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Anything We Can Do for Classical Music Radio in Boston?

raccoonradio said:
>>There was only
minor bellyaching about the amount of Bill Kling's syndicated
programming being aired on 99.5
Click to expand...

That's funny. Say what you will about Kling, but he's built a real empire up there in Minnesota. There was a time when WGBH could go toe to toe with him, but that time has passed. Maybe it's that Scandivavian work ethic up there. Sure the blood isn't as blue as it is in Boston, but it's pretty thick, and they have a great commitment to the arts and classical music. They may not have the best orchestra in St. Paul, but it's well funded. Rather than bellyache, you'd all do better to learn from the busy Bill Kling about how to make the most with what you have. He has certainly done that in Minnesota.
 
So WGBH is thinking that classical is for the coveted 65-to-death demo? Not sure how many middle aged or younger people are into classical but I did see a lot of white hairs in that pic--but also other types of music have people who have aged, be it rock, blues, or folk (went to a couple folk coffeehouses up in Essex and the people there frequently had white hair--but hey, 'tis been a long time since the 60s...I'm almost 48 and
felt like I was among the youngest there).
Of course many of these people in the audience may have money and WGBH has asked them to leave
bequests to the WGBH Educational Foundation...but it is possible classical would be so much of a niche
format 20 yrs from now because these people have passed on?

I've mentioned the aging thing before, like in discussing what "oldies" (oops, can't even use that word anymore) WODS plays. 50s stuff? Probably not, the thinking being that if you were a teen in the 50s,
you're retired by now...so they now play 60s and 70s 60s, 70s, 80s...or soon just 70s/80s?

We're all getting older.
Going back to the page now to see the comments.
 
...interesting point about how WGBH has apparently gone from being public radio to a business (or at least public radio being run as a business, which sounds about right). Then why are people being asked to donate
to a "business"... It was said people were asked to help fund this new venture but then were disappointed (by 99.5's signal and the music presentation, etc.) Does the area have enough $, esp. in these times,
to support one news-talk public station (two if you count WBUR of course) and one public classical station
(I'm not even bringing up WUMB etc.)
 
raccoonradio said:
Then why are people being asked to donate
to a "business"...
Click to expand...

Because it's a non-commercial "business." They can't run conventional commercials, and depend on the kindness and generosity of listeners. That doesn't mean the station will program to each individual's personal taste or schedule. Radio still is a mass medium, regardless of ownership. But the money has to come from somewhere. They run it hopefully like a business because they don't get a blank check from anyone, including the government.

I really don't get the issue here. There are bigger cities than Boston that have no classical station at all. Philly comes to mind. In Dallas, the classical station is owned by the city. We'll see how long that continues. In New York, WQXR was sold to the NPR station, who did basically the same thing GBH did, which was sell the better frequency for cash and put classical on a smaller signal. Are the people angry? Sure. But what's the alternative?
 
It used to be commercial as WCRB but under WGBH ownership they decided to go to the non-comm
model, etc. The money indeed has to come from somewhere but the people who give money, as in
a public radio type of situation, have to feel rejected when their wishes aren't honored--in which case
they are free to not give any more, of course. It is indeed a business but they seem to portray it as
public.

Listeners like YOU.
Maybe WRKO can ask for donations too :)

I usually do push the idea that 'radio is a business' but people still can have some input on programming
especially when they are putting their own money in to help fund it. (Or by leaving the WGBH Educ.
Foundation money from their wills; if you get your old college magazines you get similar requests to
bequeath your money in your will)

That is true about classical music, etc., but people are surely disappointed by the signal and
programming changes (let alone the folk/blues listeners who also felt abandoned)
 
raccoonradio said:
The money indeed has to come from somewhere but the people who give money, as in
a public radio type of situation, have to feel rejected when their wishes aren't honored--in which case
they are free to not give any more, of course.
Click to expand...

When you don't give, that is a vote for even fewer of your wishes to be honored, which means less classical music. How does that benefit you? The fact is that other stations in Boston haven't rushed in to fill the void left by the old CRB, and in fact, no one has rushed in to fill the void left by the old WBCN. My suggestion is to find a battle worth fighting rather than simply trying to preserve the past.
 
Classical music is not "oldies"; it was old long before anyone alive today was born. Fashions in popular music come and go, but classical music seems to outlive all of them. The average age of classical listeners therefore matters less than the average age of oldies or traditional "beautiful music" listeners; after this generation leaves the scene, generations to come will still enjoy it.

As long as there is radio, there will be a viable audience for classical music on the dial. This is a format that has been done successfully in southern Rhode Island for more than a decade. I am confident that it could be made to work in any number of markets.
 
4CX1000A said:
As long as there is radio, there will be a viable audience for classical music on the dial. I am confident that it could be made to work in any number of markets.
Click to expand...

The current situation would tell you different, as Classical radio disappears from the dial all over America.
 
Back when I started, almost every major market had at least one commercial classical station. New York had two with WNCN and WQXR. DC had WGMS. Philly, Detroit, Miami, SF, and many more have gone away in the last few years.

The bigger story, though, is the number of non-commercial stations that have replaced clasical with news/talk in the last five years. It's not about the age or the "viability" of the audience, but the willingness of that audience to provide financial support for the format. And that's why classical is on the weaker signal in Boston, as is the case in New York, Cleveland, and many other places. And the next stop is off the radio completely.
 
There is definitely an audience.....Symphony Hall operates almost at full capacity for most BSO events, as does The Pops....with that said, Boston could/ should support classical radio.
 
Symphony Hall has 2600 seats. A radio station, even a non-commercial one, can't exist with 2600 listeners.

The BSO has a much larger audience when heard on the radio than in their own building.
 
TheBigA said:
raccoonradio said:
>>There was only
minor bellyaching about the amount of Bill Kling's syndicated
programming being aired on 99.5
Click to expand...

That's funny. Say what you will about Kling, but he's built a real empire up there in Minnesota. There was a time when WGBH could go toe to toe with him, but that time has passed. Maybe it's that Scandivavian work ethic up there. Sure the blood isn't as blue as it is in Boston, but it's pretty thick, and they have a great commitment to the arts and classical music. They may not have the best orchestra in St. Paul, but it's well funded. Rather than bellyache, you'd all do better to learn from the busy Bill Kling about how to make the most with what you have. He has certainly done that in Minnesota.
Click to expand...

Agreed.

They split their news/talk and classical formats into separate stations (networks) almost 20 years ago, and then 5 years ago bought their classical competitor and flipped it's format.

Maybe WGBH should have done all this 20 years ago.
 
thetheo said:
Maybe WGBH should have done all this 20 years ago.
Click to expand...

Then they would have bought a much better signal. The one they got now is part of the issue. The three stations MPR has are all 100K.
 
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