Connor Ryan won a regional award for the Radio In-Depth Reporting category and is now a national finalist.

WFUV Gala to Honor Soul/Gospel Legend Mavis Staples

Soul/gospel legend, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, and civil rights icon, Mavis Staples will be awarded  “Artist of the Year” honors at WFUV’s Annual Gala on May 8 at Gotham Hall in New York City.

Photo by Chris Strong

WATCH Staples perform “I Like the Things About Me” at WFUV: http://bit.ly/OTuvH0

Staples, a Grammy-winner for 2010's You Are Not Alone, her highest Billboard chart debut of her 50-plus year career, will perform at the Gala. 

Staples' career began in the 1950s when her family's iconic gospel-folk group, The Staple Singers, became a popular household name with hits such as "I'll Take You There" and "Respect Yourself.” Their spiritual and political sound became voices of the Civil Rights movement alongside Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. Decades later, Staples' notable collaborations as a solo artist include Ray Charles, Natalie Merchant, Bob Dylan, Prince and Wilco. The story of Staples and her musical family is chronicled in the new, critically acclaimed book by Chicago Tribune music critic Greg Kot: I'll Take You There: Mavis Staples, the Staple Singers, and the March Up Freedom's Highway (Scribner, 2014.)

Now in its seventh year, the WFUV Gala will also honor Verne Lundquist with the “Vin Scully Lifetime Achievement Award in Sports Broadcasting." Lundquist, the lead play-by-play announcer for CBS Sports’ coverage of college football, also does play-by-play for NCAA basketball, including the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, and provides commentary for the Masters and the PGA Championship, among other PGA Tour events. He is admired by peers as a humble professional and the kind of on-air personality that will soon be extinct in the business.

Scott Simon, one of America’s most admired writers and broadcasters, will receive the “Charles Osgood Lifetime Achievement in Broadcast Journalism.” He is the host of “NPR’s Weekend Edition with Scott Simon,” which the Washington Post called “the most literate, witty, moving, and just plain interesting news show on any dial."

This is the third year WFUV will honor an individual or organization for their “Community Service,” and the 2014 recipient is Katherine Oliver, principal partner at Bloomberg Associates, an international consulting service founded by former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg as a philanthropic venture to help city governments improve the quality of life for their citizens. As the former Commissioner of The New York City Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting (2002-2013), Oliver was largely responsible for the Big Apple’s ascent to unprecedented heights as an entertainment-industry destination, resulting in the funneling of $70 billion in direct funds to the city.

WHAT: The gala is a benefit to support WFUV (90.7 FM), New York’s source for music discovery, and a noncommercial, member-supported public media service of Fordham University for more than 65 years. 

 

WHERE: Gotham Hall, 1356 Broadway, New York, NY 10018

WHEN: Thursday, May 8, 2014. Cocktails at 6 p.m.

Gala Details and Tickets

WFUV Radio’s Annual Gala 2014 will begin with a cocktail hour at 6 p.m., followed at 7 p.m. by dinner, awards and live entertainment. Attire is “festive.” For more information about the event or to purchase tickets, please visit www.wfuv.org/gala, email infoevents@fordham.edu or call (212) 930-8898.

WFUV Honored for Strike A Chord Campaign

WFUV, 90.7, Fordham’s 50,000-watt, non-commercial radio station, was honored on June 27 for its "Strike A Chord" campaign, a PSA campaign that focuses every quarter on issues such as affordable housing, job training, music education, senior services, and parks. 

Members of the station were honored by the Coalition of Behavioral Health Agencies, Inc., an advocacy organization for New York’s behavioral health community, at the groups' 2013 Leadership Awards Reception at the Pfizer World Headquarters in Midtown Manhattan. 

The station was honored for sponsoring programs aimed to de-stigmatize mental illness and addiction disorders, thereby encouraging individuals to seek treatment. The spring 2013 Strike A Chord campaign was dedicated to mental health stereotypes.

Previous winners have included Mike Wallace of CBS News and Dr. Oliver Sacks.

"I am enormously proud of the work we do in our newsroom to keep our listeners informed and enlightened about the world around them," said Strike A Chord producer George Bodarky.  

"It is always a thrill when that work is recognized. As always, I tip my hat to the hard work and dedication of the WFUV news and staffs," 

Stephen Freedman, Ph.D., Provost of Fordham,  Robin Shannon, Assistant
News and Public Affairs Director at WFUV, George Bodarky, News
and Public Affairs Director and SAC producer ; Morlene Chin, FCRH '13
 Cityscape senior producer, and Chuck Singleton, WFUV general manager.

