Lewis Radio Station Offers Holiday Music 24/7 through New Year's Day

Listeners around the globe can tune in to 's WLRA-FM (88.1 FM) or download a free iPhone application and listen to holiday music 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from Nov. 25 to Jan. 1, 2012. The app connects listeners to the 12th annual “Christmas Memories for You and Your Family,” a benefit broadcast for the United Way of Will County. Instead of commercials, WLRA will air brief messages every 15 minutes about United Way agencies in Will County at no cost to the United Way or the agencies.

“Lewis University offers this as our Christmas gift to the greater community,” said John Carey, a Lewis faculty member and director of The Andrew Center for Electronic Media. “We are very pleased that we can share our gift with the world through our iPhone app, Internet streaming and FM signal. People will have access to Christmas music anywhere they receive a signal and the United Way’s message of goodwill will be heard as well.”

The WLRA Christmas programming has been prepared so that the same performances will not be repeated every few hours. Carey said.

“The selections will feature sacred and popular music from traditional to contemporary with artists ranging from soloists such as Bing Crosby and Luciano Pavarotti, to instrumental groups such as Mannheim Steamroller and the Boston Pops, and ‘pop’ artists such as Justin Bieber and Sheryl Crow," he said. "The Christmas music will appeal to people of all tastes and ages.”

Lewis’ Christmas programming as well as the university’s Andrew Center of Electronic Media are made possible with the help of a grant from the Aileen S. Andrew Foundation. The first college radio station to go entirely digital from studio to transmitter, WLRA has been on the air for more than 35 years.

Tuning into WLRA is easier than ever with many ways to listen to the broadcast. Turn the radio dial to 88.1 FM. Log on to www.lewisu.edu and click on the link for internet streaming. Download the iPhone app at the iTunes store and listen on your mobile device.

The United Way of Will County is a local, not-for-profit organization that raises money annually to support local human care services provided by local, not-for-profit agencies. Through donations, the agencies have built neighborhood strength and safety, bolstered the health and well-being of communities, strengthened families and nurtured and supported children and youth.  United Way is committed to helping the people of Will County, as it is governed by local volunteers, raises local dollars in local communities and helps local residents.