In Friday’s (12/18) Boston Globe , Jeremy Eichler writes, “In a city passionate about classical music, a lot of listeners get their fill by catching the Boston Symphony Orchestra and other programming on the radio. But despite the upbeat promotional spots you may be hearing, the classical radio audience is getting less of what it wants, and deserves, now that WGBH has eliminated classical music on 89.7 and shipped most of its programming up the dial to WCRB-FM (99.5). WGBH purchased WCRB this fall, and there is now significantly less classical music on the airwaves than before the sale. It’s also audible in a smaller listening range. So ironically, one group that has lost big in this saving of a classical music station is the classical listening audience itself. … While WGBH, by purchasing WCRB, has admirably preserved a full-time classical presence on the radio dial, it has also removed all of its classical programming from WGBH-FM 89.7. Most baffling, the cuts will include the Friday BSO broadcast from Symphony Hall, which has been a hallmark at WGBH for almost six decades. The Saturday night WCRB broadcasts will be preserved.” WGBH General Manager John Voci explained that the Saturday spots would focus on other areas such as recordings from Tanglewood and the Boston Pops.
Posted December 18, 2009