—Patrick Verel

Fordham Student Journalists Take Home Awards

The Observer, Fordham College at Lincoln Center's student newspaper, and WFUV, 90.7 FM, were recently honored by the Society of Professional Journalists for their work.

WFUV earned first place awards for the categories best all-around radio newscast and radio in-depth reporting, the latter for “NYC's Bike-Share Program” by Connor Ryan. The station also won third place in the category radio sports reporting, for "Al Michaels: Seizing the Moment” by Kyle Kesses.

The Observer took home eight mark of excellence awards, for breaking-news photography, breaking-news reporting, editorial writing, feature photography, general column writing, general news photography, general news reporting, and sports writing.

Ian McKenna, the paper's managing editor, won the general news reporting and breaking-news reporting categories for his coverage of the Fordham College Republican's Ann Coulter speaking invitation and revocation. McKenna shared the editorial writing award with Opinions Editor Monique John and Editor-in-Chief Harry Huggins.

McKenna, a sophomore who will take over as editor in chief next year, said the staff's embrace of online journalism was a factor in paper's success.

"We haven’t been waiting for the two week cycle to print things. Harry Huggins really pushed us to join everyone in the 21st century. So I think that really riled everyone up to do their best work and more frequent work, because the more work you do, the better it works," he said.

Photography was another area where the paper excelled, with Tavy Wu, Weiyu Li, and Charlie Puente winning honors for breaking news, feature, and general news photography, respectively. Like McKenna's Ann Coulter story, Wu's picture of Riverside Park during Hurricane Sandy was published on short notice.

"We didn’t force him to go, because that would be unsafe. He decided to take it upon himself to get a picture," said McKenna.

"So in that way it was sort of related to our breaking news protocol, but also, we have a really great photo advisor who edits for Bloomberg, so I think that influence, along with this influx of new people really helped us." 

He also credited paper's advisor, Elizabeth Stone, Ph.D., professor of English, with helping make it a winning year.

"Dr. Stone was very supportive in editing and tailoring our articles. Without her push for both online and good journamislm, we wouldn’t be here," he said.

—Patrick Verel

Memorial Mass for Pete Fornatale Scheduled

WFUV DJ Pete Fornatale will be remembered in a Month’s Mind Mass on Thursday, May 24 at Rose Hill.

The mass, which will be held at 12:05 p.m. at Dealy Chapel on the Rose Hill campus, is open to anyone who wants to come together and remember Fornatale, who died on April 26. Monsignor Joseph G. Quinn will preside over the service.

“It's an opportunity for WFUV’s staff to come together to remember Pete. With the suddenness of his death, and a private family service, many of us lacked a collective setting to reflect on his passing,” said WFUV general manager Chuck Singleton.  

“I'm grateful to Monsignor Quinn for making this opportunity possible.”

—Patrick Verel

Alumnus and Broadcaster’s Personal Battle Becomes Public

Fordham University alumnus Chris Carrino, GSB ’92, has had a distinguished sports broadcast career, most notably for the past decade as the radio voice of the New Jersey Nets on WFAN. Yet despite the Yonkers native’s strong, dulcet tones on the airwaves, Carrino has been battling Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD), a debilitating form of muscular dystrophy, for most of his adult life.

The cross country travel and mostly-night-games-life of an NBA basketball broadcaster can take its toll on even a perfectly healthy individual, so the treks have sometimes been that much more grueling for the WFUV Radio product. Not many knew. Yet, Carrino has truly achieved elite status in his chosen profession, making his mark with the likes of Vin Scully, Mike Breen, Michael Kay, Bob Papa, Charlie Slowes, and Spero Dedes for excellence in the play-by-play calling of sporting events.

“I was always reluctant to be treated differently,” says Carrino, who kept his physical plight to a select few on a need-to-know basis, preferring to fight his fight quietly. That was until earlier this year, when with the support and urging of his wife, Laura, whom he calls “the person who inspires me every day…who finally convinced me that it was time.” And so, the Chris Carrino Foundation for FSHD was born.

“I was determined to continue on the path I set forth,” reflects the New Jersey resident. “I had dreams of a career in sports broadcasting and dreams of having a family. I was determined not to let FSHD get in the way of those dreams.” He was not to be denied.

