WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO RELEASES ORIGINAL NPR THEME MUSIC • WNCW & IOWA’S “STUDIO ONE” LEAD TRIPLE A TRENDS

An early photo of Don Voegeli (Courtesy of WPR)

As Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) celebrates its 100th anniversary, Mike Crane, Director of WPR, has notified colleagues that WPR has released via PRX the original NPR and WPR music package. 

The music was composed by Don Voegeli, who was Music Director at WHA radio for many years. Voegeli composed theme music for All Things Considered in 1971. It is still the theme music for ATC today.

In addition to composing music for public broadcasting, Voegeli composed many radio and TV advertising sound tracks. His clients included Plymouth, Continental Airlines, 7-UP, Chung King and Schlitz Beer.

Voegeli also composed and arranged recordings with Don Ameche, the King Singers, Ethel Merman, Johnny Desmond, Eddie Arnold and Rosemary Clooney, all big names back in the day.

In 1968 Voegeli founded the Electrosonic Studio, with the partial support of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). At Electrosonic, he composed many soundtracks, themes and promotional tunes for public broadcasters. Many of these tracks are now available courtesy of WPR and PRX.

Voegeli was a pioneer in the use of the synthssizer for composing and recording. He was a contemporary, and competitor, of inventor Robert Moog. He composed and performed music for a successful series of “mood” albums including Four Notes in Search of a Tune, a compendium of his work for PBS and NPR.

Don Voegeli died in November 2009. He inspired countless composers and performers including his sons Jim Voegeli, an audio engineer, and Tom Voegeli, a public broadcast producer best known for his work with Studs Terkel at WFMT in Chicago.

You can hear Voegeli’s work, courtesy of WPR, at PRX [link].

Mike Crane said in his announcement of the availability of Voegeli’s music, that Voegeli enjoyed writing for public broadcasting more than any other work he did:

Production music is typically expensive, so Don, with support from CPB, composed hundreds of tunes that were distributed to public media for use without charge. We're pleased to offer a selection of Don's production music, beautifully re-mastered by his son Jim Voegeli, for download and use in non-commercial radio, tv and podcast productions.

WNCW & THE COLORADO SOUND LEAD FULL-TIME TRIPLE A MUSIC RATINGS

Nielsen Audio has now finished their release of the Spring 2017 ratings for over 900 stations in markets using Diary methodology. As in past “sweeps” mighty WNCW, broadcasting from a mountain top in western North Carolina, leads the pack.

The Colorado Sound – KJAC from Greeley, Colorado – had the biggest increase in estimated weekly listeners when comparing Spring 2017 results with Spring 2016. Their weekly listeners in the Fort Collins-Greeley metro were up 25% over the past year.

Iowa Public Radio’s Studio One channel that combines Triple A music with the major NPR News magazines, led dual format stations with an estimated 175,700 estimated weekly listeners.