Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Congresspeople speak up for classical music in STL


My car CD deck is on the fritz, so I have been listening to the radio lately. I have been surprised by the quality of the programming on Classic 99. Suddenly I have been mourning the reported decision by the Lutheran Synod to sell the station.

So this announcement today from the office of Congressman John Shimkus is heartening.

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Congressman John Shimkus (R, Illinois-19) spoke out against the sale of KFUO-FM on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives this evening. Congressman William “Lacy” Clay, Jr. (D, Missouri-1) also spoke on the floor against the proposed sale.

“As a member of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, this is not a position that I take lightly, but I truly believe that the sale of our area’s lone classical music station does the church and the community wrong,” Shimkus said.

“My wife is a classical musician, and as residents of the St. Louis metropolitan area, we take advantage of the fine arts that KFUO-FM supports. That cooperative link will hurt many regional institutions.”

Shimkus joined many prominent Missouri Synod Lutherans in signing a petition in mid-2009 to the Synod’s Board of Directors opposing the sale.

“After being contacted by many constituents and fellow Lutherans, I thought a public statement was appropriate at this time,” he noted.

Shimkus’ comments may be heard online at www.youtube.com/repshimkus.

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