Published: August 28, 2008 10:48 pm            

WQED-FM crew returning for FolkFest broadcast

If Beethoven were still alive, do you think he’d enjoy halushki and pierogies?

We’ll never know, but if you’re a fan of classical music stop by the Train Station Saturday during the Johnstown FolkFest to catch a live radio broadcast from Pittsburgh-based WQED-FM, which reaches the Johnstown area via a repeater station at 89.7.

The station’s Jim Sweenie will host from noon to 5 p.m., playing classical favorites from local artists and sampling tunes from FolkFest performers. Sweenie also will talk on-air with members from various area arts organizations.

“This is our 10th year coming to Johnstown for the FolkFest, and we come to thank the people who listen to our station and meet some new people as well,” said Jim Cunningham, WQED morning show host and senior executive producer for the station. “Johnstown is a great arts town, and we get a lot of support from the area.”

Guests to Sweenie’s show will include Ron Carnevali, festival chairman; Samuel Louis Coco, director of the Johnstown Symphony Chorus; Rosemary Pawlowski, executive director of the Bottle Works Ethnic Arts Center; Jason Ringenberg, frontman for Jason & the Scorchers; Tina Lehman, Johnstown coordinator for the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art; Michael Bodolosky, executive director of the Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center; and Thomas Trigona, mayor of Johnstown.

“We have a riot when we come and just love it,” Cunningham said. “We enjoy spreading the word about what is happening in Johnstown, and we’d come here every day if we could.”

WQED also will have a booth in Festival Park where people can stop by for giveaways.

        

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