FSHD is difficult to pronounce, a disease you probably might have never heard of before Carrino began to bring attention to the muscular affliction with a media tour that gained national attention in print, radio and television. Fordham alumni scribes, Tom Canavan of the Associated Press and Dave D’Alessandro of the Newark Star Ledger, broadcast partner Tim Capstraw and his radio outlet WFAN, YES Network and the Nets were among those who teamed to assist in getting the word out. Carrino’s efforts have been tireless to fight the disease that effects thousands of adults and children worldwide.

Carrino says that his game plan was always to first “make something of myself” (he sure has) and “then try to help others” (he sure is). Teaming with Jennifer Burgess, “a devoted mother and tireless worker trying to help cure FSHD through her own Long Island foundation,” the Chris Carrino Foundation for FSHD was hatched.

The Chris Carrino Foundation for FSHD is a 501(c)(3) charity dedicated to eradicating the life-altering effects of fascioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. The foundation will hold its inaugural dinner dance on Thursday, August 18. You can find the foundation’s website at: www.chriscarrinofoundation.org.

—John Cirillo, FCRH ‘78

WFUV and NYC Media Launch The Alternate Side on WNYE

New York, NY—WFUV will celebrate the June launch of The Alternate Side on WNYE (91.5 FM) with an acoustic performance by songwriter (and driving force behind the acclaimed indie band Pedro the Lion) David Bazan in Madison Square Park (Madison Avenue at 23rd Street) on Wednesday, June 22 at 2 p.m. The Alternate Side DJs Russ Borris and Alisa Ali will be on-hand to host. The concert is free and open to the general public.

As of June 1, The Alternate Side, the independent music service produced by WFUV, has been airing weekday mornings from 6 a.m. to Noon on the NYC Media-owned WNYE. The service will also continue to be available around the clock at thealternateside.org and 90.7FM HD3, as well as weeknights from 10:00 PM. to midnight on WFUV (90.7FM, wfuv.org).

Since its launch by WFUV in 2008, with support from The New York State Music Fund, The Alternate Side has showcased the vital and diverse indie music scene in New York City and beyond. The Alternate Side’s forward-thinking, music-savvy range of artists includes everybody from The Strokes and The Beastie Boys to PJ Harvey and Radiohead and champions new local bands like Yeasayer, School of Seven Bells and The Hundred in the Hands. WNYE listeners will discover new music and reconnect with favorite artists, experience one-of-a-kind in-studio interviews and performances, and get artist news, concert information and community announcements.

Part of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, NYC Media is the official TV, radio and online network of the City of New York, informing, educating and entertaining New Yorkers about the City’s diverse people and neighborhoods, government, services, attractions and activities. NYC Media oversees several television channels, a radio station and other online assets. Visit nyc.gov/media for more information. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/nyc_media or become a fan on Facebook at facebook.com/nycmedia.

A Fordham Voice Among the March Madness

If you’re watching the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, keep an ear open for a familiar Fordham voice.

Spero Dedes, FCRH ’01, the radio play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Lakers, will call four early-round games in the tournament’s Southwest region.

On Friday afternoon, Dedes, who got his start at WFUV (90.7 FM, wfuv.org ) will announce the Notre Dame- Akron game followed by the Texas A&M game against Florida State. Later that evening, Dedes will return to the air as the No. 14-seed Saint Peter’s Peacocks try to upset the No. 3-seed Purdue Boilermakers.

Dedes is also in line to finish a busy day behind the mic with the matchup between Georgetown and Virginia Commonwealth, who defeated USC in the tournament’s first round of play.

In 2001, Dedes received the inaugural Marty Glickman Award, given annually to the Fordham announcer who best exemplifies the standards set by the late sports broadcasting icon. Along with Bob Aherns, executive producer of WFUV sports, and John Cirillo, FCRH ’78, Spero credits Glickman for helping him perfect his craft.

“[Marty] would be very harsh on most of the kids’ [tapes],” Dedes told FORDHAM magazine in late 2005. “But he called me in my dorm room after I’d worked a weekend basketball game and told me he’d heard something in my tapes and that if I kept working on it, I had a bright future in the business. That gave me confidence.”

Dedes is one of a long line of Fordham-trained sportscasters, including Mike Breen, FCRH ’83; Michael Kay, FCRH ’82; Bob Papa, FCRH ’86; and Ford C. Frick Award winner Vin Scully, FCRH ’49, the longtime voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

—Miles Doyle, FCRH ‘01

(Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Lakers.)

