[BC] Classical Radio (was Digital Interference)

[John Vodenik]

I wish we had classical here in the valley.  Costs me $100 a month for cable 
to hear classical.

John @ VOA / Delano

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Orban" <rorban at earthlink.net>
To: <broadcast at radiolists.net>
Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2005 5:03 PM
Subject: [BC] Classical Radio (was Digital Interference)


> At 09:48 AM 12/20/2005, you wrote:
>>From: "Steve" <shnewman at alaweb.com>
>>Subject: Re: [BC] Digital Interference
>>To: "Broadcast Radio Mailing List" <broadcast at radiolists.net>
>>Message-ID: <001301c60535$92cdbc40$7402a8c0 at wildblue.com>
>>Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="iso-8859-1"
>>
>>Robert:
>>
>>Programming a Classical music station in San Francisco (as I did for Ed
>>Davis at KDFC in 1980 with tapes with the announcements built in) I beat
>>KKHI. No big deal. It's like shooting fish in a barrel to program a
>>Classical station in San Francisco. Those kinds of numbers can only be
>>achieved in San Francisco. Seattle is another easy one. Did mornings for
>>KING-FM for 5 years (82-87). Morning drive was 5th in the demo. Now (if I
>>may pat myself on the back for a moment) programming a Classical music
>>station in Dallas, TX is another story. But between the guy who now 
>>programs
>>the Classical Channel "Maestro" on WorldSpace (my former Music Director at
>>WRR) and myself we pulled a 3.1 share. The highest ratings the station had
>>ever had in it's 50 years. Now that was fun. Dallas Symphony in the 
>>Meyerson
>>is another sound to hear. Next to the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Hall, the
>>Meyerson comes in at #2. I believe the new hall in Singapore is in there 
>>now
>>as far as acoustics.
>>
>>Back to San Francisco. This might be a case of "Well, they're the only one
>>in the market" statement...and they are. But I would bet money that if
>>another came along and started with the modern stuff and added vocals KDFC
>>would still win.
>>I feel another debate coming on. I'm ducking already. :)
>
> IIRC, when KKHI finally disappeared, KDFC's ratings immediately increased 
> to almost exactly the sum of the ratings of the two stations prior to 
> KKHI's format change.
>
> Ironically, back in the days of KDFC's "so stiff it sounds embalmed" 
> presentation, the music programming was more eclectic and interesting than 
> it is now. Some of the tapes that Steve Waldee prepared (in the '70s) from 
> his collection of around 5000 classical LPs introduced me to worthwhile 
> music that I never have sought out on my own.
>
> KDFC is programming for ratings and is getting very good numbers. 
> Moreover, I give it credit for being much more involved with the San 
> Francisco performing arts community than it ever was under Ed Davis There 
> is obviously a big audience for the "classical music as the new Beautiful 
> Music format," not intended for attentive listening. If I were programming 
> a commercial classical station today, I would probably go in the same 
> direction because it provides a viable alternative to "smooth jazz" for 
> listeners who want something soothing in the background during their 
> workdays. Nevertheless, listening to single movements from symphonies and 
> concerti, pulled raw and still bleeding from the complete works, is not my 
> personal cup of tea.
>
> San Francisco needs a non-comm classical station (like Sacramento's KXPR, 
> a 100KW flamethrower that is a delight to listen to) that serves the more 
> serious listener. Judging from the reception that contemporary and 
> "difficult" works get at live SF Symphony concerts, I am convinced that 
> there is an audience for this kind of radio in SF, although I am sure it 
> would never get KDFC's ratings. But serving audiences that are 
> under-served by commercial radio is the whole point of non-comm radio, 
> isn't it? Or at least it should be.
>
> Bob Orban
>
>
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