2011 American Idol Star, Lauren Alaina, to Officially ?Flip the Switch? and Light the Grounds of Elvis Presley's Graceland

Memphis, TN (PRWEB) October 17, 2011

Elvis Presley?s Graceland in Memphis, Tenn., will officially begin the holiday season by ?flipping the switch? on the traditional lights and decorations on the 13.8 acre mansion property during the annual lighting ceremony on November 18. The extensive Christmas display includes hundreds of blue lights along the driveway, a life-size Nativity scene, Santa and his sleigh, and much more, all originally displayed at Graceland by Elvis and the Presley family.

Highlighting the 2011 lighting ceremony will be Lauren Alaina, finalist from the tenth season of ?American Idol,? who will "flip the switch" to officially light the Graceland property and kick off the holiday festivities.

The event this year will also have a special partnership and sweepstakes with CMT.com and Sirius XM. In addition to experiencing the most magical night of the year at the king?s home in Memphis, one lucky winner and a guest will have a private meet ?n? greet with ?American Idol? finalist and entertainer Lauren Alaina and the opportunity to share the experience with Elvis fans around the world as a guest DJ on Elvis Radio on Sirius XM. The trip also includes the complete Memphis experience with two nights at Elvis Presley?s Heartbreak Hotel, dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe on Beale Street and tickets to all the Memphis attractions, including Graceland, Sun Studio, the Rock ?n? Soul Museum and Stax Museum of American Soul Music. To enter to win, visit CMT.com

http://www.cmt.com/community/sweepstakes/2011/graceland-lauren-alaina/ .

The interiors of Graceland mansion will also be decked in Elvis? Christmas d?cor. Included will be his traditional red velvet drapes as well as Presley family Christmas artifacts on display around several trees throughout the home.

Santa will be available for pictures with the kids following the lighting ceremony on November 18. The public is welcome to attend the free lighting event. Regular paid tours of Graceland will operate the day of the lighting ceremony from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Others from around the world can enjoy the evening live via the ?GracelandCam?? at http://www.elvis.com.

WHAT/WHO:Holiday Lighting Ceremony at Elvis Presley?s Graceland

WHEN:????November 18 at 6:00 p.m. Central Time

WHERE:????Graceland Plaza, Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis

For video b-roll of the event visit:

User IP address: 168.215.127.168

Username: epetv

Password: ElvisLives!

ftp://epetv:ElvisLives!@168.215.127.168

The video will be on high quality QuickTime h.264 files and will be available at 9:00 p.m. CST

For more detailed information please visit http://www.elvis.com or call 901.332.3322

About Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. is based in Memphis, with additional offices in Los Angeles. In addition to Graceland and its related attractions in Memphis, including the Heartbreak Hotel, EPE is aggressively involved in a worldwide licensing program, merchandising, music publishing, and television, film, video and Internet projects. For more information on EPE and Graceland, visit http://www.elvis.com. EPE is a subsidiary of CKX, Inc. (http://www.ckx.com.)

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American Public Media Promotes Yore to General Manager, Marketplace

St. Paul, Minn. (PRWEB) June 06, 2011

American Public Media (APM) today announced the promotion of JJ Yore from VP/Executive Producer to VP/General Manager of Marketplace. The move reflects the success the Marketplace enterprise has enjoyed during the last year and plans for additional growth in the future. In his new role, Yore will be responsible for overseeing and driving that growth including editorial and business operations activity.

The Marketplace portfolio of programs includes: Marketplace Morning Report; Marketplace; Marketplace Money; and the new, Marketplace Tech Report.

?For more than 20 years, JJ?s guidance and leadership has helped our award-winning Marketplace programming grow and evolve to where it is today ? the top of its field,? said Judy McAlpine, American Public Media SVP/GM National Content. ?JJ?s passion to create new editorial ventures while consistently improving established ones is part of what makes him one of the top leaders in this industry.?

During the last year Marketplace has inaugurated new partnerships with The New York Times and the BBC. Marketplace has added new high-profile series, including a regular segment with ?Freakonomics? co-author Stephen Dubner and ?Economy 4.0? reports from David Brancaccio that look at how the national and global economy can better serve more people. Last month, Marketplace launched the Marketplace Tech Report, a four-minute daily technology show available to public radio stations across the country. The report delivers technology news with an entertaining twist, in language anyone can understand.

?With so many journalism companies struggling, it?s exciting to be at the helm of a dynamic portfolio that is prospering, and growing,? said Yore. ?I?m excited about what?s ahead for us.? Yore was part of a small creative team that invented Marketplace in 1988. He has worked as a reporter, editor, and broadcast producer. In his most recent role as Executive Producer, Yore oversaw Marketplace?s on air and online programming. Prior to launching Marketplace, Yore was editor and associate publisher of Current, the primary newspaper for the public broadcasting industry.

?JJ is widely recognized as an energetic and talented leader,? McAlpine added. ?We?re pleased he has agreed to take on this larger leadership role within APM, and we?re confident he?ll position the Marketplace portfolio for even greater success in years to come.?

APM will launch a national search for a new Marketplace Executive Producer immediately.

About Marketplace

Marketplace reports on business, the economy and money as they affect people every day. The portfolio reaches 9.3 million listeners each week on more than 500 public radio stations through its award-winning news shows: Marketplace Morning Report; Marketplace; Marketplace Money; and Marketplace Tech Report. For more information on Marketplace, please visit marketplace.publicradio.org.

About American Public Media

American Public Media is one of the largest producers of public radio programming in the world, with a portfolio reaching 16 million listeners via nearly 800 radio stations nationwide each week. Programs include A Prairie Home Companion, Marketplace, Performance Today, The Splendid Table, On Being, American RadioWorks, The Story and many others. American Public Media's nearly 100,000 member-strong Public Insight Network promotes deep connections between journalists across the country and the communities they serve. American Public Media is the parent organization for Minnesota Public Radio, Southern California Public Radio and Classical South Florida. A complete list of stations, programs and additional services can be found at http://www.americanpublicmedia.org.

Source: Data are copyright Arbitron, Inc. Arbitron data are estimates only. Spring 2010/Fall 2010 average.

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