Iron & Wine Perform on WFUV

Iron & Wine Perform on The Whole Wide World With Rita Houston
Friday, February 4 | 7 p.m.

New York, NY — Before their sold out concert at Radio City Music Hall last weekend, Iron & Wine visited WFUV’s Studio A for an exclusive session with Music Director Rita Houston. Iron & Wine’s new CD, Kiss Each Other Clean, is another step in the beautiful journey of Sam Beam's poetic songs. In Studio A, he talked about his songwriting process, his love of Edie Brickell, his five daughters and his dogs. Hear the entire session, with a four-song acoustic performance tonight, February 4, at 7 p.m. on The Whole Wide World with Rita Houston and see a bit in this video performance of “Tree by the River” on the WFUV YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/WFUVRADIO.

The Whole Wide World With Rita Houston airs on WFUV, 90.7 FM in New York City and at www.wfuv.org around the world.

Every Friday night from 7 - 10 p.m. EST, the genre-melding Whole Wide World showcases Rita Houston’s famously wide ranging musical tastes. Perhaps the only place on the New York radio dial where one can hear Nancy's Sinatra's "Bang Bang" and Manu Chao's "Bongo Bong" on the same show, WWW mixes rock, pop, world, electronica, lounge, soul and dance tunes into a mellow Friday night soundtrack, punctuated with interviews and in-studios performances

WFUV is a non-commercial, listener-supported public radio station, licensed to Fordham University for more than 60 years. Serving the New York area as well as an international audience on the web, and a leader in contemporary music radio, WFUV is Rock & Roots Radio, offering an eclectic mix of rock, singer-songwriters, blues, world and other music, plus headlines from National Public Radio and local news.

WFUV's "Words & Music From Studio A" in February

Words & Music From Studio A
Monday through Thursday at 9 P.M. on WFUV (90.7 FM, wfuv.org)

(Take Five, a 5-minute version of each evening’s interview, airs every day at 7:40 A.M. and 4:45 P.M. and is available to download as podcast at www.wfuv.org/audio/podcast )

Tuesday, February 1st—The man with the giant voice known as The White Buffalo will join The Alternate Side’s Russ Borris to talk blues and rock & roll.

Wednesday February 2nd—Multi-talented singer-songwriter Sonya Kitchell joins Sunday Breakfast host John Platt in the studio before her Rockwood Music Hall show on February 9th.

Thursday, February 3rd—Former New Pornographer Neko Case talks to FUV Music Morning host Claudia Marshall before taking the stage at two NY-area concerts—Westha.m.pton Beach Performing Arts Center on February 5th and the Bell House on February 6th.

Friday, February 4th—Toronto’s Dia.m.ond Rings, aka John O, heads to the WFUV studios to chat with The Alternate Side’s Alisa Ali about his modern brand of gla.m. rock.

Monday February 7th—Texan, songwriter and constant performer Alejandro Escovedo sits down with Claudia Marshall before his big 60th birthday show at City Winery.

Tuesday. February 8th—Grammy-winning jazz great Kurt Elling joins WFUV Music Director Rita Houston to talk about the release of his new album, “The Gate," followed by an FUV Live concert from Avatar Studios.

Wednesday, February 9th—Lissie, the folk rocker Paste Magazine called the best new solo artist of 2010 talks to Alisa Ali. The interview is followed by Lissie’s recent Hiro Ballroom concert.

Thursday, February 10th—New Yorker and long-time FUV favorite Nellie McKay sits down with her early champion, Rita Houston, to talk about music and life before her show at Tilles Center for the Performing Arts on February 12th. Followed by FUV Live: Nellie McKay from City Winery.

Friday, February, 11th—Erland and The Carnival, the London folk rock supergroup comprised of Simon Tong, Gawain Erland Cooper and David Nock, join Alisa Ali for an interview and performance session.

Monday, February 14th—British-American folk prince Teddy Thompson talks to Claudia Marshall on Valentine’s Day.

Tuesday, February 15th—Mountain Man, which is actually three women, come to Studio A for a chat with Rita Houston.

Wednesday, February 16th—Philadelphia band Dr. Dog make it to New York to play Terminal 5 on February 18th, but first they talk to WFUV’s Claudia Marshall.

