November Archive | October Archive | September Archive | August Archive | July Archive | June Archive | May Archive | April Archive | March Archive | February Archive At WEDO 810 AM - a short Carpatho-Rusin\Rusyn Radio HistoryThe first regularly scheduled Carpatho-Rusin Radio Program in the United States was broadcast on WEDO 810 AM in McKeesport\White Oak, PA. for seven years from 1997 through 2003. It was the only Carpatho-Rusin radio program in the United States, and the cultural philosophy was to help American Carpatho-Rusins regain the enjoyment and the knowledge of the expressive cultural heritage that reveals the continuity and development of a beautiful civilization, and nurture and stimulate cultural growth and continuity in each generation. Since 1997,the radio host, Mr Jerry Jumba of McKees Rocks, PA, has done the radio research preparation to serve about 180 Carpatho-Rusin broadcast hours, about 360 half hour broadcasts featuring great folk art songs from European and American Carpatho-Rusin performance ensembles and individual artists, giving three live performances in the WEDO Radio studio, featuring a series of sixty interviews called "Voices of Rusin Culture", and serving the inspiring living tradition sacred music of Eastern Christian [Byzantine Catholic and Orthodox] Carpatho-Rusin Liturgical Chant in natural harmony. {Slava Isusu Christu!} For several decades, Radio WEDO 810 AM in In McKeesport - and then White Oak, has been well known as "The Station Of Nations" because of the many unique educational broadcasts of the diverse American cultural multiplicity of non-English living cultures and languages. In America, and specifically in this tri-state region around Western Pennsylvania, American Carpatho-Rusins had come to progressive educational radio programing some four or five decades later then the surrounding ethnic groups such as Ukrainians, Poles, Slovaks, Slovenians, Lithuanians,Irish, Croatians, Serbians, Greeks, and Indians {India}, and more. Until 1997, American Carpatho-Rusins never had their own community supported regular educational and entertainment radio program interactive with Rusin folk art music, news events, and liturgical music programing. Within the Byzantine Catholic Archieparchy of Pittsburgh, Carpatho-Rusins did have Bishop John M. Bilock's Radio Apostolate which served a phenomenal amount of prayer outreach for God at work among us for forty years with the beautifully chanted congregational living tradition Divine Liturgy and numerous prayer services in the Rusin Slavonic language and Carpatho-Rusin Liturgical Chant, with many hundreds of sermons in the Carpatho-Rusin language, and later in English. From 1997 through 2003 the "Carpatho-Rus' Radio Program" served several thousand listeners in the tri-state area, treating them to the arts of Rusin songs, dances, instrumental music, and living tradition plain chant, also known as "prostopinije", and interviews with the voices of Rusin\Rusyn culture discussing Rusin activities, cultural issues, religious issues, and learn of the coming events of interest to the Carpatho-Rusin community in the tri-state area. We are thankful that the Carpatho-Rusyn Society, whose national membership headquarters is in Pittsburgh, gave partial co-sponsor support to the "Carpatho-Rus' Radio Program", along with listener support. Listener support fell short of the need to adequately fund and sustain the program, but listeners were interactive with the program and plentiful in the thousands. That is the support issue phenomenon of that era that ended the broadcast after seven years. Hundreds of radio listeners have sent dedication notes for music selections to be played for their loved ones with birthday or anniversary greetings to family members and friends, or to a prayer request with a special hymn. Seasonal theme shows have been produced which highlight Christmas, Lent, and the Paschal seasons. There were stirring performances of Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic choirs congregations in Europe and America, and the amazing unprecedented Eastern Christian ecumenical performances of the Song Tour of Carpatho-Rus' choir and orchestra. The songs of every Rusin region were played from professional recordings of solo artists and groups, and also delightful folk art amateur field recordings. The high artistic standards and extensive repertoire of ensembles such as the Transcarpathian Folk Art Choir and Orchestra of Uzhhorod, and the Dukla (PULS) Ensemble of Presov, were regular radio features. Singers share deep feelings for their Rusyn music traditions, including the soulful congregational harmonization of Rusin Liturgical Chant whose standard is the sacred musical bond of inspiration for some 1.2 million Carpatho-Rusyns who live in Transcarpathian Ukraine, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Canada, and the United States. Voices of Rusin Culture guest interviews through the years included:1. Christmas special which featured a heartfelt and articulate discussion of Rusin Christmas customs and foods with Pani Mary Buletza from St. Michael's Orthodox Church in Rankin, Pa., WEDO Radio Station in McKeesport\ White Oak was and is under the management of John James, who continues to offer unique and delightful ethno-cultural programming for the enjoyment and educational benefit of its listeners in the tri-state area. He has been most kind and helpful to the Carpatho-Rusin\Rusin community in his encouragement of these Carpatho-Rus' Radio program broadcasts. He deserves special recognition of thanks from the approximately 50,000 Americans of Rusin descent in Western PA, and there are the multi-ethnic listener as well, from whom we heard hundreds of appreciative interactive comments. We encouraged our listeners to share their cultural development thoughts with us at WEDO, and to tell others about this special radio cultural experience that came into their home during the years 1997 - 2003. Web site and all contents © Copyright 810 Inc. 2007, All rights reserved. | |
