Local Station Receives National Bluegrass Society Recognition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: Rhiannon Ballard
Creative Services Director

WBRF-FM 98.1 “Blue Ridge Country”
(276) 236-9273
fax: (276) 236-7198
rhiannon@blueridgecountry98.com
http://www.blueridgecountry98.com

Local Station Receives National Bluegrass Society Recognition

Kirksville, MO., January 12-- SPBGMA, the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America, released nominees for their 2007 Bluegrass music awards. The awards will be presented at SPBGMA’s 24th National Convention at the Sheraton Music City Hotel in Nashville, TN, February 1st through the 4th. The Society recognizes those who work to keep the heart and spirit of Bluegrass music alive. Among the nominees selected for this year’s awards is WBRF-FM, “Blue Ridge Country 98.1” which is nominated for Bluegrass Radio Station of the Year. In addition, WBRF’s sister station, WPAQ-AM in Mount Airy, NC is also a nominee for this highly coveted award. Nominated for Bluegrass DJ of the year is Blue Ridge Country’s own Jay Allen, host of the “Blue Ridge Backroads” program which airs every weeknight from 6:00 until 10:30.

WBRF is dedicated to promoting Bluegrass and Old Time music, which plays a huge part in the heritage of our region. Along with the nightly program anchored by Allen, aired each week is the “Blue Ridge Backroads: Live from the Rex Theater”. In August WBRF broadcasts live from the Galax Moose Lodge #733’s Annual Old Fiddler’s Convention, the largest and oldest in the world. 98.1 FM is the flagship station for Wake Forest University Athletics and a Nascar affiliate. The radio station, headquartered in Galax, VA, reaches over forty counties in four states by airwaves and accommodates the rest of the globe by way of online streaming from their website, blueridgecountry98.com.

General Manager, Debby Stringer, says “I feel honored that WBRF and WPAQ were both nominated for SPBGMA’s Bluegrass Station of the Year. This is really something special, as we were chosen as two of the top five Bluegrass stations for the entire United States. Not only that, but this is the second year in a row WBRF has been nominated. I am also proud of Jay Allen, also nominated for the second straight year, as Bluegrass DJ for the entire US. Allen has a lot of knowledge and a great love for the music.” A tour bus is tentatively scheduled to travel to the SPBGMA Convention in Nashville. Anyone interested in attending on the tour can call Stringer at 276-236-9273. Further information on SPBGMA and a full list of other nominees and voting can be found at the official website for the organization, SPBGMA.com.

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