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Do Others Forget That WHRB (95.3) Exists?

Y

Youngblood

Guest
I'm just curious if other readers of this Boston board tend to forget about this station. Is it not licensed as a commercial station? Does it run spots?
I don't think I've listened to it for more than an hour or so in my lifetime.
I just saw it mentioned in a Boston Globe article a week or so ago and it may me think to myself, "oh yeah, there is a station on 95.3".
 
On the contrary. WHRB has been mentioned many times on these pages. I myself am a subscriber to the WHRB Program Guide (have been since 1971). Yes, WHRB IS a commercial station, but commercials are (and always have been) secondary to 'HRB. The station is (and always has been) a sort of showcase for Harvard University. It is a unique sounding station. It's somewhat of a little piece of Cambridge that happens to cover beyond the City's borders. Yes, 'HRB does sell commercial spots. But, like I'm saying..... it is a "college type" station that happens to hold a commercial license and, once in a while, runs commercials.



> I'm just curious if other readers of this Boston board tend
> to forget about this station. Is it not licensed as a
> commercial station? Does it run spots?
> I don't think I've listened to it for more than an hour or
> so in my lifetime.
> I just saw it mentioned in a Boston Globe article a week or
> so ago and it may me think to myself, "oh yeah, there is a
> station on 95.3".
> <P ID="signature">______________
Peter Q. George (K1XRB)
Whitman, Massachusetts</P>
 
There are very few commercials. They're mainly for local Cambridge and occasionally Boston area businesses. I've never heard a national ad on WHRB.

The most commercials WHRB runs is when they air Harvard sports games.

I was a guest DJ/host there for a week back in 1992 during one of their "orgy" specials. (The "orgies" are a periods of a few weeks twice a year at the end of the school terms when they air lengthy special programs featuring a particular artist, music group, composer, theme, or style of music). There were a few local commercials during those shows.


> On the contrary. WHRB has been mentioned many times on
> these pages. I myself am a subscriber to the WHRB Program
> Guide (have been since 1971). Yes, WHRB IS a commercial
> station, but commercials are (and always have been)
> secondary to 'HRB. The station is (and always has been) a
> sort of showcase for Harvard University. It is a unique
> sounding station. It's somewhat of a little piece of
> Cambridge that happens to cover beyond the City's borders.
> Yes, 'HRB does sell commercial spots. But, like I'm
> saying..... it is a "college type" station that happens to
> hold a commercial license and, once in a while, runs
> commercials.
>
>
>
> > I'm just curious if other readers of this Boston board
> tend
> > to forget about this station. Is it not licensed as a
> > commercial station? Does it run spots?
> > I don't think I've listened to it for more than an hour or
>
> > so in my lifetime.
> > I just saw it mentioned in a Boston Globe article a week
> or
> > so ago and it may me think to myself, "oh yeah, there is a
>
> > station on 95.3".
> >
>
 
> I'm just curious if other readers of this Boston board tend
> to forget about this station. Is it not licensed as a
> commercial station? Does it run spots?
> I don't think I've listened to it for more than an hour or
> so in my lifetime.
> I just saw it mentioned in a Boston Globe article a week or
> so ago and it may me think to myself, "oh yeah, there is a
> station on 95.3".
>
As I remember other than adding Metropolitan Opera shows on Saturday when WCRB dropped them,They have held their programming steady since they killed off The Complete Dancing Master and all the other 12PM-3PM shows They used to run.
There really has been no reason to talk about WHRB otherwise.
What They do They do well even if I don't like all of it and kind of think they get a little carried away with sports coverage.
Last week I did hear an advert on WHRB seeking people to come advertise with them,thought that was amusing,but as pointed out below it is mostly a local merchant type thing on a limited basis.
 
WHRB is a very difficult station to get music to if you are an indy artist.
You are better off listening to a specific dj, hearing if they are into your
genre of music, and sending material to them. This hurts WHRB which, in the mid 1970s had Debbie Frost (now married to a dude from Blue Oyster Cult), writer for New York Rocker, who did an amazing job, and was most likely on the air with punk before Oedipus (though he claims the title of being the first
punk d.j. in America...ok, whatever...)

WHRB rocked when Debbie Frost was doing the local music. Now they seem to be a cross between WCRB and WBUR - which isn't a bad thing - but doesn't lend itself to generating much attention from the college students (in my opinion). Just a thought as to why you think they've been "forgotten", they just don't seem to care about what most college radio stations focus on.


