Communities

Chaz and AJ, the co-hosts of Connecticut’s most popular morning show “Chaz and AJ in the Morning,” heard on 99.1 WPLR FM AND 95.9 WFOX FM, teamed up with Premier Subaru of Branford and Make-A-Wish Connecticut to help grant a child’s wish.

Six-year-old Camryn from Guilford bravely battles leukemia. Her one wish was to have a playhouse in her backyard – somewhere for her and her sister to play.

On Thursday, April 4th, Chaz and AJ began accepting donations at wplr.com and 959thefox.com to help raise the $10,000 needed to make Camyrn’s wish come true. To help generate excitement and donations, AJ agreed, if the total amount was raised, that he would travel across Camryn’s hometown of Guilford and perform karaoke to her favorite singer Taylor Swift.  

Thanks to the incredible support and generosity of Chaz and AJ listeners, the $10,000 was raised in record time and Friday, April 5^th, AJ made good on his promise and performed a series of mini-concerts throughout Guilford starting at Premier Subaru which he dubbed “The AJ Errors Tour.” He was joined by Make-A-Wish and Camryn herself along with her family, who helped back-up AJ with singing and dancing to Taylor Swift favorites including “Shake It Off,” “I Knew You Were Trouble,” and “You Belong with Me.”

“I was very honored to be a small part of helping Camyrn’s wish come true. To the town of Guilford, I’m sorry for any shattered ear drums,” said AJ. 

Camryn’s mother Courtney said, “Our family has been so touched by the kindness and generosity of Chaz and AJ and all their listeners. The girls had an incredible time on the “Errors Tour,” so surrounded by love and support, and of course Taylor hits! Thank you so much from all of us!”

“Chaz and AJ’s commitment to giving back and the support of their community is amazing,” said Pam Keough, President and CEO of Make-A-Wish Connecticut. “We are grateful to them and their listeners for their passion for our mission and their generosity to help make life-changing wishes come true.”

A special thanks to Premier Subaru of Branford for sponsoring this incredible event, as well as the town of Guilford and local businesses for hosting AJ’s Error Tour.

Make-A-Wish Connecticut has teamed up with Chaz and AJ, the co-hosts of Connecticut’s most popular morning show “Chaz and AJ in the Morning,” heard on 99.1 WPLR FM and 95.9 WFOX FM to help grant a child’s wish.

Six-year-old Camryn from Guilford bravely battles leukemia. Her one true wish was to have a playhouse in her backyard – “a place for her and her sister to play and hangout without their parents.”

“I’m proud to be part of something that will put a smile on Camryn’s face while shining a light on the great work that Make-A-Wish Connecticut does every day, while also making AJ suffer at the same time,” said Chaz.

“I’m thrilled to once again be a part of making a child’s wish come true by working with the Make-A-Wish organization,” added AJ.

Starting on Thursday, April 4^th, Chaz and AJ will begin accepting donations at wplr.com and 959thefox.com. The show hopes to raise $10,000 to pay for Camryn’s playhouse. On Friday, April 5^th, to help generate excitement and donations, AJ will be traveling across Guilford throughout the day dressed as Taylor Swift, Camryn’s favorite singer, for ‘The Errors Tour.” AJ will visit local businesses and entertain the community, singing Taylor Swift karaoke.

“Chaz and AJ’s commitment to giving back and the support of their community is amazing,” said Pam Keough, President and CEO of Make-A-Wish Connecticut. “We are grateful to them and their listeners for their passion for our mission and their generosity to help make life-changing wishes come true.”

“The Errors Tour” on Friday begins at 9 a.m. at Premiere Subaru in Branford.

The future of AM radio was the talk of the 2023 NAB show. WHLI-AM staff discussed the importance of the AM band, and how it serves the Long Island market. The following is an excerpt from Radio Ink, which covered the panel.

The first panel delved into winning content strategies for AM radio, featuring insights from Perry Publishing and Broadcasting GM Kevin Perry as well as WHLI-AM Program Director/Brand Manager Jon Daniels, and Production/Creative Services Director Sean Lynch. The panelists discussed the unique challenges and opportunities that AM radio presents, especially in a landscape where FM often takes the spotlight.

Daniels posed the question of whether strategies effective for FM radio could also work for AM, noting that AM stations are often overshadowed by their FM counterparts. Lynch recounted how WHLI-AM was crucial during emergencies like Hurricane Sandy, providing real-time updates on flooded roads and blackouts. Daniels echoed this sentiment, stating that radio stations serve as a lifeline during crises, offering both real-time information and a sense of calm.

Perry discussed the importance of AM radio to under-served communities, such as immigrants who prefer AM for its content and music available in their native languages.

Lynch stressed the importance of modernizing the sound and imaging of AM stations to make them seem as cutting-edge as their FM counterparts. Daniels added that reducing the frequency of ads could significantly improve listener experience, using the example of a station that went from eight stopsets an hour to just two.

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Read the entire article at Radio Ink.

Connoisseur Media Long Island donated its studio offices to the Companions in Courage Foundation for the fourth year in a row to host the annual “Santa Connection”. The Santa Connection serves pediatric patients across their “Courage Network” with a one-on-one live video chat with Santa. Many of these children are isolated in the hospital and cannot visit Santa at the mall. Patients are joined by family members and their caretakers for a few moments of “normal” holiday cheer. The Child Life Specialists at the hospitals prime Santa with details about each patient, so each visit is incredibly personalized.

The Santa Connection broadcasted from the Connoisseur Media Long Island studio offices on December 7th and 8th, 2022. Years ago, when the pandemic shut down the Santa

Connection studios in New York City, Connoisseur Media Long Island offered space in the Farmingdale studio offices to connect Santa “from the North Pole” via video chats with patients across the “Courage Network.” It’s been an annual tradition ever since.
The Companions in Courage Foundation was originally founded by NHL Hall of Famer, Pat LaFontaine in 1997. They are recognized as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and eligible to receive donations. In just the last five years, their efforts have provided interactive playrooms, called “Lion’s Dens”, in hospitals throughout North America. Through innovative communications tools, these playrooms replace the isolation of a hospital with a connection to family, friends and celebrities during each hospital stay. By virtue of their location (primarily in major metropolitan areas), children’s hospitals tend to be safety nets to the most vulnerable in our society. On average, these facilities devote almost half of their care to children of low-income families. Their “Lion’s Den” rooms were designed by Edwin Schlossberg and his renowned ESI Design team in New York City.

“I’ve always said that it’s important to score your goals early in life, because later on, it’s all about the assists! Our partnership with the kind team at Connoisseur Media has brought smiles and good cheer to pediatric patients for almost two decades. That’s the kind of teamwork that means the most to me and to Long Island!”

Pat LaFontaine

“We first connected with Companions in Courage about 17 years ago with event marketing and promotional support,” said David Bevins, Connoisseur Media COO and Long Island Market Manager. “The Santa Connection is truly an inspiring program and their team is welcome to host it from our studio offices annually.”

Connoisseur Media Long Island is a proud long-term partner of the Companions in Courage Foundation. Their mission is simple: no child in the fight for life or health should ever have to go through it alone. The Companions in Courage Foundation provides courage, friendship, compassion and support to those children and families who are overcoming illness and life-threatening obstacles.