Helen Leicht to Lead New Programming and Community Outreach Initiatives for WXPN

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Created on Thursday, 10 June 2004 15:32

Philadelphia, PA (June 10, 2004) WXPN, the public radio station of the University of Pennsylvania, today announced that mid-day host Helen Leicht will head the station’s Emerging Artist and new community outreach programs.

With her new responsibilities, Leicht will expand her longstanding involvement with and the station’s commitment to showcasing up and coming new talent. Leicht’s Philly Local spotlight feature has been airing since 1990. Leicht recently took this popular program to the stage with a tour of “Philly Locals in the Round” at the Kimmel Center and at the upcoming Independence Blue Cross WXPN Singer Songwriter Weekend. Leicht is now working on the development of the XPN Emerging Artist Program that will be introduced in the fall.

Leicht will also get an opportunity to continue to fulfill her longtime passion to the community as XPN expands its outreach programs. Later this summer the station will announce a partnership with a non-profit New York-based organization that is expanding its delivery of music-based healing programs to the Philadelphia area. Leicht will be the spokesperson for the local chapter and will help shape its presence in the greater Philadelphia area music scene.

Leicht will continue as on-air host of the highly popular mid-day on XPN from 10AM to 2PM Monday through Friday including the noontime “Leicht Lunch,” a staple for Philadelphia radio listeners since the late 1970s.

“The move to our new, expanded and publicly accessible studio in October offers WXPN opportunities to extend our reach into the community,” explains Roger LaMay, general manager for WXPN. “Helen has been nurturing the development of new artists in Philadelphia for two decades. We’re delighted to have her as driving force for what we see as two of the station’s cornerstone programs.”

“I’m thrilled,” said Leicht. “I’m proud of the contribution that Philly Local has made to support and showcase local artists and I can’t wait to take that to a new level with both the Emerging Artist and our music-based community outreach programs.”

WXPN-FM is the non-commercial public radio service of the University of Pennsylvania and the premier radio showcase for contemporary music that spans the progressive edges of rock, folk, rhythm and blues, and American roots. WXPN can be heard in the greater Philadelphia/South Jersey area on 88.5 FM. in the Lehigh Valley at 104.9 FM, in Worton/Baltimore at 90.5 FM, and in Harrisburg at 88.1 FM. WXPN is also available worldwide via streaming audio at www.xpn.org. The station produces programming for national syndication. Its signature series World Cafe with David Dye is distributed by Public Radio International and broadcasts daily on more than 160 public radio stations nationwide. WXPN also produces the Peabody-Award winning Kids Corner, hosted by Kathy O'Connell. For more information visit www.xpn.org, www.WorldCafe.org, www.kidscorner.org, or call WXPN at (215) 898-6677.

CONTACT:
Kim Winnick
WXPN-88.5
(215) 573-3339

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