> There are very few commercials. They're mainly for local
> Cambridge and occasionally Boston area businesses. I've
> never heard a national ad on WHRB.
>
> The most commercials WHRB runs is when they air Harvard
> sports games.
>
> I was a guest DJ/host there for a week back in 1992 during
> one of their "orgy" specials. (The "orgies" are a periods of
> a few weeks twice a year at the end of the school terms when
> they air lengthy special programs featuring a particular
> artist, music group, composer, theme, or style of music).
> There were a few local commercials during those shows.
>
>
> > On the contrary. WHRB has been mentioned many times on
> > these pages. I myself am a subscriber to the WHRB Program
> > Guide (have been since 1971). Yes, WHRB IS a commercial
> > station, but commercials are (and always have been)
> > secondary to 'HRB. The station is (and always has been) a
>
> > sort of showcase for Harvard University. It is a unique
> > sounding station. It's somewhat of a little piece of
> > Cambridge that happens to cover beyond the City's borders.
>
> > Yes, 'HRB does sell commercial spots. But, like I'm
> > saying..... it is a "college type" station that happens to
>
> > hold a commercial license and, once in a while, runs
> > commercials.
> >
> >
> >
> > > I'm just curious if other readers of this Boston board
> > tend
> > > to forget about this station. Is it not licensed as a
> > > commercial station? Does it run spots?
> > > I don't think I've listened to it for more than an hour
> or
> >
> > > so in my lifetime.
> > > I just saw it mentioned in a Boston Globe article a week
>
> > or
> > > so ago and it may me think to myself, "oh yeah, there is
> a
> >
> > > station on 95.3".
> > >
> >
>
 
At present, WHRB-95.3's weekday program schedule, except during "Orgy" periods, is divided-up three ways:

* Jazz from 5 A.M. to 1 P.M.

* Classical music from 1 to 10 P.M., and,

* Rock from 10 P.M. to 5 A.M.

Given that once WCRB-102.5 is sold, the station will probably drop classical music, and given that WHRB already broadcasts a nine-hour weekday classical block (plus additional hours, including the Metropolitan Opera, on weekends), I wonder if WHRB might go 24/7 classical should WCRB dump the format.

I personally think that next year at this time, apart from Orgies and Harvard sports, WHRB's "main channel" will be 24/7 classical, with jazz and rock having been moved over to an HD-2 channel, with each genre being on the air for twelve hours daily on HD-2 (and the station's website).
 
> WHRB is a very difficult station to get music to if you are an indy artist.
> You are better off listening to a specific dj, hearing if they
> are into your genre of music, and sending material to them.

WHRB is still in their special "orgy" programming period through the end of January, but normally WHRB plays current indie, alternative rock and avant-garde on <u>"The Record Hospital"</u> every weeknight overnight from 10 PM - 5 AM. It will resume for their regular season starting in February next mid-week. You can contact the show through their website.

> Now they seem to be a cross between WCRB and WBUR - which
> isn't a bad thing - but doesn't lend itself to generating
> much attention from the college students (in my opinion).
> Just a thought as to why you think they've been "forgotten",
> they just don't seem to care about what most college radio
> stations focus on.

Though it's not always my cup of tea personally, <u>"The Record Hospital"</u> seems to be, for the most part, highly regarded by fellow indie/alternative programmers at other local college stations such as WMBR, WZBC and WMFO, and I know some of the similar shows on those stations have shared some of the same DJ's over the years, especially during the summmer when WHRB allows some outside volunteers to fill out the schedule when students leave.
 
> I personally think that next year at this time, apart from
> Orgies and Harvard sports, WHRB's "main channel" will be
> 24/7 classical, with jazz and rock having been moved over to
> an HD-2 channel, with each genre being on the air for twelve
> hours daily on HD-2 (and the station's website).

What compels you to keep making a fool of yourself by posting predictions of this sort? Have you EVER accurately predicted ANYTHING related to radio? WHRB is not driven by ratings or revenue. As I understand it, even though WHRB has a commercial license, its programming is driven solely by the interests of the board of directors (Harvard alumni and alumnae) and the students who program the station. In this regard, WHRB is pretty much like non-commercial student-run college stations. Unless the students' or directors' interests suddenly change, why would the station drive away the fans of other forms of music than classical who listen to the station and who program it?
 
Re: WHRB

The reason I think WHRB-95.3 may go classical 24/7 (and launch an HD-2 service with a 50/50 split of jazz and rock) is precisely because they aren't driven by ratings and revenues.

