The new WGBH lineup

[mike@miscon.net]

While I am employed by The WGBH Educational Foundation, the views
expressed here are my own, and do not necessarily reflect the management
of that august institution. 

It is kind of weird that I used to
work at 99.5fm when it was WSSH, and now it’s part of my broadcast
career once again. I will have to break out the ol’ “Easy
Favorites of Yesterday and Today” mug for kicks, on December 1st.

As a “radio guy” - and listener - I am disappointed
that a decision has been made to replace two locally produced programs
(blues and folk) on 89.7 with nationally produced and syndicated programs.
I have already expressed this to some people at management at WGBH, so if
they’re reading this, it is not news to them that I feel this way.
However, considering the frequency of changes in commercial radio formats,
ownership changes, and the re-staffing that can take place after a bad
book or two, it’s been about 13 years since WGBH has made any
significant programming modifications (I’m referring here to
“The World”).

I am excited about the possibilities
that the WCRB acquisition may provide, especially for more locally
produced programming, for WGBH. As many of you have already noted, the
WGBH broadcast schedule is in a state of flux, and I’m sure it will
be for some time. (I have no inside information to share, sorry!) It will
certainly be interesting to see what emerges… and I suppose this
could be the chance for people to pitch that “better” program
they’ve always wanted to produce.

Mike