J
Joseph_Gallant
Guest
With classical music expected to fade from (the analog signal of) what is now WCRB-102.5 once Greater Media takes over that station, it's time to speculate on where (or if) classical music will end up in the future.
Possibilities, and the chances of it happening:
* WKLB-99.5: Very unlikely. Although it's transmitter is well north of Boston, it would probably sell for around the same amount of money ($90-$100 million) as WCRB. While there's been much talk that Woody Tanger made a $60-$65 million bid for WCRB, I doubt he could get 99.5 for the same amount.
* WFNX-101.7: Not as long as Steve Mindich owns it. However, could the forementioned Woody Tanger offer to buy the station from Mindich?? It probably would go for no more than $30 million.
And once their new signal is "up and running" (if not already), 101.7 should be heard clearly inside the 495 belt. Granted, it's not the signal that 102.5 is, but I suspect most of WCRB's current listeners live within 495 (if not within Route 128).
I think there is a good chance that Woody Tanger is going to offer to buy WFNX to convert it to classical music. But whether Steve Mindich decides to grab a potential $25-$30 million offer (I believe he purchased the station in 1983 for around $1 1/2 million; so he'd be able to cash-out with a huge profit) dangling in front of him remains to be seen.
* WHRB-95.3: This station, owned by Harvard University, already broadcasts a nine-hour classical-music block weekdays (1-10 P.M.) with some additional classical-music programming on weekends (inclkuding the Saturday-afternoon Metropolitan Opera broadcasts). And it's signal is similar to what 101.7's is (or soon will be).
But 'HRB also carries nine hours of jazz weekdays (5 A.M.-1 P.M.) and seven hours of rock nightly (10 P.M.-5 A.M.). Both blocks broadcast jazz and rock respectively not heard anywhere else.
Even if WHRB decides to go 24/7 classical, one major question remains: Would it still be programmed by (mostly) Harvard students, or would Harvard bring-in a professional programming staff??
* WGBH-89.7: This station already runs a daytime classical-music block. But the length of that block has decreased in recent years; I believe it now only runs seven hours (9 A.M.-4 P.M.) on weekdays. 'GBH also airs NPR's "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered", plus PRI's "Marketplace" (all three also on WBUR-90.9). Conceivably, 'GBH could pull the plug on these three programs, move "The World" (a news program jointly produced by WGBH and the BBC) to 6 P.M. weeknights, and expand classical music to twelve hours (6 A.M.-6 P.M.) weekdays, and some additional hours of classical on weekends.
But 'GBH's nighttime schedule (8 P.M.-5 A.M. weeknights, plus evenings and overnights on weekends) is devoted to jazz, and were 'GBH to go 24/7 classical, there would be a huge outcry from jazz fans.
Peter George had speculated that 'GBH would have made a run at the 102.5 signal. Could they end-up deciding to try to buy 99.5?? As a commercial frequency, they could sell commercial spots (instead of pledge drives) with profits being plowed back to 89.7. And 'GBH would have 24/7 classical on 99.5, freeing-up 89.7 to expand either jazz to the daytime hours, or NPR news/information to (at least) 5 A.M.-8 P.M.
* WPLM-99.1: I don't know if it's for sale. If Woody Tanger (or anyone else) wanted to buy it to flip to classical music, that buyer would also have to purchase a station north of Boston (read: WXRV-92.5 in Haverhill) to be able to cover the entire market. 'PLM has a good signal in Boston and points south.
* WXRV-92.5: Again, would have to be purchased along with a station south of Boston (read: WPLM) to cover the whole market.
* The AM Dial??: The stereotype of the classical music fan has been someone with a huge hi-fi stereo system who would never be caught dead listening to music (or even talk) on the AM dial.
Nevertheless, it could be that the AM dial may become the only place for classical music to remain on the air 24/7 in the Boston area.
With Alex Langer getting back (if he hasn't gotten it back already) WBIX-1060, and with it's recent signal upgrades (40,000 watts days plus a nighttime signal), 1060 could logically serve as the new home of classical music in Boston, despite being on the AM dial. A 24/7 Classical format can be inexpensive to run and also can easily be voice-tracked, so one or two people could do all the announcing there.
