By Tracy Ross
Murray, KY – Media Release: The Eisenhower Hour Returns to WKMS
Contact: Tracy Ross (tracy.ross@murraystate.edu, 800-599-4737)
The region's public radio service from Murray State University, 91.3 FM WKMS, is bringing back the popular series the Eisenhower Hour with six hours of special broadcasts over 4th of July weekend, including a special salute to American musical theatre. The show, a fun, nostalgic journey through American popular music and culture of the Fifties, returns to the WKMS weekly schedule at 3 PM Sunday beginning July 10th.
"I've had many requests to revive the Eisenhower Hour since it went off the air about a year ago," said Dr. Bob Lochte, the show's producer and host. "We're starting off the new run of the series with a double dose of Fifties fun Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, July 2nd, 3rd, and 4th from 1 to 3 p.m. each day."
The first two hours, beginning 1 PM, Saturday, July 2nd, are devoted to Honky Tonk Country Music of the Fifties. "We chose these two programs because they flowed nicely from the popular Folk and Bluegrass program Music from the Front Porch," said Tracy Ross, WKMS Program Director. Featured artists include Webb Pierce, George Jones, Kitty Wells, Hank Thompson, plus an entire hour devoted to the songs of Hank Williams and Lefty Frizzell.
On Sunday, July 3rd, also at 1 PM, the first hour is Jazz in the Fifties, with the sounds of Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Dave Brubeck, Count Basie, Miles Davis and more. In the second hour, Crooners and Songbirds, the focus is on popular singers such as Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Nat "King" Cole, Tony Bennett, Dinah Washington, and others.
The special broadcasts wind up on Monday the 4th of July at 1 PM with two hours of original cast recordings from Broadway musicals of the Fifties. Shows include South Pacific, The King and I, My Fair Lady, The Music Man, West Side Story, and The Sound of Music. "These two are personal favorites," said Dr. Bob. "So many hit popular songs of the Fifties came from Broadway musicals."
The Eisenhower Hour moves into its regular timeslot 3 PM Sundays on July10th with a series of 28 programs that begins New Year's Day, 1950, runs through each year of the decade, and ends New Year's Eve, 1959. Each show is devoted to the pop, rhythm and blues, country, and rock n' roll music of a few months during a particular year. In addition, there's a rundown of news and popular culture events from that time.
Dr. Bob Lochte, who spends most of his time as Chairman of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communications at Murray State University, is the host, producer, and writer of the Eisenhower Hour . He has produced the show at WKMS since 2005.
Click here to visit the Eisenhower Hour show page.
See more about all WKMS programming at www.wkms.org, including other new features beginning the July 4th weekend. Murray State's public radio service includes the regional 100,000 watt signal 91.3 FM WKMS, Murray; 91.3 WKMS HD-1 and All-Classical HD-2; repeaters 90.9 FM, WKMD, Madisonville and 89.5 FM, WKMT, Fulton; and translators 99.5 FM Paris, TN as well as All-Classical 92.5 FM Paducah and 105.1 FM Madisonville. The station also streams both WKMS HD-1 and HD-2 at www.wkms.org. Call 800-599-4737 for additional assistance.