Thursday, February 17th—Alt-country forefathers The Jayhawks join longtime fan Rita Houston for an interview and performance session.

Friday, February 18th—Avant-pop disco experimenters The Hundreds In The Hands talk to the equally avant Alisa Ali.

WFUV (90.7 FM, wfuv.org) is a non-commercial, listener-supported public radio station, licensed to Fordham University for more than 60 years. Serving the New York area as well as an international audience on the web, and a leader in contemporary music radio, WFUV is Rock & Roots Radio, offering an eclectic mix of rock, singer-songwriters, blues, world and other music, plus headlines from National Public Radio and local news.

WFUV Stars and DJs Tell Stories Behind The First Record They Bought

Back in the days of vinyl, buying your first record, whether it was a single or an album, was a rite of passage. (Do folks today feel the same way about their first MP3 download?)

Here are the recollections of some of our favorite artists – like Rickie Lee Jones, James Maddock, and Jeff Tweedy – and WFUV hosts about the first piece of music they owned. (Note how many mention Elvis and The Beatles!)

Have you told us yours? If so, you might hear it next week as we feature the stories behind The First Music I Bought from artists, hosts, and listeners during our winter membership drive. In the meantime, visit us online to support WFUV and share your story. Starting January 24, you'll be entered to win a brand new turntable and a stack of vinyl!

And if you can help us answer phones during the drive, please sign up here. We can promise you some food, a few laughs, and lots of camaraderie.

WFUV Second Annual Big Broadcast “Rent Party”

The Manhattan Rhythm Kings, Terry Burrell, Bryan Wright
and Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks Perform at
The Second Annual Big Broadcast “Rent Party”
Wednesday, October 20th at 7:00 PM

New York, NY – The Second Annual Big Broadcast “Rent Party,” an evening of music with Jazz Age roots benefiting WFUV (90.7 FM, wfuv.org), will take place on Wednesday, October 20th at 7:00 PM at 320 Park Avenue. The event will include performances by The Manhattan Rhythm Kings, Terry Burrell, Bryan Wright and Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks, while Big Broadcast host Rich Conaty emcees throughout the evening. Tickets include cocktails, buffet dinner and performance and are available at $2,000 for tables of four and $500 or $250 for individuals. More information can be found at www.wfuv.org/bigbroadcast.


In the 1920s, money-crunched New Yorkers would throw “rent parties” to raise some fast cash. Entertaining their guests with performances by singers and jazz bands, hosts would raise funds to meet their month’s rent. Public radio station WFUV will revive this ritual at the Big Broadcast Rent Party, where performers will pay homage to Milton Ager, whose hits included “Ain’t She Sweet,“ “Happy Days are Here Again” and “Happy Feet,“ which was performed by The Manhattan Rhythm Kings and Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks in Martin Scorsese’s “The Aviator.“ In an additional nod to the era, a part of ragtime pianist Bryan Wright’s performance will be captured on original 100 year-old Edison cylinder recording equipment by phonograph expert Peter Dilg.

“We’re all very excited to present another evening of this wonderful music in such an unmatched setting. And we hope to capture the fun an excitement found the grooves of those old 78 RPM records I get to play on the program every week,” says Conaty, who has been hosting the program since 1973.

“Rich is doing important work with his program on WFUV and his listeners came out to last year’s rent party in full force to show their appreciation. Everybody seemed to have so much fun that we decided to make the rent party an annual tradition,” said WFUV General Manager Ralph Jennings.

Airing on WFUV every Sunday evening at 8:00 PM, The Big Broadcast has featured classic jazz and pop tunes of the 1920s and '30s for more than 35 years, and its focus has remained on the vast amount of music produced in this relatively brief period. Over the years the program has expanded from one to four hours and has found loyal online listeners as far away as Hawaii, Australia and Thailand.

The Manhattan Rhythm Kings started performing together on the sidewalks of New York in 1980 and graduated to playing cabarets, colleges and concert halls across the country. In 1992, they were featured as Mingo, Moose, and Sam, a trio of crooning bumpkins, in the “new” Tony Award-winning Gershwin musical “Crazy for You.” �

Terry Burrell's Broadway credits include “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” “Swinging On A Star,” Stephen Sondheim’s “Into The Woods,” Michael Bennett’s “Dreamgirls,” “Honky Tonk Nights,” “Eubie” and the first London production of “Showboat.” In addition, Terry is a seasoned cabaret artist who’s performed her nightclub act for audiences from Monte Carlo to the Caribbean.

