More classical in Syracuse; iPhone tuner rolls out

:: Here’s a rare case of a public radio station expanding rather than cutting back on classical. WCNY in Syracuse, N.Y., is cutting a long-running jazz show to go all-classical six days a week. In a CNYlink article, WCNY’s program director points out that Syracuse already has a station that airs jazz, WAER. So it sounds like a sensible move.

But note the argument that one listener makes: “When you take jazz off the airwaves, young listeners will not be exposed to it.” Just replace “jazz” with “classical” for a familiar argument from supporters of classical music. Jazz is America’s classical music, as they say, and deserves a place on the air just as much as classical does. It’s yet another genre that public radio sadly bears sole responsibility for promoting on the airwaves, as commercial stations have shirked it or moved toward “smooth” jazz. At least Syracuse has another station playing the tune.

:: If you have an iPhone, you now have what could be a more convenient way to listen to your favorite classical public radio stations on your gadget. American Public Media has released the Public Radio Tuner, which offers streams of 150 stations around the country, including some classical outlets. Current ran an article recently about this and other apps for mobile devices.

:: Finally, food for thought from Mark Ramsey:

While it is inevitable that programming and on-air gigs by the truckload will vanish within the next few months, one of radio’s greatest challenges will be to remain differentiated in a way that’s meaningful to the communities which our stations are licensed to serve.

We can add value to the lives of our audience or simply return dollars to the bottom line. To be profitable but irrelevant would be a crime and a one-way trip to long-term oblivion.

That goes for public radio, too. Most public stations probably air more local content already than commercial stations, which may be the market segment Ramsey had in mind (he writes mostly about commercial radio). But how can classical stations sound more like the communities they serve? If underwriting revenue suffers with the weak economy and listeners are asked to pick up that slack with their donations, that question may become even more important.

Read Mark’s full post here.