This post continues our series of articles written by professionals in classical public radio, as originally posted to the Listserv of the Association of Music Personnel in Public Radio. Here, Jack Allen, president of All Classical FM in Portland, Ore., shares his thoughts about how classical stations can work to reach their full potential.
Station health and vitality start with a clear vision for the future that takes into account any limitations facing the organization. There are no secret formulas for how much classical music to play or whether to play Handel followed by Chopin. Ever since Audience 88, we’ve known to focus on listeners (their needs and expectations) and to be deliberate about weaving an intelligent musical tapestry that’s daypart-appropriate. Now it’s time to look at the underpinnings of our good efforts. A good place to start is by analyzing several critical areas for alignment with your mission, vision and values and a correlating, if necessary, revitalization.