Time for National Private Radio (The death of classical music on Washington's NPR station)

The Weekly Standard ^ | February 28, 2005 | Andrew Ferguson, for the Editors

[Cornpone]

Classical music is one of my weaknesses. I will miss it.

[Feiny]

Then play a CD...or listen to a station that has paid ads.

[FoxInSocks]

I listen to Classical 103.5.

[HarryCaul]

it's not a great loss, really. NPR's classical shows are by and large superficial wastes of time. Classical music for people who don't like classical music.

Thank god I live in in a place with a station like KUSC, a station with hosts who actually know something about he music they play. I gave up long ago on NPR and their smug hosts (both music and news).

[Feiny]

KUSC is fantastic.

[SoDak]

I have my bedroom radio tuned to the all-music classical SDPR station here. Removing classical music would be the last nail in the coffin of Public Radio in my house. If the left wants to build a network of leftist talk radio, they should do it on their own dime.

[Drango]

Interesting, but a rather weak condemnation of NPR. Surely the Weekly Standard could have marshaled other arguments?

Such as: Does the constitution even suggest that government should fund propaganda? How about the lack of balance? Public Radio does accept advertising that they disingenuously label "underwriting". Finally Federal tax funds aren't the only tax dollars in play as the states contribute a bunch to NPR.

Plainly I'll have to write the next editorial for 'em:-)

[billorites]

There are wonderful classical music stations on the web.

The Danish stations play a great variety of classics and I've heard a ton of stuff you'd never get on an American station.

[tomkat]

WETA will fall to earth as just another all-news slant, all-talk socialist drivel station

'Course, they could always plant some rhubarb in the lot out back,
pick up a few hundred K in federal farm subsidies, and Bach around the clock...

[rabidralph]

Also XM and Sirius probably have classical music too.

[Drango]

buncho links...
http://www.classical.net/music/links/musradio.html

[expatpat]

WETA was an excellent station for classical music. I for one will miss it -- instead of music, we'll get the liberal verbal barrage now, I suppose.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

There goes My only reason for tuning in.

[macbee]

WETA's transformation is a blow to the cultural life of the Washington metropolitan area, of course, which despite its succulent demographics in income and education levels has always struggled to maintain institutions that promote the fine arts.

"Succulent demographics"? DC's median household income is lower than the US median, it has ca. 20% below the poverty line (vs. ca. 12% for the US a whole), and the population is skewed far more toward African-Americans than most of the rest of the US. How are these demos "succulent" for a station playing music created by "dead white Europeans"?

[Maceman]

and the nation's capital will be left without a public radio station devoted to beautiful and intelligent music.

Oh the horrors! God forbid someone should actually have to load up a classical music CD into their sound system. Puh-leeze.

It's a hell of a lot easier for classical music afficianados (afficianadi, for you snobs) to hear classical music today than it EVER was when it was actually being created -- back when you either had to play an instrument yourself, have an invite to the Emperor's parties, or take a one-to-five days ride on a horsecart to get somewhere where you might be in earshot of a performance.

We live in the most arts-rich society in the history of civilization -- znd still we have people complaining because government isn't funding the arts enough.

[Grut]

I don't care; when the New York Times took WQXR-AM off the air, I resolved to go out in the yard and eat worms. Blasted money-grubbing poltroons.

So far as PBS goes, I don't believe those middlebrows ever quite comprehended the difference between classical and folk music... they both use violins, don't they?

Besides, when they did play classical music it was always the three 'B's: Bloch, Bruckner and Brubeck.

[cyborg]

QXR is still on the air. I just turned it on.

[WorkingClassFilth]

"...public radio is being transformed into the nation's first government-funded news service.:

ACHTUNG! ACHTUNG!

You vill listen UND you vill belief vat chu hear. Zat iss all.

[Bogolyubski]

Very interesting and informative article. The author is quite correct about the direction of public radio. The questions conservatives need to ask is: why do we need to spend tax dollars to duplicate programming that already exists in the private sector? The generation of station managers mentioned are so typical of liberals - using tax dollars to fund their propaganda objectives. (NPR is wall-to-wall leftism, for anyone who hasn't had the experience of listening.)

Also, accepting that classical music and other forms of less-known music are a public good - why should it be directly funded with taxpayer money? After all, ins't that what non-profits are for? The thing that a lot of folks forget about tax money is that it is money that is essentially extracted from the public by the threat of force. Think not? Try not paying your taxes and see what happens. At least with a non-profit, those who believe in promoting the arts can voluntarily contribute money for this purpose, and deduct the donations form their taxable income.