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).
KUSC is fantastic.
I agree with you. In fact I just pledged $120 bucks to KUSC last week. We ARE lucky to live someplace with a good classical station.
But I disagree that it's not a great loss for people that live in places where there is no other classical stations. I agree with that author that the preservation and promotion of classical music and the arts IS a good unto itself.