December 2014 | wosu.org Holiday Concerts on Classical 101 page 7 Sacred Journeys with Bruce Feiler Tuesdays, starting December 16 on WOSU TV details on page 10 Photo courtesy of courtesy freeradioonmyphone.org Photo VOLUME 35 • NUMBER 12 Airfare (UPS 372670) is published monthly except for June, July and August by: WOSU Public Media 2400 Olentangy River Road, Columbus, OH 43210 614.292.9678 Copyright 2014 by The Ohio State University. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form or by any means without express written Karen’s Holiday Wish permission from the publisher. Subscription is by a minimum contribution of $60 to WOSU Public Media, All I want for Christmas is…FM radio on my cell phone. I had it on my previous smartphone of which $3.25 is allocated to Airfare. Periodicals and used it almost daily. I could listen to 89.7 NPR News or Classical 101 or any local station postage paid at Columbus, Ohio. without using my limited data plan or draining my phone’s battery. I listened at the gym, the POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Airfare, airport, football games and in the dentist’s chair. I always had a radio with me because like 2400 Olentangy River Road, Columbus, OH 43210 most people, I take my phone everywhere. WOSU Public Media My current phone doesn’t have FM radio enabled even though it has the chip inside Graphic Designer/Assoc. Editor Ann Draghi necessary to make it work. Unlike in Europe, the major US phone carriers have chosen not to General Manager Tom Rieland enable the FM chip that is built into most smartphones. It would cost them virtually nothing Chief Operating Officer Karen Olstad to do so, but they claim there is no customer demand for it. Some speculate they would Director of Marketing rather charge us for data usage to access radio streams. Meredith Hart & Communications Membership Rob Walker We know what happens in a natural disaster or emergency— the power grid goes down taking with it cell phone and Wi-Fi networks. Even if the networks are working, they are Friends of WOSU Board completely overwhelmed. People turn to broadcasters—and public radio in particular — for President Karen Ickes information about closures, response efforts and where to find food, shelter and fuel, not to Vice President Bill Schiffman mention news reports as events unfold. With 90% of Americans owning cell phones, it makes Secretary/Treasurer Kathleen McGinnis sense to enable your smartphone to receive vital information through radio signals for free. Board Members You can help us make it happen. WOSU is part of a broad coalition of broadcasters working Kyle B. Anderson Ed Lentz Allen Coleman Debbie Mitchell to convince the carriers—and the federal government if necessary—to require activated Dan Cvetanovich Christine Mortine FM chips in all cellphones. Contact your wireless provider to let them know—as a matter Laura Ecklar Rick Phillips Fred Hadley Kumar Rachuri of public safety and consumer fairness—you want your phone’s Dale Heydlauff Bill Ress FM chip activated for constant access to free FM radio. All the BethAnn Hullinger Tom Rieland Sharron Kornegay Katy Rigsby information you need, including links to your wireless provider is at: Ray LaVoie Michael Schwaiger freeradioonmyphone.org. Michelle Leedy David Stallings WOSU Mission: The mission of WOSU Public Help us free radio on your phone! Media is to enrich lives through content and experiences that engage, inform and inspire. by Karen Olstad, Chief Operating Officer Questions? Comments? Contact our Audience Services Advocate, Alysia Gobert-Smith, at 614.292.9678 or via e-mail at [email protected] WOSU MemberCard Benefit of the Month December: Columbus Dance Theatre Present your WOSU MemberCard during the month of December for this special offer! Valid for 2-for-1 admission* all month long. 614.849.0227 columbusdancetheatre.com *Subject to availability and certain restrictions may apply. 2 Peg + Cat + Holiday A PBS KIDS MOVIE EVENT Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas Seasonal Programming on WOSU TV December is a month full of anticipation and joy. Stores are filled with holiday goodies and neighborhoods are aglow with the season’s trimmings. This month on WOSU TV we have a variety of special programs to put viewers in the spirit of the season. On PBS KIDS®, Curious George, Peg + Cat, Elmo and Cat in the Hat are just a few of our favorite characters celebrating the holidays. The Peg + Cat + Holidays one hour special finds our heroine Peg and her trusty companion Cat tackling “The Christmas Problem,” and “The Hanukkah Problem.” Curious George waits impatiently for Christmas to arrive in Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas and Elmo, Abby Cadabby and their new friend Stiller the Elf are out to save Christmas on Elmo’s Christmas Countdown. You’ll see lots of holiday fun on all our PBS KIDS programs throughout the month. Friday Night Arts is full of wonderful music specials. No Christmas holiday is complete without a performance of Handel’s Messiah and WOSU TV will showcase the voices of the Naval Academy in this yearly tradition on Friday, December 12. We’ll celebrate Hanukkah with Great Performances featuring Itzhak Perlman and Cantor Yitzchak Meir Helfgot. The Mormon Saturday, January 3 Tabernacle Choir returns with their annual Christmas concert, this year featuring Deborah Voight Ohio Theatre and John Rhys-Davies. We’ll wrap up the holidays on Friday Night Arts with a profile of Bing Crosby on American Masters. Cocktail Reception & Advance Screening Christmas week begins with Christmas trees, music, cooking, and entertaining on the December 21 Sunday Showcase (1pm–4pm). The week rings in several special programs, like First Silent For more information Night on Tuesday, and early on Christmas morning viewers can enjoy a series of wonderful or to reserve your tickets: holiday concerts while waiting for the sun to dawn. We’ll settle in Christmas night with the premiere of the Call the Midwife Holiday Special, followed by the Vicious: Holiday Special. The nuns wosu.org/downtonabbey and the boys are organizing Christmas concerts and dinner parties. Support WOSU Public Media and the quality PBS programs you enjoy. Finally, we ring in the New Year with Michael Feinstein at The Rainbow Room and the New Year’s Day tradition, Great Performances from Vienna: The New Year’s Celebration 2015. We’re celebrating the season all month long on WOSU TV. by stacia hentZ, TV Program Director Call the Midwife — SEASON 5— Holiday Special SUNDAYS AT 9PM ON WOSU TV STARTING JANUARY 4 Vicious: Holiday Special Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Great Performances: Rejoice with Itzhak 3 Perlman our sponsors thank you! Please consider supporting the generous corporate and organizational DECEMBER 12–27, 2014 | OHIO THEATRE partners who support the programming on WOSU Public Media! 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