The oldest American commercial classical station is commercial no more, but it will remain classical. WQXR will be sold by The New York Times to public radio station WNYC and Univision.
The call letters and the classical music will move across the dial from 96.3 to a weaker signal at 105.9, while Univision’s Spanish-language WCAA will move to 96.3.
Ever since the news that WUFT at the University of Florida in Gainesville is switching from classical music to news/talk, Mike and Mona and I have been privately batting around a discussion about what classical stations need to do to survive and thrive. We thought you might want to join the discussion.
In the last few days more has surfaced online about the format switch at WUFT in Gainesville, Fla., which I wrote about Monday. The Gainesville Sun ran two collections of letters from readers, most of whom wrote to oppose the change. Their comments echo some of the critical comments on my previous post and in e-mails sent or forwarded to me. One Sun correspondent in particular wrote movingly about the importance of music:
On July 2, my mother passed away. Her final illness was sudden and brief, but she lingered for several hours before making a peaceful departure. During those hours, I was so glad that I could turn on the radio and fill her room with beautiful classical music. I believe that both she and I benefited from the peace and serenity that the music brought with it. I didn’t have to search the internet or look for CDs to give her that final gift of beauty; Classic 89 was right there at my fingertips.
Dayton Public Radio in Ohio, a full-time classical public radio station, is looking for a music director. The job description paints a picture of an appealing workplace: Can you fill some big shoes? Better yet, do you have even bigger ones? Do you value a workplace where your ideas are not only encouraged, but fostered in a supportive and non-bureaucratic environment limited only by your imagination and dedication, a place where your sleeves had better be rolled up by the end of the day? Here’s the full job description. You can also … Continue Reading