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KUHA air staff...Gone?

M

Mediafrog+

I notice that KUHA was on the Classical 24 satellite feed both during morning and evening drive times today. Usually this feed is only used Midnight to 6am. The local hosts were there yesterday, but not today. I also see that there are some names missing on the staff list on the website.

Anyone know if there have been further layoffs at Houston Public Media? Looks like KUHA may have gone the same direction as KPAC in San Antonio, which recently blew out its local air staff in favor of the satellite feed.

During KUHA's recently completed fundraising drive, I heard one of the hosts lament how other stations has "gone to automation" while losing local staff. Looks like this might have happened to KUHA.
 
 
Thanks for all the links; hadn't had the chance to search around when I posted earlier. Big disappointment, and it sounds like this has angered a bunch of the station's listeners.

The Classical 24 satellite service is rather bland, and the syndicated structure does not lend itself to longer works. Guess it is better than nothing as far as OTA goes, but it will probably be worth exploring some online alternatives.

Have to wonder if we'll start hearing a move away from Classical towards other music genres? KKXT in DFW comes to mind.
 
Could be just an automation failure with the station stuck on the satellite feed, but I noticed that "Exploring Music" and the usual Chicago Symphony broadcasts were missing tonight. Also no local ID or announcements during the one-minute TOH avail. Perhaps some of the syndicated programming also getting the axe?
 
If you're not hearing IDs and it's not switching feeds, then you have three options: operator error, equipment failure, or a programming error.
 
I hate to see this happen with Houston's only classical station. It is a growing trend. Even KMFA in Austin has added satellite filled hours to their line up. It altered their live hours as all announcements became recorded, certain length recorded spots instead of being delivered live by the jock.

Classical 24 is a good service from the point that I'm happy it is there and available at a reasonable cost to stations that need it. With that said, Classical 24 and the other service offering hour blocks both do not allow for longer pieces to be featured. As a result you get a less hard core classical format based on playing shorter pieces and more formula oriented format.

While I'm no classical snob, one of the things I liked about most live classical stations was a complete symphony or longer piece each hour with the remainder of the hour filled with shorter pieces. Classical to me is hearing works I had never heard before either by little known composers or lesser played works from composers I knew of. And I found many classical stations didn't bother with hourly NPR News and even weather or traffic outside drive times. I always felt that was an intrusion on the music, a somewhat awkward blend that didn't mix well.

Perhaps the big issue with KUHA was the signal instead of the format itself. I certainly would not anticipate such a new station to hit its goal so early in its history. Perhaps the issue is more with the entire operation versus just KUHA. Might funding be lower across the board or on the TV side that meant the cash flow caused the change.
 
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