WETA May Fill Classical Music Gap Left by WGMS

The Washington Post ^ | Saturday, December 16, 2006 | Paul Farhi

[sitetest]

Bach might be back on Washington's airwaves, even if the region's only classical music station, WGMS, drops the format.

Public broadcaster WETA (90.9 FM) is considering dumping its news-and-talk programming and returning to being a classical broadcaster if the music dies on WGMS, WETA's management said yesterday.

In a special meeting Thursday, WETA's board voted to give station executives the green light to consider switching back to classical if WGMS drops the format. Dan DeVany, WETA's vice president and general manager, said the station "could move very quickly" back to classical if circumstances warrant.

[Alter Kaker]

It will be a good thing if the last radio station takes classical music off the air. Classical music on the radio, interrupted by a "classical DJ" and/or advertisements is nothing but savagery.

I don't like classical radio, and WGMS is worse than most stations (Classical Lite? Ugh), but I couldn't disagree with you more. Some people are turned onto classical music by listening to it informally on the radio -- how else are you going to convince people to go to the symphony or buy the complete Ring Cycle on CD if they haven't been exposed at least somewhat to classical msuic?

[Kimmers]

I love classical music !!!!

Here is a shameless plug for my friends group called the "Bach Babes", she is the harpsichordist.

www.bachbabes.org

[gusopol3]

thanks-- I guess it's been about 10 yrs. since WETA went to the alltalk format, right?

[sitetest]

Dear gusopol3,

Actually, I think it was 2005.


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[sitetest]

Or maybe early 2006.

[Thrownatbirth]

However, Mr. Snyder needs the signal more than Bonneville needs the WGMS profit

Especially right before the NFL playoff....Wait!

[sitetest]

Playoff?? What's that??

</redskinfan>

[Talking_Mouse]

The one thing I miss, (besides the Hardtimes Cafe) since I moved from the DC area 4 years ago, is easily accessible classical radio. Good luck to WEAT if they are going all Classical again.

[RockinRight]

WETA's a "public" station, so profitability matters not.

[linda_22003]

I agree - most people aren't raised with it any more. When I was a child, we'd come back from church and Dad would stack up a pile of records on the turntable, and all during dinner I was informally quizzed - "What piece is that? Who wrote it? How do you know it's Beethoven and not Bach - what are the differences?" etc. I imagine most parents don't do that these days - if, in fact, most parents ever did.

[Our man in washington]

I like classical music, but I only listen to the radio when I'm driving. And it's kind of tough to appreciate the sublime subtlety of a Beethoven symphony when maneuvering I 495. Talk radio works for driving, but not classical music.

[linda_22003]

I don't think that's their intended competition; why the two major NPR stations in the market (WETA and WAMU) should have identical programming makes no sense to me.

[sitetest]

Dear Our man in washington,

" And it's kind of tough to appreciate the sublime subtlety of a Beethoven symphony when maneuvering I 495."

Just because I may be unable to fully appreciate it while driving doesn't mean that I don't appreciate it a great deal, anyway.

For me, listening to classical music while driving, especially if the driving is tough, can take my mind off the difficulty of the drive.

"Talk radio works for driving, but not classical music."

To each his own. I just don't enjoy talk radio.


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[sitetest]

Dear linda_22003,

Although I'm not fanatical about that, we do that at home.

It's fun to do it from time to time, but it gets old (at least it does to the guys) if we try to do it on a regular basis.

As well, sometimes I like to play two different recordings of the same piece, and ask the guys what they think are the differences.


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[HarmlessLovableFuzzball]

..Talk radio works for driving, but not classical music.

Amen. Rush Limbaugh IS classical music. Here is a baritone who delivers aria after aria with great mastery, precision and skill, and humor to boot. It's a three hour opera buffa with only actor, one singer. Once in a while extras like Dick Cheney and W enter the stage briefly, but thats it.

[ADemocratNoMore]

bttt

[Nonstatist]

90.9 would be just fine, providing its all classical and I dont have to listen to NPR propaganda, too. .

[gusopol3]

I'm strictly a daytime listener, since I don't live in the immediate area--is that why I'm confused--aren't they 90.1?

[Squawk 8888]

Any station that plays classical is basically doing charity or losing money.

CFMX in Toronto is doing quite well thank you very much. The audience may not be large but advertisers love the demographic- average age that is underserved by other non-talk radio formats, well-educated and high disposable income.

[sitetest]

Dear gusopol3,

The answer to our question is actually deep in the article:

"WETA and WGMS were rival classical stations for 35 years, but WETA abandoned the format in March 2005 for news supplied by National Public Radio and the British Broadcasting Corp."

I haven't listened to WETA in a verrryy long time, so I can only report what I read.


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