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R.I.P.: WGBH Jazz Host Eric Jackson Passes

For many years, Eric Jackson's jazz show on WGBH-89.7 was heard every weeknight.

But a few years back, WGBH cut back jazz to weekend evenings and overnights (to expand the hours of public radio news/information programming, which they carry the rest of the week), a move criticized by the New England jazz community. Jackson's show was cut back to three nights a week, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

With Jackson's passing, I wonder if WGBH might decide to eliminate jazz entirely from their analog radio signal and replace the weekend jazz block with more public radio news/information programming.
 
In favor of more news-talk progranming.

2012, Berkshire Fine Arts:
This week's news that WGBH is downgrading its local jazz programming by more than 50% has ignited a firestorm in the tightly-knit community of jazz announcers. Veteran announcers Eric Jackson and Steve Schwartz, with combined service of more than 55 years in jazz radio, were informed that Eric's long-running weekday show (Mon-Thurs, 8pm-midnight) would be moved to the weekend, and Steve's Friday evening program will be terminated.

And later:
www.berkshirefinearts.com

Protests Continue Against WGBH Jazz Cutbacks - Sergio Brandão - Berkshire Fine Arts

Dismissing Steve Schwartz and cutting back on Eric Jackson\'s show is an insensitive disservice to Boston\'s music community. It will affect all parts...
www.berkshirefinearts.com www.berkshirefinearts.com
>>Please reflect on the fact that, in general, and more so at night, our minds are already filled with too many words!! The evening time is to chill out… It is to enter the realm of the soulful that can speak more to our hearts than a thousand words would ever do. That is the art of music, particularly the art of Jazz — a most Universal idiom.
 
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If I remember correctly at the time the show was dropped WGBH was lagging badly behind WBUR in the ratings. GBH's programming had a considerable amount of musical content while BUR was essentially all talk. A decision was made to greatly reduce GBH's musical programming and essentially became a mirror of BUR which was, imo, quite frustrating.
 
Joseph_Gallant said:
With (Eric) Jackson's passing, I wonder if WGBH might decide to eliminate jazz entirely from their analog radio signal and replace the weekend jazz block with more public radio news/information programming.
Click to expand...

According to Radio Insight.com, something similar has happened in Tampa Bay, where for many years, WUSF had a jazz block from 9 P.M. to 5 A.M. every night (in recent years, WUSF has carried public radio news/information programming from 5 A.M. to 9 P.M.).

But earlier this years, WUSF cut back jazz to 9 P.M.-12 Midnight (replacing the 12 Midnight-5 A.M. portion with a simulcast of the BBC World Service). As of Monday, October 31st, the 9 P.M.-12 Midnight portion will be replaced by various public radio news/information programming.

Both WGBH and WUSF do have 24/7 jazz webstreams, but could WUSF's elimination of jazz from their analog FM signal be a preview of WGBH eliminating the remaining 20 hours of jazz the station still carries on weekends?
 
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