Classical Music

[GGB]

For those people who can't get WCRB 102.5 anymore one of there old stations is now streaming at classical959.com If anyone here likes classical music.

 

[Oldbones]

For those people who can't get WCRB 102.5 anymore one of there old stations is now streaming at classical959.com If anyone here likes classical music.

Web streams have all the fidelity & dynamic range of a cheap transistor radio tuned to an AM station. Why anyone would want to listen to classical music like this is beyond me. I suppose on 2" computer speakers no one can tell the difference.

 

[pqgeorge]

>>Web streams have all the fidelity & dynamic range of a cheap transistor radio tuned to an AM station. Why anyone would want to listen to classical music like this is beyond me. I suppose on 2" computer speakers no one can tell the difference.<<

It's really not as bad as you think. Ten years ago, yes.... those early RealPlayers (players 2-5) really sounded awful. But at the time, it was somewhat of a novelty being able to listen to a station thousands of miles away. But today, for the most part, the quality has improved immensely. Classical music is available from a myriad of places... such as Seattle's KING-FM and Chicago's WFMT. I have a pair of rather decent Harman-Kardon's with a subwoofer at my office. I was totally amazed of the fidelity on 64K/mp3PRO audio streams. Just for s**ts and giggles, try connecting your computer's soundcard into a line level input of a decent stereo amplifier and speakers. You just might be totally surprised on what a computer can do. Good luck.

 

[argytunes]

The tiny altec lansing speakers on my desk...plus the woofer below..definitely are terrific when it comes to music of any source.

The only problem I notice from time-to-time is an occasional lack of intelligence on the part of the announcer or dj who is getting in (or out) of the music! It's pretty easy to tell the jock(s) who know what it is they're playing...from the ones who are "liner card readers!"

argytunes

 

[FPB]

>one of there old stations is now streaming at classical959.com<
>
What do you mean "one of their old stations"? WCRB moved from 102.5 to 99.5, and they stream live audio.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

>one of there old stations is now streaming at classical959.com<
>
What do you mean "one of their old stations"? WCRB moved from 102.5 to 99.5, and they stream live audio.

He apparently stumbled onto the website of WCRI 95.9 FM Block Island RI, which was sold last year by Charles River Broadcasting (also former owner of WCRB) to a company called The Jusdon Group, which includes the son and grandsons of Charles River Broadcasting founder Ted Jones.

WCRI is still streaming classical music and broadcasting it on-air to southern RI, southeastern CT, and perhaps the eastern tip of Long Island, NY.

 

[ssetta]

How good are WCRI's ratings? Do you think they'll be playing classical for much longer? And also, what was WCRI 95.9's format before classical?

 

[Eli Polonsky]

How good are WCRI's ratings? Do you think they'll be playing classical for much longer? And also, what was WCRI 95.9's format before classical?

It's hard to judge WCRI's ratings competitively because their signal only covers a portion of the rated market. It shows up consistently bouncing around near the bottom of the published 12+ Providence-Warwick-Pawtucket book, but of those three named cities, I'd think only people in Warwick would be listening (over the air). Their signal really only covers southern RI (and the southeastern edge of CT) strongly. It's very weak in Providence, and it's pretty much gone by Pawtucket. You may hear a little of their fringe signal in those areas, but certainly not enough for people to enjoy classical music in clean stereo.

The old WCRB (102.5) always beat WCRI in that RI book because that stronger signal covers more of RI than WCRI does. I hear that much of RI can't get WCRB now at 99.5, so we'll see if that helps out WCRI in more of RI, but if people can't get their signal either, it won't make much difference. I've seen some Providence people lamenting that they have no classical now since WCRB moved, and they can't get WCRI either.

WCRI also shows up around the bottom of the New London CT book occasionally, but with their signal, it's really a matter of whether they're getting sponsors in the area that they cover, like with stations in small, unrated markets. They probably do OK in southern RI towns like Westerly (where their studios are), Kingston, Wakefield-Peacedale, the RI south coast, etc... and I think they hit Newport, ... but the southern RI area itself is not a rated market.

 

[HHH]

Regarding classical music in Rhode Island:

I believe that WGBH-FM blasts into most of R.I. and they play a fair amount of classical music.

Plus, a few lucky R.I. spots may be able to get WFCC from Chatham?