Grass-roots Broadcasting Project

The Downtown Singers 25th presentation of Handel’s Messiah has been recorded and given to Public Radio Satellite Services (PRSS), a radio program distribution system managed by National Public Radio. The Downtown Singers are making this program available at no charge for broadcast by any of the over 420 individual radio stations or organizations that subscribe to PRSS, from 2007-12-23 until 2007-06-01. All one of these stations needs to do is request a download and schedule the air-time.

If you would like your local Public Broadcasting station to air this performance, you need to express your interest to them. Here are more detailed instructions for making this request:

  1. Go to the NPR website.
  2. Enter your zip code to find the Public Radio station nearest you.
  3. Using the map, click on the stations that serve your area.
  4. On the right under that station's listing, you should see a link for their “Homepage”—click on it.
  5. Click on the Contact link (typically at the very top or very bottom of the station’s web page) and you should see a way to e-mail the station.
  6. Write your own request wording or copy the sample request text below and place it in your e-mail.
  7. Address the email to the Program Director, if possible; otherwise, use any address that is associated with programming.

Any way you can communicate your desire for them to air this performance is fine. If you find these instructions too difficult, or are confused by a particular station's website, send an e-mail to our President, , asking for help. Be sure to indicate where you live. He will get back to you with the contact information you need.

Thanks! With your help, there may be a lot more communities out there who will hear us and perhaps even be inspired to start up their own Messiah chorus!

Example Request Text

Attn: Program Director

I am writing to ask your station to air a presentation by the Binghamton Downtown Singers and Orchestra of Handel’s Messiah, which took place on December 21 and 22 of 2007. This was the 25th consecutive annual presentation of this great oratorio by the Singers to their community and that group is making a recording of this event available, at no charge, to any station subscribing to PRSS for airing by that station.

I know that this presentation was recently aired by the public radio station serving the Binghamton NY area and was received with great pleasure and appreciation by many of their listeners. It would be a great joy to me to be able to hear this presentation in my area as well. I know that if you will listen to the recording and read about the group on the PRSS Content Depot, you will be impressed and intrigued that a performance of this scope and quality is possible by a community chorus from a quiet, unpretentious town in upstate New York.

Please do give serious consideration to airing this program on your station. For other information concerning the Singers, their website is:
http://downtownsingers.org

Sincerely,