But would people used to hearing classical in dynamic, full-range FM stereo all these years want to hear it on AM radio??
Possibilities, and the chances of it happening:
* WKLB-99.5: Very unlikely. Although it's transmitter is well north of Boston, it would probably sell for around the same amount of money ($90-$100 million) as WCRB. While there's been much talk that Woody Tanger made a $60-$65 million bid for WCRB, I doubt he could get 99.5 for the same amount.
* WFNX-101.7: Not as long as Steve Mindich owns it. However, could the forementioned Woody Tanger offer to buy the station from Mindich?? It probably would go for no more than $30 million.
And once their new signal is "up and running" (if not already), 101.7 should be heard clearly inside the 495 belt. Granted, it's not the signal that 102.5 is, but I suspect most of WCRB's current listeners live within 495 (if not within Route 128).
I think there is a good chance that Woody Tanger is going to offer to buy WFNX to convert it to classical music. But whether Steve Mindich decides to grab a potential $25-$30 million offer (I believe he purchased the station in 1983 for around $1 1/2 million; so he'd be able to cash-out with a huge profit) dangling in front of him remains to be seen.
* WHRB-95.3: This station, owned by Harvard University, already broadcasts a nine-hour classical-music block weekdays (1-10 P.M.) with some additional classical-music programming on weekends (inclkuding the Saturday-afternoon Metropolitan Opera broadcasts). And it's signal is similar to what 101.7's is (or soon will be).
But 'HRB also carries nine hours of jazz weekdays (5 A.M.-1 P.M.) and seven hours of rock nightly (10 P.M.-5 A.M.). Both blocks broadcast jazz and rock respectively not heard anywhere else.
Even if WHRB decides to go 24/7 classical, one major question remains: Would it still be programmed by (mostly) Harvard students, or would Harvard bring-in a professional programming staff??
* WGBH-89.7: This station already runs a daytime classical-music block. But the length of that block has decreased in recent years; I believe it now only runs seven hours (9 A.M.-4 P.M.) on weekdays. 'GBH also airs NPR's "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered", plus PRI's "Marketplace" (all three also on WBUR-90.9). Conceivably, 'GBH could pull the plug on these three programs, move "The World" (a news program jointly produced by WGBH and the BBC) to 6 P.M. weeknights, and expand classical music to twelve hours (6 A.M.-6 P.M.) weekdays, and some additional hours of classical on weekends.
But 'GBH's nighttime schedule (8 P.M.-5 A.M. weeknights, plus evenings and overnights on weekends) is devoted to jazz, and were 'GBH to go 24/7 classical, there would be a huge outcry from jazz fans.
Peter George had speculated that 'GBH would have made a run at the 102.5 signal. Could they end-up deciding to try to buy 99.5?? As a commercial frequency, they could sell commercial spots (instead of pledge drives) with profits being plowed back to 89.7. And 'GBH would have 24/7 classical on 99.5, freeing-up 89.7 to expand either jazz to the daytime hours, or NPR news/information to (at least) 5 A.M.-8 P.M.
* WPLM-99.1: I don't know if it's for sale. If Woody Tanger (or anyone else) wanted to buy it to flip to classical music, that buyer would also have to purchase a station north of Boston (read: WXRV-92.5 in Haverhill) to be able to cover the entire market. 'PLM has a good signal in Boston and points south.
* WXRV-92.5: Again, would have to be purchased along with a station south of Boston (read: WPLM) to cover the whole market.
* The AM Dial??: The stereotype of the classical music fan has been someone with a huge hi-fi stereo system who would never be caught dead listening to music (or even talk) on the AM dial.
Nevertheless, it could be that the AM dial may become the only place for classical music to remain on the air 24/7 in the Boston area.
With Alex Langer getting back (if he hasn't gotten it back already) WBIX-1060, and with it's recent signal upgrades (40,000 watts days plus a nighttime signal), 1060 could logically serve as the new home of classical music in Boston, despite being on the AM dial. A 24/7 Classical format can be inexpensive to run and also can easily be voice-tracked, so one or two people could do all the announcing there.
But would people used to hearing classical in dynamic, full-range FM stereo all these years want to hear it on AM radio??