WUNR Sponsors Youth Radio Program to Bring Asian American Youth Voices to the Air

BOSTON, MA. AUGUST 6, 2009 – Asian Voices of Organized Youth for Community Empowerment (A-VOYCE) [1] youth radio program will begin broadcasting its weekly radio show from a new location at WUNR-1600AM Radio International [2] in Downtown Crossing beginning this fall. WUNR is one of the oldest radio stations in Boston, delivering news, music, information, and entertainment in multiple languages 24 hours a day. The A-VOYCE radio program will be WUNR’s first Asian-themed program.

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The A-VOYCE radio program [4] combines storytelling with Asian and Asian American music. The weekly two hour show focuses on Asian American youth public affairs, and aims to generate support and understanding of Chinatown and the Greater Boston Asian American community. The show is written and produced entirely by A-VOYCE members whose ages range from 13 to 19 years old.

“We are absolutely thrilled that A-VOYCE will be broadcasting its weekly program on WUNR-1600AM. The young adults [5] producing the show will provide great energy and freshness, as well as our station’s tenth language – Chinese. With our studios and offices being a stone’s throw away from Chinatown, it’s a natural fit. And because WUNR has recently quadrupled its power and streams live on the Internet, we expect to reach A-VOYCE’s existing audience as well as new listeners well beyond Boston.” said Matthew Hoffman, President of WUNR’s owner Champion Broadcasting System, Inc.

The move to WUNR will mark a significant milestone in the reach of the A-VOYCE radio program, “I think it’s great, we will get more listeners and reach more people” said Diane Chen, a member of A-VOYCE.

A-VOYCE is the Asian Community Development Corporation’s leadership development program for Asian American youth in the Greater Boston area. It seeks to empower youth by offering outlets where they can use their voices to engage in positive change in the community. WUNR’s support of the A-VOYCE radio program will allow A-VOYCE to continue its mission. “It’s a step forward for the program” added A-VOYCE member Anthony Cheung. “It’s a professional environment, and I think youth will be able to get more from the program.”

WUNR Radio
WUNR 1600 AM [6] began as WVOM in 1948, one of the first Boston radio stations to broadcast 24 hours a day on a regular basis. Upon being sold to Herbert Hoffman in 1955, the station was renamed WBOS AM, later sharing those call letters with a sister station, WBOS FM. WBOS FM was eventually sold in 1984. In addition to some of the first rock-and-roll shows to air in Boston in the mid 1950s, WBOS AM began producing some ethnic programming, which increased through the late 1960s. To reflect the station's growing ethnic programs, Mr. Hoffman changed the call letters in 1969 to WUNR, which stands for "United Nations of Radio"

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