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“Run with WCRB” Debuts on Spotify
Boston’s classical music radio station builds the perfect playlist for the perfect run
99.5 WCRB to broadcast special extended running list from 9a-3p on Marathon Monday
BOSTON, Mass. (April 11, 2014) – 99.5 WCRB, WGBH’s listener-supported classical radio station, today launched its new “Run with WCRB” playlist on Spotify to keep runners motivated leading up to and during the Boston Marathon. Runners can listen to the playlist on Spotify on their mobile device and add their own track contributions to the community playlist. An extended “Run with WCRB” playlist will air on 99.5 WCRB on Marathon Monday, April 21st from 9am-3pm.
“Boston is a running city. WCRB wanted to connect with that community by offering a fun, new music experience for local runners,” said Anthony Rudel, station manager at WCRB. “We’re all about making the greatest music available to existing and new listeners in unique ways that fit their lifestyles.”
As one of Forbes’ Top 10 Cities for Running, Boston is an ideal community to launch a running mix comprised of classical pieces. The “Run with WCRB” playlist features five hours of music ranging from familiar tracks like Orff’s Carmina Burana, Bernstein’s Candide Overture, and Bizet’s Carmen, to unexpected inspiration like Michael Torke’s Javelin. Tested by reporters and staff at WGBH who regularly run across a range of distances, the playlist is designed to help runners of all abilities conquer every obstacle, from the slog up Heartbreak Hill to a Saturday jog along the Charles River.
The launch of the Spotify playlist and special on-air programming coincides with the station’s recent efforts to connect with a wider and more diverse listener base. Yesterday WCRB and The Boston Conservatory announced a joint competition for Conservatory students to create a “sonic logo” for WCRB. Drawing inspiration from WGBH’s iconic sting, students from music composition program will submit original compositions for consideration. The winning composition will be recorded later this year in the WGBH Fraser Performance Studios with musicians from the Boston Conservatory.
About WGBH
WGBH Boston is America’s preeminent public broadcaster and the largest producer of PBS content for TV and the Web, including Masterpiece, Antiques Roadshow, Frontline, Nova, American Experience, Arthur, Curious George, and more than a dozen other prime-time, lifestyle, and children’s series. WGBH’s television channels include WGBH 2, WGBX 44, and the digital channels World and Create. WGBH TV productions focusing on the region’s diverse community include Greater Boston, Basic Black, and High School Quiz Show. WGBH Radio serves listeners across New England with 89.7 WGBH Boston Public Radio; 99.5 WCRB; and WCAI, the Cape and Islands NPR® Station. WGBH also is a major source of programs for public radio (among them, PRI’s The World®), a leader in educational multimedia (including PBS LearningMedia™, providing the nation’s educators with free, curriculum-based digital content), and a pioneer in technologies and services that make media accessible to deaf, hard of hearing, blind, and visually impaired audiences. WGBH has been recognized with hundreds of honors: Emmys, Peabodys, duPont-Columbia Awards and Oscars. Find more information at wgbh.org.
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