Bryan Wright began piano studies at the age of fivee and holds degrees in Musicology from the College of William and Mary and the University of Pittsburgh. He has hosted popular radio programs dedicated to ragtime, traditional jazz and big bands. Wright founded Rivermont Records in 2004 as a way of preserving music for the first half of the 20th century.

A big-band historian and collector, Vince Giordano has more than 60,000 scores in his collection. Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks are renowned on the New York scene for their commitment to preserving and authentically presenting 1920s and ‘30s jazz and popular music. He and his band can be seen currently in Martin Scorsese’s HBO’s series “Boardwalk Empire.” Vince and The Nighthawks perform every Monday and Tuesday evenings at Sofia’s Restaurant/ Club Cache.

For press passes to the Big Broadcast Rent Party, please contact Eva Dilmanian, 646-675-8550 or eva@buzzwordpr.com.

WFUV is a non-commercial, listener-supported public radio station, licensed to Fordham University for over 60 years. Serving the New York area as well as an international audience on the web, and a leader in contemporary music radio, WFUV is Rock & Roots Radio, offering an eclectic mix of rock, singer-songwriters, blues, world and other music, plus headlines from National Public Radio and local news.

Fordham's Guide to Decision '09

Fordham University political scientists will be ubiquitous for media coverage of the 2009 elections.

Tonight, Costas Panagopoulos will be in the WNBC-TV studios to discuss New York City’s mayoral election. He will be paired with Richard Lee of Rutgers University, who will follow the exciting race for New Jersey’s governorship.

Also tonight, Christina Greer will be George Bodarky’s guest on WFUV-FM 90.7 to provide commentary on the New York City political landscape after the polls close at 9 PM.

Starting tomorrow, and continuing all week, Bruce Berg will be answering questions about New York City politics on the New York Times’s City Room blog.

Woman of Public Radio

WFUV's own Nora Flaherty got a shout out this week from Duke Law Professor James Boyle in his blog, The Public Domain:

The first thing you have to understand is that they are in your ear. I mean, in your ear. You know that trademark female public radio voice? Terry Gross, Barbara Bogaev you’ve probably heard. But what about Nora Young of CBC’s Spark, Jessica Jones or Nora Flaherty who interviewed me today for the Fordham NPR affiliate. Yeah, that voice.

As WFUV's University Producer, Nora acts as host, field reporter and producer of Fordham Conversations, heard Saturday mornings at 7 a.m. Nora's aim is to bring the activities of Fordham University students, faculty, administrators and alumni to the attention of the listening community.

WFUV (90.7 FM, wfuv.org) is a non-commercial, listener-supported public radio station, licensed to Fordham University for nearly 60 years. The station, staffed by 27 broadcast professionals and 70 students, serves nearly 300,000 listeners weekly in the New York area and thousands more worldwide on the Web.

WFUV Launches The Alternate Side

WFUV, Fordham's noncommercial radio station, launched its highly anticipated Internet and HD Radio indie music destination, The Alternate Side on Friday, Dec. 5. The Alternate Side will highlight the most exciting talent from the New York area, playing Santogold, MGMT and The Menahan Street Band alongside more established acts like TV On The Radio, The National and Sonic Youth. Listeners can experience this complete multi-media music service at www.thealternateside.org and, on HD radios, at 90.7 FM WFUV-HD3.

The Alternate Side includes a full-time music stream that features exclusive artist interviews and broadcasts from local music venues, and a state-of-the-art web site with video content, a blog, a concert calendar and other interactive features. The site will also connect artists directly to their fans, as local bands and artists will be able to set up profiles, blog, upload mp3s and update tour information. The site's unique social networking platform puts bands and fans in control, giving local musicians the ability to share their music with a worldwide audience. Listeners can discover up-and-coming artists from all over the world and all over the musical landscape and play DJ themselves, building custom mp3 playlists from a database filled with local talent.

The Alternate Side will complement WFUV's existing service, which will continue in its present format at 90.7 FM and www.wfuv.org. The Alternate Side logo is also available for download.

WFUV is a non-commercial, listener-supported public radio station, licensed to Fordham University for 60 years. One of the nation's highest-ranking stations in its format on both the radio and on the web, and a leader in contemporary music radio, WFUV offers an eclectic mix of rock, singer-songwriters, blues, world and other music, plus headlines from National Public Radio and local news

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