Globe articles on WCRB, WGBH

[Dan.Strassberg]

Clearly, there was no _requirement_ that WGBH make any program changes
on any of its frequencies or subchannels as a result of acquiring
WCRB, BUT economics dictated the changes that have been made. As you
said, WGBH probably doesn't want to compete with itself, although
didn't it used to compete with itself? That is, wasn't there a 24/7
classical service on an 89.7 HD subchannel that was different from the
midday classical programming broadcast on 89.7 analog (and main HD)
before 12/1/09? With the advent of a 24/7 WCRB simulcast on 89.7 HD-2
(or is it HD-3?), my understanding is that the subchannel-only 24/7
classical programming on 89.7 has been discontinued.

Putting news/talk on 89.7 was obviously done to tap into the larger
(and apparently more generous) community of listeners who support
WBUR. WBUR ran a feature over the weekend that discussed the situation
in a number of large markets where two or more public radio news/talk
stations compete. Boston is not unique in that respect. I can't
remember most of the markets that were mentioned, but Seattle was
one--and not the only one.

-----
Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net)
eFax 1-707-215-6367

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Larry Weil" <kc1ih@mac.com>
To: <boston-radio-interest@rolinin.bostonradio.org>
Sent: Saturday, December 19, 2009 9:06 AM
Subject: RE: Globe articles on WCRB, WGBH


> At 08:21 AM 12/19/2009, John Mullaney wrote:
>
>>Stop complaining.
>
> Why?  If nobody complained there would be no activity on this list,
> and people would be complaining about that. :-)
>
> Seriously, there is no reason why WGBH buying WCRB would require
> that they drop all classical from WGBH, except perhaps a sense that
> they don't want to be competing with themselves.  And there's
> nothing in this to justify the dropping of the folk and blues shows
> by WGBH.
>
>
> Larry Weil
> Lake Wobegone, NH