The move that we had been waiting for and expecting has finally commenced: WGMS will change its call letters and format - and be our classical station no more. A few minutes ago WGMS broadcast its last bit of classical music (the final chorus of Bach's St. Matthew Passion) and bid its listenership goodbye. After over 30 years of being the most listened-to classical radio station in America (as percentage of market) and the most profitable classical music radio station every of the last six years, Bonneville has decided that, after a bungled sale-attempt to Dan Snyder’s Red Zebra network, that WGMS had no future as a classical station.
WETA is able to use this opportunity to save face and take over classical music – starting at 8PM tonight. They will receive WGMS’ music library, their program director (and presumably other staff, too), its call letters, and on-air support from WTOP and whichever station will transmit on 104.1 – just as WETA (now WGMS) will promote Bonneville’s stations. Read more in the Washington Post on this.
Regrettable as this move may be, it makes sense for everyone involved. After once putting WGMS on the market, advertisers were not likely going to return and commit to an uncertain future – making the future financial success of WGMS less likely. Nor is classical music a format with a great commercial future to begin with, even if this particular station was doing extraordinarily well. Ensuring that WETA will take over the classical format will avert at least some of the negative publicity that Bonneville does not want (but was bound to get for abandoning a profitable classical music station). For WETA it makes sense, because their move to all-talk had not resulted in any of the hoped benefits that the board and GM had promised – but plenty anger among long-time contributors and public figures in Washington. For the consumer, finally, the move should be appreciated because WETA will be able to offer slightly fewer commercials (even if they are not called “commercials” on public radio), a much stronger signal, and slightly more varied and ambitious programming.
It's very sad news, but at least the D.C. area will still have classical music. I'm curious if WETA will keep the WGMS on-air staff. The article mentions that 10 people will be let go.
ReplyDeleteI miss Dennis Owens (sigh).
I promised that, if WETA returned to its classical music format, there would be no triumphant, self-satisfied crowing from me.
ReplyDeleteOne question: did the plan to donate all of WETA's CD library, to some college somewhere, go through? If it did, that's a shame to have lost that collection, given that the all-news experiment was a failure.
According to the Washington Post, WGMS' CD library was added to WETA's:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/22/AR2007012200579.html
Is WETA embracing WGMS' classical lite approach -- lots of Vivaldi concerti, no vocal music -- or doing a more traditional format like WBJC in Baltimore?
ReplyDeleteabettel, the answer is that we don't know yet. Announcements about programming are forthcoming from the station.
ReplyDeleteWell, yes and no. That depends on who gets the last word. WETA will be able to do well what it always had been able to do well (fewer commercial breaks, longer pieces, choral works on occasion) -- but the music selection of Public Radio Stations is as bad if not worse than commercial... i.e. only "pleasant" and "relaxing" music. If we get DC people in the arts to lobby sufficiently of a non-anemic Classical WETA, we might end up with a good station, after all.
ReplyDeleteWhen I arrived in Loudoun County, VA, in April 1994, my Son said "Tune your radio to 103.5, and here's a map :-)" Radios in house, car, office, and eventually streaming, stayed right there. First shock was Dennis Owens' retirement. Then the big one, with similar effect to a death in the family, when Snyder, in a typical classless move, was to dump our beloved Classical format, in favor of another dime-a-dozen sports talk show. With extreme gratitude, I learned that WETA, Bless their hearts, not only would return to a Classical Music format, but with the added beauty of not only WGMS' music collection, but several of its beloved personalities. To this day, even through moves to West Virginia, and now to the Indianapolis area, I can maintain that contact, which means so much, by Streaming and Bluetooth. It gives me much pleasure to hear Chip Brienza and Nicole LaCroix, and even the "New" regulars, and the music legacy left us by Richard Allison keeps it all together. Thank You WETA!
ReplyDelete...and thank you, Carol Furnée, for your comment, even as I only read it now, well over a year after you posted yours! Thanks for reading and enjoy listening to WETA!
ReplyDelete