I was not aware that the rules by which audience size are calculated had changed between the November rating period and the most recent one. But if that is the case, the article should be corrected. In addition, the reference to WCRB's "vastly improved signal" appears to be based on WCRB's simulcast on the WGBH-HD-2 subchannel. That statement clearly needs to be explained because penetration of HD Radio receivers remains very low, something that the average reader would be unlikely to grasp.
I must say that, as an unsophisticated and only occasional classical listener, I do not find the music selection on the WGBH-controlled 99.5 superior to that of the old "pop-classical" 99.5. Although Laurence, with his much more educated and refined taste, says just the opposite, I am left to wonder whether programming a classical station is a balancing act between attracting a large and relatively unsophisticaed audience or a smaller but more dedicated audience. If so, maybe the true lovers of the genre contribute more per-capita than do us plebeians and WCRB/WGBH comes out ahead even if 99.5's audience numbers are shrinking.
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I'm way ahead of you...I've been offering comments on the Boston Musical Intelligencer for months, including two posts on this subject. Nice timing about the music being played on 995: today (Monday) offered Beethoven's "Moonlight" Sonata (not named thus by LvB but by his publisher who YEARNED for a commercial hit by the Master); Dvorak's "New World" Symphony, in-full, not just the "Largo", which the commercial WCRB played incessantly; and Holsts's "The Planets", once again in full, not just "Jupiter". When I was listening at midday, they played a piece of chamber music by Brahms in-full, something that NEVER used to happen!