The Phoenix (who soon will turn over to keys to WFNX to Clear Channel) writes about the changes at WGBH.
(For the record, a page at the WFNX site about their own situation led some to wonder if the FCC could
step in. I pointed out Mindich sold the station to Clr Chnl under his own free will, getting him 14.5 million reasons to be happy all bearing George Washington's picture. Sad about the loss of FNX? Yes. But it's all
a business. A comment to the article below also mentions about it being a business.
http://thephoenix.com/Boston/music/141158-jazz-death-at-gbh/
It mentions that some other stations in the area do play some jazz and points out that their own FNX
dropped their jazz show in '09-- "(of course, the "terrestrial" 'FNX will soon be gone lock, stock, and barrel, but that's another story)." The article mentions the importance of Jackson's show and the response by local jazz fans to GBH's decision. Fybush quote in article: "" 'GBH would never have hired someone like Phil if they didn't want to run the station like a business."
It's said news/talk fans tend to be younger and donate more money.
fmdj's comment includes: "As general manager of a struggling jazz station in a major market, I can say you can't keep running a format just because people like it, no matter how many people like it or how good it is for the community. Public radio relies on public support and generally programming only gets the plug pulled on it when there is not enough support to sustain it....Sorry to be blunt, but you do have to run the station like a business in some ways if you want to keep it on the air."
(For the record, a page at the WFNX site about their own situation led some to wonder if the FCC could
step in. I pointed out Mindich sold the station to Clr Chnl under his own free will, getting him 14.5 million reasons to be happy all bearing George Washington's picture. Sad about the loss of FNX? Yes. But it's all
a business. A comment to the article below also mentions about it being a business.
http://thephoenix.com/Boston/music/141158-jazz-death-at-gbh/
It mentions that some other stations in the area do play some jazz and points out that their own FNX
dropped their jazz show in '09-- "(of course, the "terrestrial" 'FNX will soon be gone lock, stock, and barrel, but that's another story)." The article mentions the importance of Jackson's show and the response by local jazz fans to GBH's decision. Fybush quote in article: "" 'GBH would never have hired someone like Phil if they didn't want to run the station like a business."
It's said news/talk fans tend to be younger and donate more money.
fmdj's comment includes: "As general manager of a struggling jazz station in a major market, I can say you can't keep running a format just because people like it, no matter how many people like it or how good it is for the community. Public radio relies on public support and generally programming only gets the plug pulled on it when there is not enough support to sustain it....Sorry to be blunt, but you do have to run the station like a business in some ways if you want to keep it on the air."