U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for December 29

U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for December 29

WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090226/CENSUSLOGO)

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29: BROADCASTING THE MET

Profile America -- Tuesday, December 29th. This week in 1931, NBC broadcast the entire opera Hansel and Gretel on the radio from the Metropolitan Opera in New York -- the first time this had been done. The broadcast started a series of Saturday afternoon matinees that is still going on today. For 63 years, the series was sponsored by Texaco -- the longest continuous sponsorship in radio history. Today, the broadcasts from the Met continue introducing opera to new fans far from New York -- as the programs are heard in 42 countries around the world. The Metropolitan is one of 110 opera companies around the U.S., that stages more than 2,000 performances a year. These draw an audience of more than 5 million annually. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at www.census.gov.

Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2009, p. 602
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2009, t. 1194

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov/ (look under the "Newsroom" button).

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Source: U.S. Census Bureau

CONTACT: Rick Reed of the U.S. Census Bureau, +1-301-763-2812, fax:
+1-301-763-3762, Richard.Thomas.Reed-at-census.gov

Web Site: http://www.census.gov/

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