Country music star Faith Hill collaborated with the Air Force Recruiting Service for the 2008 "Red, White and Air Force Blue Christmas" radio special produced to assist country music radio station program directors. The one-hour radio special features an in-depth interview with Mrs. Hill as well as a selection of holiday favorites from her newly released "Joy to the World." (Photo courtesy of Warner Brothers Records)
081209-F-0000Z-002: Country music star Faith Hill collaborated with the Air Force Recruiting Service for the 2008 "Red, White and Air Force Blue Christmas" radio special produced to assist country music radio station program directors. The one-hour radio special features an in-depth interview with Mrs. Hill as well as a selection of holiday favorites from her newly released "Joy to the World." (Photo courtesy of Warner Brothers Records)
The 2008 "Red, White and Air Force Blue Christmas" radio special is a collaboration between country music star Faith Hill and Air Force Recruiting Service produced to assist country music radio station program directors. The one-hour radio special features an in-depth interview with Mrs. Hill as well as a selection of holiday favorites from her newly released "Joy to the World." (U.S. Air Force illustration/Ronn Linn)
by Daniel P. Elkins
Headquarters Air Force Recruiting Service
12/9/2008 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) -- The 2008 "Red, White and Air Force Blue Christmas" radio special featuring country music's multi-award winning artist Faith Hill is arriving this week at more than 3,300 country music radio stations across the nation.
In its 14th year, the radio special includes a selection of holiday classics from Mrs. Hill. Produced and marketed by the Air Force Recruiting Service's Strategic Communications Division, the one-hour show also features an in-depth interview with the artist who reminds servicemembers serving away from home that they are not forgotten.
"To all of the men and women serving our country abroad, there is not a day that goes by that you are not in our prayers and our thoughts," she said. "Especially this time of year when you're away from your family, it's important that you know everyone here ... is proud of you and thinking about your families here."
Tech. Sgt. Ken Raimondi, a broadcast producer here, conducted the interview and co-produced the show with Spotland Productions in Nashville. He said the radio special includes a candid conversation about how she and her family celebrates the Christmas holiday.
"Christmas is my favorite time of year. It is a true labor of love for songs that are so close to my heart," Mrs. Hill said of her new release. "Most importantly, it's the true meaning and reminder of why there is a Christmas, and to me the spirituality of this record was most important."
This year's "Red, White and Air Force Blue Christmas" radio show features the holiday singles "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," "Away in a Manger," "Winter Wonderland," and "O Holy Night." It also includes the single "A Baby Changes Everything" from her newest recording, "Joy to the World."
The program is sent to radio station program directors to assist them in incorporating it into their holiday playlists, said Jimmy Spacek, the AFRS broadcasting manager. He said the public service program aims to raise awareness of the Air Force and military service through messages of support and encouragement from various country music stars. The program is also broadcast worldwide over American Forces Radio and Television affiliates on Christmas day.
The "Red, White and Air Force Blue Christmas" traces its roots to the 1970s when the Air Force first produced "Country Music Time," a weekly radio show featuring established and up-and-coming country stars. In the early 1990s, the program was revamped to its present production.
