New York Public Radio, WNYC, kicks off its month-long 80th anniversary celebration on Monday, Sept. 13. WNYC will mark this milestone anniversary on the air, on its Web site, and in the community.
Beginning Monday, Sept. 13, WNYC will draw from its audio archives and air some of its most historically significant and humorous clips, interspersed among its regular programs and introduced by ABC Correspondent and public radio veteran Robert Krulwich. Highlights will include:
* News of the attack at Pearl Harbor, which WNYC was among the first to report;
* Mayor La Guardia reading the funnies during a newspaper delivery strike in
1945;
* Eleanor Roosevelt spinning Elvis records from the WNYC studios to benefit
children in 1957;
WNYC will also launch an interactive, multimedia timeline on its Web site, www.wnyc.org, featuring a collection of historical photos, audio and video clips, excerpts of famous speeches, and a history of the station.
WNYC first hit the airwaves on July 8, 1924, and was initially run as part of the City of New York’s Department of Plant and Structures. In 1937, a revised city charter made WNYC the key component of the newly created Municipal Broadcasting System, which operated under direct mayoral control for the next 60 years.
In 1995, Mayor Rudolph Guiliani announced that the city would be getting out of the broadcasting business and selling its licenses, with an eye towards a commercial buyer. The WNYC board mounted a fundraising campaign, and in 1997, succeeded in buying the licenses.
The anniversary celebration will culminate on Wednesday, Oct. 20 at 8 p.m., with a special presentation of Selected Shorts at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Peter Norton Symphony Space (2537 Broadway at 95th Street). Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by calling (212) 864-5400.
WNYC Turns 80
WNYC Turns 80
