“THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC THIS WEEK” NATIONAL RADIO SERIES TO BE HOSTED BY ALEC BALDWIN

Screen and stage actor Alec Baldwin, who received the 2008 Golden Globe and Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his starring role in the television series “30 Rock,” will host “The New York Philharmonic This Week,” the Philharmonic’s national radio broadcast, beginning in the 2009-2010 season. The multi-award-winning actor made his New York Philharmonic debut narrating the New York Philharmonic’s “Inside the Music” program on October 10, 2008, and is scheduled to narrate “Inside the Music” on January 23, 2009.

“I’m very, very excited to be here because I am a huge fan of classical music, and an audiophile devoted to classical music.  I have a newfound relationship with the Philharmonic and I am very grateful to be here at the inception of Alan Gilbert’s tenure here,” said Alec Baldwin.  “I am very excited.  It’s going to be great.”

"That a star of Alec's stature is coming to classical music radio is terrific news for the entire industry but Alec brings considerably more than mere star power to these broadcasts because he's a passionate lover of classical music and his genuine enthusiasm for the music will come through on each weekly broadcast.  This is exciting news," said Steve Robinson, Executive Vice President and General Manager of WFMT and the WFMT Radio Network

The two-hour “The New York Philharmonic This Week” broadcasts, heard 52 weeks a year, are produced and syndicated to more than 295 outlets nationwide by the WFMT Radio Network and represent virtually the entire orchestral season. The program is heard locally in the Central New York area on WCNY-FM (WCNY-FM, 91.3 in Syracuse; WJNY-FM, 90.9 in Watertown; WUNY-FM, 89.5 in Utica) on Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. The New York Philharmonic has had a nearly unbroken radio presence since 1922.