Inside Radio tweets (as seen here on radioinsight) that WGBH may buy WCRB to keep the classical format going (as commercial entity? non comm?) Awaiting more word.
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Poss of WGBH buying WCRB
(5 posts)-
raccoonradio
offlineMemberPosted 11 months ago # -
raccoonradio
offlineMemberIt's confirmed. WGBH's site says they will make 99.5 non commercial and asks classical fans to support their "new classical service" with donations.
Posted 11 months ago # -
Joseph_Gallant
offlineMemberMy guess is that classical music will vanish from WGBH-89.7.
What 'GBH should do with 89.7 is dump NPR news/information programs from drivetimes, move "The World" (a news program co-produced by WGBH and the BBC) to 7-8 P.M. (repeat 4-5 A.M.), and turn 89.7 into a jazz station, expanding their successful evening/overnight jazz service into the daytime hours, including drive times.
Under this scenario, jazz on weekdays would run 5 A.M.-7 P.M., and 8 P.M.-4 A.M.
And this may not be the only station 'GBH buys.
Is Plymouth's WPLM-99.1 up for sale?
Buying it would fill-in the gaps in the southern suburbs, as well as restoring a strong 24/7 classical music signal to Southeastern Massachusetts and Providence.
Posted 11 months ago # -
Joseph_Gallant
offlineMemberWhile it's been speculated that WGBH-89.7 may go all-day (or even 24/7) NPR news/info, I don't think it can succeed because of WBUR-90.9's dominance in that format.
Some years back, classical-formatted WETA-90.9 in Washington went 24/7 NPR news/info, taking-on rival WAMU-88.5 (which had been 24/7 NPR news/info for years) head-to-head, with much of the same NPR programming as WAMU.
It didn't work, and as a result, WETA went back to classical (now 24/7) where they've had more success with audience and donations.
If there were no 24/'7 NPR news/info station in Boston, WGBH might have succeeded with it. But since there is, I think 'GBH should look to expand jazz to 22 hours a day (as per my previous post). I think it might just succeed.
One other note: If Entercom is thinking of using both 107.3 and 93.7 for WEEI (since it will move from AM to FM in the near future), and decides to dump both WAAF and "Mike FM" (instead of moving either to 97.7), could Entercom unload 97.7 to WGBH for the latter to use to simulcast 99.5??
Doing so wiould help solve the signal issues WCRB has had south of Boston since it's move to 99.5 a few years back.
Posted 11 months ago # -
raccoonradio
offlineMemberDespite WBUR's news-talk shows being there I would think WGBH would keep its daytime lineup either all news/talk or maybe put jazz on in the middle of the day. Classical probably would vanish from 89.7 in favor of 99.5 (almost like what Vermont Public Radio has--one service/network with news, non-classical music, talk, and one for classical)
I would think they get underwriting support & listener contributions for the drivetime news/talk, despite any duplication from WBUR
Buying WPLM? Don't know, but the Radio Equalizer blog suspects Entercom wanted to buy 99.5 to put WEEI there somehow (or Mike?) and their plans were foiled and possibly they could put WEEI/Red Sox on 99.1...only that signal doesn't do too well to the west and north of Boston (WELL north and west, I mean). Classical on 99.1 would help some areas of SE Mass but don't forget on the Cape they do have WFCC 107.5
Is there enough interest in jazz to expand it on 89.7, even more? Don't know. A quick look at the WGBH site says 89.7 has jazz mid. to 5 am, news/talk 5-9 am, classical 9 am to 4 pm (that will go to 99.5), news/talk 4-8 pm--they do list The World as being 7-8 pm and jazz 8-mid. That's just the weekday lineup.
Posted 11 months ago #
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