This week saw the second hearing for David Aptaker for justice of the family and probate court.
What wasn't covered by the media was majority of the subsequent questions asked him by the...
WGBH Foundation buys classical station WCRB-FM, WGBH-FM 89.7 will go to news and information format
posted by Ralph Ranalli on September 21, 2009
The WGBH Foundation has reached an agreement to purchase WCRB-FM, one of the few remaining 24/7 classical radio stations in the United States, and will move all of its classical music programming there, foundation officials said today.
WGBH-FM 89.7, meanwhile, will become a news and information station, competing more directly with WBUR-FM (90.9).
The story is still coming out, but apparently talks had been going on for some time, and WGBH's intention to keep WCRB a classical station helped win the day over other bidders seeking the station. WCRB will become a public radio station, dependant on underwriting, member contributions, and foundation support.
The exact nature of the new programming for WGBH 89.7 was not disclosed.
"From its very first broadcast, WGBH Radio has provided audiences with the best in classical music and performance. Today we are excited to reinvest in this tradition for a new generation of listeners," WGBH President and CEO Jon Abbott said in a prepared statement. "The acquisition of WCRB will allow WGBH to sustain the vibrant classical music tradition of the Boston area."
The purchase price was not made public, but will be within the next week as the parties seek FCC approval for the sale.
Meanwhile, Paul La Camera, WBUR's general manager, didn't exactly sound intimidated by the possibility of a little competition.
"In terms of the competitive aspect of it, it is going to be an awfully long climb for WGBH radio to catch up, given the tremendous head start we have here," La Camera told me in a telephone interview a few minutes ago. "In terms of competing on the news front, I have every confidence WBUR is going to maintain its position as the dominant NPR news station in the market."
On balance, La Camera said, the move will benefit radio consumers.
"I think this is a further reflection of the decline in commercial media and the opportunity it presents for public media to fill that gap," he said. "From that narrow perspective, this is a good thing. The more public media voices in the marketplace, the better."
Comments
WGBH's classical music signal has such "presence" (probably due to no signal clipping common among other stations), that even more minor classical music takes on life.
When GBH is not broadcasting classical, I used to switch to WCRB. Then, they moved north, leaving us in SE MA with static. Now, you buy them and plan to use their facilities...
GBH has the capacity to continue to serve the South Coast. Will it?
I jumped ship and listen to New Hampshire Public Radio with static, and gladly.
WBUR has become a miserable listening experience with their syrupy, "we're funded by you our listeners," repeated ad nauseum a dozen or twenty or more times per hour - hour after hour like aural water-torture; with their blunt, banging, pop music segments jammed in-between stories.
I remember when WBUR was excellent in all respects, something truly wonderful; with subtle unobtrusive format, endlessly interesting and varied music interludes, truly interesting two hours of subject exploration each morning instead of now, hustling the outstanding Tom Ashbrook through a news-of-the-day rush, repeatedly interrupting the guests.
If Mr. La Camera rousted out some tapes of 'BUR from the eighties and listened, he'd find his station now is just as irritating as WBZ-AM.
Good news indeed! It will be nice to have WCRB without the snake-oil commecials. But I hope the new owner will boost the signal a bit; since WCRB moved to 99.5, the reception here in Providence has been at best marginal.
WCRB has its strengths, not the least of which is its programming in Maine. I really hope that stays. The ads are hokey, but all in all it is a nice station. The announcers at least make an effort to appear enthused by their subject. It is great that an all classical station will be available again.
After 45 years of classical music, Eric in the Evening, All Things Considered I lose it all. 45 years and they tell New Bedford, Providence, Cape Cod and everyone else sorry, no more. No one down here gets 99.5. What are we to do? Nothing. There is no solution and no one to talk to. Perhaps the conservatives are right. We need to look a little more deeply into this 'public radio' organization and their funding.
Assistance needed how to once again connect via Internet to WCRB-FM as
previously was available a good while back? Hopefully live listening is
available one again. WCRB-FM best Classical Radio ever heard. Sending message from Pennsylvania but when in Boston area of course always tune in on radio to WCRB-FM. Thanks for your help. And Merry Christmas.
I sincerely believe that financial mismanagement - overspending on their new facility (and probably accumulation of too much debt) - is the story behind the mess that WGBH is now in. Hard to imagine that they would intentionally dump a slew of listeners without knowing the repercussions would be loss of revenue. It looks like the desperate act of a dying organization.
I keep waiting for WCRB to take up the classical music standard that WGBH carried for so many years. I'm hungry for deeper, more focused programming and less Greatest Hits and musical wallpaper. Why can't we have "Pipe Dreams" or a program of works for the guitar and lute? Or a weekly opera performance? Or a chamber music program?
If WCRB's output remains a non-stop blend of bland "favorites", I will start sending my money to Maine Public Broadcasting.