Recently, longtime MPBN Radio classical-music hostess Suzanne Nance announced she is leaving the network to go to the legendary WFMT Chicago. She is due to lave Maine in September.
While it's a big "promotion" for her, Current. org has an article quoting a newspaper in Maine (http://www.current.org/2013/07/main...ture-of-classical-music-after-hosts-departure), suggesting that MPBN is "assessing" the future of classical music on the network in the wake of Nance's upcoming departure.
My guess is that once Nance leaves, MPBN will drop both the late-morning classical show (which Ms. Nance hosts), an evening classical block, the Saturday-afternoon opera block (which features the Metropolitan Opera in-season), a Sunday-morning classical music block and the Sunday-evning "World Cafe" and jazz shows, and replace them with more news and information programming.
Based on what is now on MPBN's schedule, the morning block could be replaced with the "BBC Newshour" and the live feed of "On Point"; while the evening block could be replaced with a repeat of "Maine Calling" as well as "As It Happens" and "Q" from CBC Radio One.
Although the Current.org piece claims MPBN management says that the network wil still have "a strong commitment" to classical music, the only way I see that happening is if MPBN launches a second network, programming classical music 24/7. Some years ago, Vermont Public Radio (which had long programmed classical music middays and overnights but carried NPR's drive-time news shows) launched a second service, "VPR Classical", which broadcasts classical music 24/7. Once VPR Classical was launched, VPR's original network became 24-hour news and information (except for a Friday-night jazz show and a couple of music programs on weekends).
I think that MPBN will soon (perhaps as soon as Ms. Nance's departure) go 24/7 news and information for the same reason most NPR member stations have done it:
News and Information programming brings in big pledge dollars to NPR member stations. Music programming usually does not.
While it's a big "promotion" for her, Current. org has an article quoting a newspaper in Maine (http://www.current.org/2013/07/main...ture-of-classical-music-after-hosts-departure), suggesting that MPBN is "assessing" the future of classical music on the network in the wake of Nance's upcoming departure.
My guess is that once Nance leaves, MPBN will drop both the late-morning classical show (which Ms. Nance hosts), an evening classical block, the Saturday-afternoon opera block (which features the Metropolitan Opera in-season), a Sunday-morning classical music block and the Sunday-evning "World Cafe" and jazz shows, and replace them with more news and information programming.
Based on what is now on MPBN's schedule, the morning block could be replaced with the "BBC Newshour" and the live feed of "On Point"; while the evening block could be replaced with a repeat of "Maine Calling" as well as "As It Happens" and "Q" from CBC Radio One.
Although the Current.org piece claims MPBN management says that the network wil still have "a strong commitment" to classical music, the only way I see that happening is if MPBN launches a second network, programming classical music 24/7. Some years ago, Vermont Public Radio (which had long programmed classical music middays and overnights but carried NPR's drive-time news shows) launched a second service, "VPR Classical", which broadcasts classical music 24/7. Once VPR Classical was launched, VPR's original network became 24-hour news and information (except for a Friday-night jazz show and a couple of music programs on weekends).
I think that MPBN will soon (perhaps as soon as Ms. Nance's departure) go 24/7 news and information for the same reason most NPR member stations have done it:
News and Information programming brings in big pledge dollars to NPR member stations. Music programming usually does not.