SHAMOKIN - More than 50 years after it first began, "Letters to Santa" lives yet again for Christmas 2013.
Retired radio personality Tom Kutza continues his special arrangement with Santa Claus to produce the lower anthracite region tradition, which was born on WISL Radio in 1961 and continues today at www.newsitem.com.
Letters to Santa went silent along with WISL in the late 1990s, but was revived by The News-Item in 2003.
"To me, it will always be a Christmas miracle," Kutza said about the newspaper's use of the Internet to bring back Letters to Santa. "I get comments and emails from kids of all ages telling me how much they love hearing the shows."
The first of 23 daily shows, which Kutza produces from his home in Elysburg, airs today. Santa reads letters submitted by children mixed with Christmas music and sentiments. Weekend shows feature music and other special programming.
A list of which children's letters are being read that day is published as part of a Christmas countdown graphic on the front page of the newspaper.
Kutza's radio career has also been revived through the creation a few years ago of WISL1480.com, which airs music from the 1950s, '60s and early '70s. Kutza credits the efforts and expertise of brothers Frank, James and John Treese in creating the Internet radio website, for which he produces a weekly polka show that airs from noon to 2 p.m. Sundays. The Treeses are also helping produce Letters to Santa.
Meanwhile, Santa spends the off-season preparing for his show by studying the latest technologies and toys that several hundred kids ask for through their letters each year.
"Santa is ready, and he can't wait to hear from the children," Kutza said.
Daily shows continue through Dec. 24. Letters must be emailed by Dec. 13 to santa@newsitem.com.