GoodSoundClub - Romy the Cat's Audio Site

In the Forum: Off Air Audio
In the Thread: The new FM Classical scene in Boston

Post Subject: Take it personally?Posted by scades on: 12/24/2009

Romy--Hey, I'm just an old guy, and long-time public radio listener. We live in Maryland, and spend as much time as we can in Maine (hence our interest in WBACH, which for the past five years or so was programmed out of WCRB, since it was also owned by Nassau. We like Boston, and visit at least twice a year, but I don't have any more contact with WGBH (or WBUR) than as an occasional listener, though I do like much of the programming the two stations syndicate, either via NPR or PRI.
As I understand the WCRB-WGBH dance, WGBH has simply bought WCRB from Nassau, which as you know is in bankruptcy. The studios for the 99.5 feed have moved to WGBH's building, so really, what you've got is a station broadcasting on 99.5 that is neither more nor less than the classical music stream of WGBH. While they may use the WCRB call, there really is no more WCRB.
So, who do you want to push on? WGBH Radio's management. Go to <http://www.wgbh.org/about/leadership.cfm>, and take your pick to express your concerns.
Personally, I'm puzzled by people's outrage. If they are complaining about WGBH's getting rid of jazz, folk, etc--that I understand. But if the issue is classical music, WCRB broadcast a sort of top-40, "classics light" stream that drove me nuts--aside from the BSO Friday afternoon broadcast). (In Maine, we're still stuck with it on WBACH, without ever having the BSO broadcast.) Looks to me like "the new 99.5" is a pretty serious classical broadcaster. Isn't that a good thing?
--scades
(Written,by the way with our old cat, Miss Kitty, asleep on my lap.)

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