Ex WBOS/WZLX jock now at WUMB

[ZRXOA 5248]

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/arti...i_wumb_aims_to_make_its_folk_more_accessible/


Laurenti has landed at crunchy granola central it seems

In a recent thread I posted how I hate the fact that WUMB grabs every part of the spectrum.. AM or FM that they can in order to be the non comm WBOS... with the hiring of Laurenti, late of WBOS could I be correct?

 

[Eli Polonsky]

Laurenti has landed at crunchy granola central it seems

It's actually as far as could be from "crunchy granola central" on the inside, even if it may sound like that to the listener...

But, yes, they are now positioning as a non-comm "rootsy" AAA, like (the very successful) WXPN in Philly, or (the moderately successful) WFUV in NYC... Former WBOS PD David Ginsburg has been doing some consulting for them too.

Since the only other Boston area AAA is now WXRV "The River" which only comes in really well north of Boston, WUMB might as well jump at the format opening opportunity...

 

[CNRCambridge]

I have to wonder, though, just how many ex-WBOS listeners WUMB will pick up. BOS didn't play all that much roots rock, especially in recent years. It seems to me that listeners who haven't migrated to another commercial station are more likely to go to WERS, not WUMB.

 

[notlob]

crunchy granola central

That would be correct if one equates home made granola with the stuff mass produced by Kellogg's and other korporate entities.

The article mentions WUMB's changing format. Its charter, on the UMass website, once read "serving the roots and folk communities". That has been removed. WUMB is now trying to appeal to the AAA community.

A long time member and supporter and volunteer, I have let my membership expire.

For more on the demise of WUMB, go to NorthEastFolknRoots at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NorthEastFolknRoots

 

[notlob]

In a recent thread I posted how I hate the fact that WUMB grabs every part of the spectrum

I agree with that 1000%, having said so months ago in the NE Folk n roots yahoo group (link above).

Today I arrived home after attending two weeks of festivals. Tuned into WUMB at the 10am announcer shift change, JL played back-to-back country songs.

He may be music director, but I am sure Pat Monteith has him on a very short leash.

When WUMB dumped folk and roots in favor of AAA, they were playing a mixed bag, songs of ever genre in every set (folk, bluegrass, pop, singer-songwriter). They have gotten a bit better, songs are now in sets that have some similarity. That makes it easier to change the channel or pop in a CD when one hears the first pop and/or schlock song.

 

[kc1ih]

It was also announced by Meg Griffin of Sirius at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival that she will be doing a shift on WUMB beginning sometime in August, while remaining with Sirius. I don't know any of the details of how this will work.

 

[notlob]

It was also announced by Meg Griffin of Sirius at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival that she will be doing a shift on WUMB beginning sometime in August, while remaining with Sirius. I don't know any of the details of how this will work.

That has come to fruition, her shift is Monday-Friday, 7-10(?)pm, pushing back that dreadful syndicated pop program "World Cafe". Not sure how this has/impacted overnight programs such as "Mountain Stage" or "The Grateful Dead Hour."

And more recently, Joan Orr is doing a mid-day shift.

Perhaps in deference to their programming experience, the music Ms. Monteith and her consultants allow will be less from the WUMB "darlings"(1) or "clunkers"(2) lists and more of a personal choice. Which leads one to the logical question, with program hosts having so many years of experience (Dave Palmater and Dick Pleasants must have a combined total of at least 60), how can a publicly funded station justify the cost of a music director? Wouldn't it be in the public interest to take that position out of the 2010-2011 budget and give the on-air hosts the creative freedom to produce their shows as they seem fit?

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(1) - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NorthEastFolknRoots/database?method=reportRows&tbl=13
(2) - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NorthEastFolknRoots/database?method=reportRows&tbl=3

 

[Eli Polonsky]

It was also announced by Meg Griffin of Sirius at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival that she will be doing a shift on WUMB beginning sometime in August, while remaining with Sirius. I don't know any of the details of how this will work.

That has come to fruition, her shift is Monday-Friday, 7-10(?)pm, pushing back that dreadful syndicated pop program "World Cafe". Not sure how this has/impacted overnight programs such as "Mountain Stage" or "The Grateful Dead Hour."

And more recently, Joan Orr is doing a mid-day shift.

"Mountain Stage" was, and remains for now, on Saturday afternoons 2-4 PM, with a rebroadcast Sunday evenings 8-10 PM.

Late evening syndicated specialty shows that were previously on at 11 PM such as "E-town", "Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour", "FolkScene", "The Grateful Dead Hour" and the locally produced "Women In Music" were all graveyarded to various slots between 4-6 AM.