Co-author’s welcome: I don’t want to steal any of Jack’s thunder, so I’m just going to say a few words and then get out of the way. Jack is one of those people I turn to for wisdom and advice. He is on the ground doing the actual work of running a station which makes his perspective invaluable. Besides that, he’s an engaging raconteur, a deep thinker, and exactly the kind of leader who can rescue and reinvent classical music radio. With that, here’s Jack’s opening post, with my gratitude. ~ Marty Ronish
A new voice joins the mix at Scanning the Dial
With the arrival of the New Year, we’re making some changes here at Scanning the Dial. But rather than going on a diet, in a way we’re bulking up.
To start with, I’ve decided to cut back a bit on my contributions to the blog. (I know, that doesn’t sound like “bulking up,” but bear with me.) In recent months I’ve found I need to give more time to other freelance projects, most of which have little to do with classical radio. Given these demands, blogging on a regular basis about developments in the field has been difficult — especially if I aspire to do it with any degree of thoughtfulness, which is important to me. So we’ve arranged for a replacement to step into my role here.
Boston — A Work in Progress
Thanks, Richard for your comment about Boston. The changes at WGBH/WCRB are not making Bostonians ecstatic yet, but the new station is a public station, so I hope members of the public will keep weighing in until they get what they want. To that end, there is a public meeting scheduled for Tuesday, January 5th, 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Old South Church in Copley Square. You can read more about it here.
KFUO sale challenged, and some views on music research
Four petitioners hope there’s still a chance that the sale of St. Louis’s KFUO isn’t a done deal. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported today that multiple challenges have been filed with the Federal Communications Commission to block the sale of the commercial classical station to Christian broadcaster Gateway Creative Broadcasting.
One group is made up of members of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, which is selling the station. Another is a fundraising group that has helped support KFUO. I was surprised to see Patty Wente speaking on behalf of this fundraising group — she used to be general manager of KWMU, the city’s main NPR station, until she was dismissed amid controversy last year.