In Tuesday’s (9/22) Boston Globe, Megan Woolhouse reports, “Boston public broadcaster WGBH made a bid yesterday to buy classical radio station WCRB, a move that could directly challenge rival Boston public radio station WBUR. Boston public TV and radio giant WGBH already broadcasts classical music on its flagship radio station, 89.7 FM. But with the acquisition of 99.5 FM, the region’s only 24-hour classical music station, WGBH plans to convert 89.7 FM to an all-news and talk format. That would make the station more like WBUR, at 90.9 FM, the city’s only other public radio station and one of the nation’s most successful noncommercial stations. … WGBH officials would not disclose the purchase price, but one industry analyst pegged the sale at about $14 million. The deal still needs to be approved by the Federal Communications Commission. The move is a bold one for WGBH. For years, WGBH radio has offered a mix of music and news programs like ‘The World’ in the afternoon, but it consistently lags far behind WBUR in the ratings.”
Posted September 22, 2009
