This is really bad news. As I said when I first posted on this, with WBUR already an all news/talk station, we really don't need this. Dan at Soundslope wrote about this awhile back when something similar happened in Chicago- read it. In short it's about the money. (Grimace mutter grumble...)
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
No-no radio
I apologize, again I have screwed up. While WGBH is keeping it's jazz programming, as well as A Celtic Sojourn and Prarie Home Companion, it is dumping all of its weekend folk and blues programming in favor of talking heads. GBH announcement here. The Notlob blog brought this to my attention. The blog also lists what you can do to at least try to change things. (Local people, I would call WGBH and tell them you will not give them money until they start programming more music. May not help, can't hurt.) If you are a member, cancel your membership immediately. It seem that only money talks for them...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
notloBMusic first reported WGBH dropping "Folk on WGBH" and "Blues on WGBH" on November 26. Read that article at http://notlobmusic.blogspot.com/2009/11/wgbh-drops-folk-and-blues-programs.html
I attended the public comment part of the 12/2 WGBH board of directors meeting and will be posting my notes asap.
If you have a Facebook account I invite you to join the "supporters of folk and blues on WGBH" group - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=201481030324&ref=ts
where, in the "discussions" area are more than a dozen actions one can take to register your opinion about the program cancellations.
Re "In short it's about the money. (Grimace mutter grumble...)" you got that right. WGBH is not "public radio", at least the suites sitting around the polished table at the board of directors meeting certainly do not like the "public" I see at folk and blues concerts and festivals.
Jim Kweskin offered this to the "supporters of folk and blues on WGBH" Facebook group:
"I can only assume this has something to do with the almighty dollar. Isn't this supposed to be public radio and aren't we the public. Folk music has been a mainstay on WGBH for as long as I can remember. Acoustic artists are as popular as ever and in some ways even more popular then in days gone by. I don't get it. WGBH should be ashamed of itself. Well, as Ma Joad said, "We're the people and you can't stop us and you can't lick us. We just keep coming, 'cause we're the people."
~ Jim Kweskin, November 11, 2009.
Post a Comment