Unity Day Cancellation a Bad Sign for WDAS Philadelphia?
Philadelphia Daily News Gossip Columnist Dan Gross interviewed a couple of staffers that said the recent cancellation of the 30 year annual Unity Day event signals a bad sign for the heritage station 105.3 FM WDAS. I guess they feel Clear Channel would get rid of WDAS.A WDAS veteran employee stated that "To get rid of Unity Day was stupid. How are you going to replace that revenue."
Station spokesperson Loraine Ballard Morrill said, "WDAS is one of the top stations in the market and we're exactly where we want to be. I can tell you with a high degree of certainty that there are no plans to make any changes to the station. The decision not to hold Unity Day this year was simply a reflection of these very challenging economic times."
Even with the new electronic rating system known as PPM; WDAS FM has remained a consistent top 5 rated station in the Philadelphia market. In the old handwritten diary rating system, 'DAS battled it out for #1 with the local all news radio station KYW and the easy listening/soft rock station B101. So any
speculation at this time seems absurd.
Unity Day 2009 for Philadelphia is Back after Clear Channel Cancelled Largest Outdoor Festival
ReplyDeleteJuly 16, 2009
"Unity Day" is Back !!! And has been saved by a group of concerned citizens that could not let a 30 year Philadelphia tradition perish, after Clear Channel'S Radio Station: WDAS 105.3 FM, announced cancelling the annual event on June 3, 2009.
"Unity Day on the Parkway, Incoporated" is now the Official Host for "Unity Day" which is back on schedule for Sunday, August 23rd, 2009.
"Unity Day" is the Largest Outdoor Annual Event in the Nation, drawing average crowds of 300,000 to one-million in recent years.
This year's Theme is: 10,000 jobs for Philadelphia. The Organization will have a Surprise Announcement the Day of the Event, that will have a Great Impact on the City of Philadelphia within the coming year.
"Unity Day" is being supported in part by an Online Promotional campaign that will donate $6.00 for every application for a new checking account at www.FreecheckingToday.org
"Unity Day" can be given a New Life by a small effort from the Philadelphia community.
And as usual, "Unity Day" will be a Fun Filled Day for All the Family to Enjoy!
The events of Unity Day celebration in Philadelphia are generally held in the Ben Franklin Parkway, but for the past couple of years, had been held at Penn's Landing. This event aims in promoting family solidarity and peace among people from all walks of life.
Unity Day events and activities focus on family values, which seemed to decline with the various influences on the American culture. The events of Unity Day entertain people of all ages.
Unity Day has enjoyed ample sponsorship and is celebrated every year with pomp and show. The event has been patronized in the past, by Philadelphia's WDAS radio station, Chrysler, Southwest Airlines, Pennsylvania Lottery, Western Union, VH1 Soul and 20 other companies of Philadelphia. A Variety of stalls are set up selling food.
Other major attractions of Unity Day include art exhibitions, literary workshops, vendors, children's activities, softball games and live music performances.
This event has gotten bigger and better with every passing year, recording more than a million people as both visitors and participants, at the event location.
This landmark Philadelphia event starts from 10am to 8pm. Celebrating family values, pride and empowerment; and is considered as one of the noblest themes ever carried out in Philadelphia.
The Ben Franklin Parkway gets saturated with visitors coming to venture the stalls offering delicious food, crafts vendors, art exhibitions and displays, educational and informative workshops, video and other indoor games, entertaining activities for the children and great performances by well known artists.
The event has been the Largest Radio Sponsored event in the Nation. Unity Day features live on-stage entertainment performances, pavilions and a separate children’s area. Popular forms of music ranging from Classic R&B to Gospel, Jazz and other music compositions can be heard in the live performances of Unity Day. The day concludes at the main stage, with the national recording artists as performers.
Celebrities and radio dignitaries, including Steve Harvey, Tony Brown, Jerry Wells, Bernard Hopkins, Jackie Reed and many other popular performers have graced the stages of Unity Day. Performances at Unity Day are stages at an array of temporary venues like main stage, R & B Stage, Gospel Stage, Multicultural Stage and Kid's Zone Area.
The Unity Day event in Philadelphia, is one of the most visited events of the city, sprawling with people from all over the world, enjoying a great time with friends and family.
More information can be found at www.UnityDayonTheParkway.org
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