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VPR to offer all-classical station

C

CrankyYankee

Vermont Public Radio plans to split into two distinct stations within the next year, in a major revamping of the nonprofit's on-air offerings.

The changes are aimed at pleasing a membership divided over the amount of classical music programming the public radio station should air and expanding VPR's appeal, said Mark Vogelzang, president.

Within the next 12 months, VPR plans to offer a separate classical station that will be heard in Chittenden County.

VPR is broadcast across the state on various signals. The local signal is WVPS-FM 107.9. The classical station will move to a new location on the dial that has yet to be determined...

Read more at the following link:

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/.../20070206/NEWS02/302060001/1007/NEWS02&theme=
 
At least Central Vermont and the Champlain Valley will still have 101-7 WCVT Stowe. Nothing really new here. NPR stations across the nation have been switching over to the "NPR News/talk" format over the past two years. There was a semi-up-roar a few years ago at WHYY-FM Philadelphia when they dropped classical music overnight in favor of BBC World Service. Here in the Upper Valley, my Accurian HD can pick up WVPS-HD signal from MT. Mansfield in and out depending on conditions. Strange that the only frequencies in the Champlain Valley and the Upper Valley that broadcast in HD are NPR stations. 107.9-WVPS and 91.3-WEVH (NHPR). Hoping more will sign on soon.

--D.C.--
 
At least Central Vermont and the Champlain Valley will still have 101-7 WCVT Stowe. Nothing really new here. NPR stations across the nation have been switching over to the "NPR News/talk" format over the past two years. There was a semi-up-roar a few years ago at WHYY-FM Philadelphia when they dropped classical music overnight in favor of BBC World Service. Here in the Upper Valley, my Accurian HD can pick up WVPS-HD signal from MT. Mansfield in and out depending on conditions. Strange that the only frequencies in the Champlain Valley and the Upper Valley that broadcast in HD are NPR stations. 107.9-WVPS and 91.3-WEVH (NHPR). Hoping more will sign on soon.

--D.C.--
 
Re: VPR now offers an all-classical station

Listeners of Vermont Public Radio can expect some big programming changes when they tune in on Monday. (Oct 1st, 2007) In response to listener requests, the station is adding more news programming, and launching a brand new frequency that plays only classical music.


http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=7139454
 
I stopped at a VT rest area (Sharon I think; I-89) a couple weeks back and VPR had flyers there
talking about their regular stations and the new classical network. The 90.9 freq was not mentioned
but it did say "more coming soon"
 
90.9 doesn't reach very far east of Burlington. I wonder if any classical-loving listeners in places like Barre, Montpelier, Waterbury, and Stowe are up in arms. This could drive a lot of people to 101.7.

Personally I don't like classical music, but dropping it from most of VPR's major frequencies -- probably just because the listeners are older -- seems possibly short-sighted and consultant-driven. Hey, those listeners might be OLD but they also have a lot of MONEY! On the other hand, you could argue that near-24-hour news and information programming is a more crucial public service. And I'm glad to see World Cafe Weekend on the schedule.

Personally I'm more inclined to listen to regular-flavor VPR on my trips to VT now, since I don't like classical music, but then I'm young and poor. And I only listen to a little news. As a whole I'm more likely to tune into the college stations like WRUV, WGDR, WWPV (when they're actually playing music), or LPs like WMUD or WXND, or sometimes the Point if they're not being too conservative with their playlist.

I used to be able to pick up 91.1 WRMC (from Middlebury) in parts of Burlington but now 90.9 seems to bleed over and interfere more. Did VPR increase the power of 90.9 slightly? It was also interfering with my attempts to pick up WRMC from certain areas around Lake Placid NY and Keene NY. Grrrrr. Stupid old music by dead white guys. (Errr, wasn't I just defending this music? Never mind.)

I wonder how Minnesota Public Radio's "The Current" is doing. Will other public radio networks like VPR also eventually attempt to acquire enough frequencies to have a third service like this? Or is Minneapolis just a weird place? Maybe the college stations already cover all that.
 
Does anyone know what is going to happen to Joel Najman’s “My Place”? That’s a show that should be nationally syndicated.

Louie Manno
 
There have been a few "Letters to the Editor" in the Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus and the Randolph Herald about the inability(without a computer or HD radio) to now receive VPR's classical
offerings in the Central Vermont area. The Herald published an interview with VPR’s president and general manager, Mark Vogelzang. You may access it here.

http://www.rherald.com/News/2007/1004/Arts/a02.html
 
I've enjoyed "My Place" when visiting VT. And as the article points out:
>Further, he pointed out, there will still be a lot of music on the regular VPR frequencies, especially on the weekends—just not classical music. Popular shows like "My Place" and "All the Traditions" will continue, along with new music programs like "American Routes."
 
vpr.net lists the freqs and it says:

>>VPR World Channel
88.7 Burlington

--but isn't that WWPV's freq (St. Michael's)? What is it, on a secondary HD channel through arrangement with
WWPV or something?

http://wwpv.smcvt.edu/

(The RH article does say: "HD radios will be able to pick up the regular VPR signal and divide it into three channels—the regular one, the classical one, and an all-BBC channel." Maybe the "all-BBC channel" is
the "VPR World Channel" mentioned on their site...if so then they must have worked out something
with St. Mike's/WWPV...)
 
WWVP just airs the so-called "VPR World Channel" (better known as the BBC World Service) whenever there aren't any student DJs manning the station (which is often). They've been doing this for at least several years. It's a way of keeping the station on the air 24 hours a day. Lots of other college stations do this, like WESS in East Stroudsburg, PA. I'm not sure why VPR even wanted to be involved. They undoubtedly help promote the station and perhaps they fund the satellite link for WWVP to get BBC World, but what does VPR really get out of it? As far as I know, WESS gets ahold of the BBC World Service under its own power. But hey, if it gets more listeners for a college station, then great -- even if WWVP doesn't sound as good, or have as far a reach, as other local college stations like WRUV or WRMC.

Not long ago, VPR tried to buy WWVP outright, so they could put their classical feed on there, but too many people protested. So then VPR went and bought that religious station at 90.9. It's amazing that they got more resistance to buying a college station than a religious station! That wouldn't happen in too many other parts of this country. That's why I love Vermont!

Oh, and WVPS is the one with the BBC World Service on its HD3 channel.
 
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