Yes, it would be a radical change, but perhaps those at WHRB may see that serving the Boston-area listeneing audience by going 24/7 classical might be preferable than the interests of the board of directors, the student staff, or even the student body as a whole.

Unless Greater Media pulls-off a stunning surprise, I can't see them keeping WCRB-102.5's classical format. Although 'CRB is very successful in 12-plus numbers, it bills much less than many other commercial FM's with fewer listeners (12-plus). To afford to pay for the purchase, even after WKLB-99.5 is spun-off, Greater Media will likely flip 102.5.

Assuming WCRB-102.5 moves away from classical, WHRB may be the only station in a realistic position to go 24/7 classical for these reasons:

* No other commercial station would dare flip to classical. Yes, it has proven successful in the number of listeners, but bills lower than most other formats.

* WBUR-90.9 certainly isn't going to abandon it's NPR news/information format. To do so would likely mean a huge drop in listener donations. And in fact, Washington's WETA dumped classical music almost a year ago to likewise go to 24/7 NPR news/information in order to get more pledge dollars from listeners (It should be noted that Washington does have a 24/7 commercial classical station, WGMS, but it was just moved to a "rimshot" signal and it's long-term future is uncertain at best).

* WGBH-89.7 does broadcast classical music during the day, but also carries NPR's "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered", as well as jazz at night. I can't see 'GBH expanding the number of hours of classical music. And even if it did, it too might face reduecd listener donations. Of course, 'GBH could launch a 24/7 HD-2 classical service, but for at least a few years, it would have few listeners.

Although in theory, public radio is supposed to be immune from the financial pressures of commercial radio, in fact, many programming decisions at NPR member stations and other public radio outlets are being driven by "How much money in listener donations (and underwriting from businesses) will this programming bring-in??". Increasingly, music programming (especially classical music) does not bring in a large amount of listener donations to public radio stations, while NPR news and information programming does.

* WHRB, which doesn't rely on either revenue from commercial sponsors or from listener pledges, may realistically be the only Boston-area radio station that could maintain a 24/7 classical-music format assuming WCRB drops classical music sometime over the next few months.
 
Re: WHRB

> The reason I think WHRB-95.3 may go classical 24/7 (and
> launch an HD-2 service with a 50/50 split of jazz and rock)
> is precisely because they aren't driven by ratings and
> revenues.

Won't happen.

The station is run by non-professionals who don't understand why running three different types of music on the same station doesn't triple the number of listeners.
 
Re: WHRB

> The reason I think WHRB-95.3 may go classical 24/7 (and
> launch an HD-2 service with a 50/50 split of jazz and rock)
> is precisely because they aren't driven by ratings and
> revenues.
>
> Yes, it would be a radical change, but perhaps those at WHRB
> may see that serving the Boston-area listeneing audience by
> going 24/7 classical might be preferable than the interests
> of the board of directors, the student staff, or even the
> student body as a whole.

With only a couple of specialty program exceptions, WHRB has always functioned as a student college station, despite having a viable signal throughout greater Boston and a commercial license. I doubt they will change the operating philosophy they have always had for over 50 years despite the market (most likely) losing it's analog broadcast commercial classical station.
 
Re: WHRB

> > The reason I think WHRB-95.3 may go classical 24/7 (and
> > launch an HD-2 service with a 50/50 split of jazz and rock)
> > is precisely because they aren't driven by ratings and
> > revenues.
>
> Won't happen.
>
> The station is run by non-professionals who don't understand
> why running three different types of music on the same
> station doesn't triple the number of listeners.

WHRB, like many other student-run college stations, doesn't care about maximizing their ratings or their number of listeners. If they did, they would NOT program as they do. That's not what they're even trying for. They choose to have a mix of programming representing the different interests of their student and alumnai staff and management. I'm sure they know they could maximize listenership if they focused on only one viable format, but that's not what they, and many other student college stations, want to do.
 
Re: WHRB

> >
> > The station is run by non-professionals who don't
> understand
> > why running three different types of music on the same
> > station doesn't triple the number of listeners.
>
> WHRB, like many other student-run college stations, doesn't
> care about maximizing their ratings or their number of
> listeners. If they did, they would NOT program as they do.
> That's not what they're even trying for. They choose to have
> a mix of programming representing the different interests of
> their student and alumnai staff and management. I'm sure
> they know they could maximize listenership if they focused
> on only one viable format, but that's not what they, and
> many other student college stations, want to do.
>
Well said!WHRB also has the added benefit of not having to fund raise over-air.
 
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