WKSU PRESENTS LIVE WEBCAST FROM THE 40TH KENT STATE FOLK FESTIVAL
THE SPARROW QUARTET WITH BELA FLECK MAKE FIRST U.S APPEARANCE
Tuesday November 14, 2006

For immediate release
Contact: Robert J. Burford
(330) 672-3114
burford@wksu.org

The Kent State Folk Festival celebrates its landmark 40th festival by utilizing new media to offer one of the closing concerts to web surfers worldwide. This Friday, Nov. 17 an extraordinary new ensemble of familiar names - Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet featuring Béla Fleck - takes the stage in the Kent State Ballroom. Good tickets are still available through Ticketmaster, but those who can't make it to the show can still enjoy the concert via an exclusive video and audio webcast on WKSU.ORG.

WKSU is partnering with EDR Media of Beachwood to produce the webcast. The production will utilize four cameras, and will be available through Windows Media or Real Player.

This will be the first U.S appearance for Abigail Washburn's Sparrow Quartet, traveling to Kent following performances in Tibet and China. The Sparrow Quartet unites Fleck's mastery with Washburn’s virtuoso banjo, Ben Sollee's cello and classically trained Casey Driessen's bluegrass fiddle for a sound no folk fan can resist. Fleck, widely regarded as the premier banjo player in the world, is known for his genre-bending virtuosity. Opener Bearfoot, coming all the way from Alaska, will set the tone its youthful bluegrass. Chad Elliott – the winner of Folk Alley's international Open Mic contest, will start the show by performing an original song.

This new venture is a natural progression for WKSU, according to General Manager Al Bartholet. "We were one of the first stations in the country to offer live audio streaming, and with our Folk Alley web site we're setting new standards for service and fundraising," says Bartholet.

Says Marcia Owen, EDR's COO: "We are very excited to be able to showcase EDR's webcasting capabilities in a scenario that combines both entertainment and education. This particular webcast demonstrates the power of the web to deliver targeted programming to a large, widespread audience. Those who view in real time can share in the immediacy of this event. Additional folk music lovers can enjoy the program on-demand, when the time is convenient for them."

About EDR Media
Located in Beachwood, Ohio and Las Vegas, Nevada, EDR Media develops and produces a broad range of digital media, including broadcast television shows, radio and television commercials for advertising agencies, video and interactive programs, streaming media, and digital signage content for out-of-home media networks. Full-service audio and video production and postproduction services are provided on location and on-site at the firm's Beachwood Studios Production Center.

About WKSU
WKSU broadcasts NPR & Classical Music at 89.7 FM, and is a service of Kent State University. WKSU programming is also heard on WKRW 89.3 FM in Wooster, WKRJ 91.5 FM in Dover/New Philadelphia, WKSV 89.1 FM in Thompson, WNRK 90.7 in Norwalk, W298BA 107.5 FM in Boardman, and W239AZ 95.7 FM in Ashland. The WKSU web site is www.wksu.org. WKSU also produces Folk Alley, the worldwide leader in folk music on the Internet, and the Kent State Folk Festival, held each November.

PR06.22           ### 11/14/06
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