SiriusXM To Air The Philadelphia Orchestra

The Philadelphia Orchestra is returning to national radio after a long absence – but this time on satellite rather than traditional radio, according to philly.com.

Starting with a broadcast Monday night and continuing three times a week for at least the next year, concerts recorded in Verizon Hall will be carried on SiriusXM radio, a paid service with a monthly fee, to listeners across the U.S. and Canada.

Twenty-six programs will be repeated throughout the year-long term of the contract, after which the orchestra hopes the deal would be renewed.

Several American orchestras have been able to retain national broadcasts through an era of shifting demographics and stations flipping formats away from classical, but Philadelphia lost sponsorship of its nationally syndicated series in 1990 and has had only a sporadic national radio presence since.

“It’s exciting to be back on the national stage,” said Ryan Fleur, executive vice president for orchestra advancement.

Philadelphia will be the only American orchestra to be heard in regularly scheduled original programming on SiriusXM, a company spokesman said. The orchestra’s local broadcasts on WRTI-FM (90.1), Temple University’s station, will continue.

The deal was brought to the orchestra by one of its donors: David G. Marshall, chairman and CEO of Philadelphia-based Amerimar Realty Co., who sits on the board of the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation with SiriusXM president and chief content officer Scott Greenstein.

Marshall is underwriting the costs of these broadcasts and arranged to have them promoted on SiriusXM’s talk and news stations, along with a line saying they are being sponsored by a board member and the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, which will boost the visibility of both the charity and the orchestra.