Regional Specials

Bringing history to life was the thread that united three special projects and programs from historic markers to reminiscences of Jewish life in the Delaware Valley.

There are approximately 1,900 distinctive blue-and-gold roadside markers throughout Pennsylvania, commemorating, with brief descriptions, significant people, places and events. WHYY joined a statewide effort to share the remarkable stories behind the Historic Markers with weekly reports on 91FM ranging from the early days of baseball in the city to the legendary life of performer Bessie Smith. The Internet played a key role, too, allowing audiences outside WHYY’s signal area to hear the reports online. In turn, more detailed information was made available through our partners online.

Locally, WHYY’s production of It’s a Mitzvah! Jewish Life in the Delaware Valley a powerful review of 75 years of local Jewish history, offered another successful example of our strategy of using multiple media platforms. The project included a TV special, radio reports, a DVD, Web site and community events.

WHYY made a significant connection to thousands of people with the conclusions of the War Letters project. It began with a TV program, a call to action for area residents to send us copies of their war letters. It was followed with community events, a local FM special and TV spots. This spring, we turned over our invaluable WHYY War Letters Collection to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and Delaware-related letters to the Historical Society of Delaware, two of our nation’s premiere historical societies.

These three projects brought new life to the extraordinary history of our region and made it available to the public for generations to come.

Total views per month to whyy.org rose to 725,000, a 10% increase over last year.

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