WGBH Feeling the Squeeze

I don’t know if you’re following the brouhaha over the Boston Globe.  The paper’s owner, the New York Times, is threatening to close down the paper unless the Globe’s unions agree to $20 million in  concessions.  There’s plenty of upset in Boston over the news.

Another venerable Boston media company is feeling the budget squeeze, too.  Dual format station WGBH is owned by the WGBH Educational Foundation.  In an all-staff memo dated April 2nd, WGBH’s CEO Jon Abbott cited some grim figures:

• A decline in viewer and listener support of 15%

• Revenue from licensing and royalties down 13%

• Income from our endowment is down 19%

• Local corporate support is down more than 35%

No word yet on how this will affect the classical music on WGBH, but in all fairness, classical is a very affordable format compared to almost any other content.  They could play more music and less news and save lots of money.

We’ll keep you posted.

UPDATE on my post Classical Music Helps Green the Planet from Apr. 1: It turns out there’s been a recall.  The beneficial effect of classical music on gas mileage in the Altima Hybrid apparently only works one day a year — April 1st.  My co-blogger Mike tells me I made it way too plausible.  And here I thought it was the most ridiculous story ever.  Anyway, it was all a fabrication by yours truly, but Ron Mathews at Nissan is real.  He’s my step-brother and fellow jokester.