Each December, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh sociology professor Gerry Grzyb transforms himself into “Dr. Christmas.” He’ll be taking control of the airwaves of WRST-FM beginning at 1 pm on Tuesday, Dec. 18 to guide listeners through 35 hours of music from his massive collection of holiday recordings.
The show will air on WRST (90.3 FM and www.wrst.org) from 1 pm to 6 pm Dec. 18 to 24. The program will be simulcast over UW Oshkosh’s Titan TV for Oshkosh subscribers to Time Warner Cable on channel 57. To accompany the music from WRST and add to the festivities, Titan TV will run a continuous video of a burning fireplace. In addition, Titan TV will bracket the Dr. Christmas offerings each day with special showings of the 1964 cult holiday film Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, part of the Titan TV library of classic films. Show times each day are 10 am, 11:30 am, 6 pm and 7 pm.
This year’s program will include special segments devoted to the Christmas music of the early 1950s in honor of Grzyb’s mother, who passed away in September. Grzyb credits her for sparking his interest in Christmas music. He also plans to provide selections to honor former UW Oshkosh Chancellor John Kerrigan, who also recently passed away. One other special segment will be a broadcast of this year’s Oshkosh Chamber Singers performance of “A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols” from Trinity Episcopal Church; it will air at 4 pm on Dec. 22.
During last year’s broadcast, online listeners tuned in from throughout the United States and from locations around the world from Egypt to Japan to India to Switzerland. To see playlists from past years and other information about the program, go to www.uwosh.edu/drchristmas
WRST will also offer special holiday music programs as part of local programming from 1 pm-5 pm on Sunday and Monday, Dec. 16 to 17.
The Dr. Christmas broadcasts over WRST receive financial support from Baeten Building and Remodeling, LLC in Oshkosh, Country Squire Gifts in Neenah, Tamara’s/The Cake Guru in Oshkosh and the UW Oshkosh Theatre Department.
WRST Director of Radio Services Randall Davidson contributed this announcement. Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to contribute calendar items, campus announcements and other good news to UW Oshkosh Today.