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No Classical in ATL
- Thread starter BIGSTICK
- Start date
WABE did have it in the middays but all-talk improved the ratings. You also had three strong college stations who had no interest in classical and a Pacifica affiliate who'd rather die than play music from very old dead European men. There's a religious translator in Atlanta but they have a co-channel in Marietta resulting in interference so bad to make both useless. The logical station to do it would be GPB.
No different from many other major markets where the NPR station that used to be Classical is now all News and Talk.
Noncommercial stations are not allowed to run commercials except they do, disguised as underwriting mentions. Classical attracts demographics too old to sell.
I wonder why somebody has not tried the K Love model with classical. No commercials (just beg-a-thons). Staff expenses spread out over multiple stations. Because of the length of some classical pieces you could even VT with un paid "guests" while getting started. They could use educational or commercial channels. There have been postings on this board that EMF has a rather large bank account and is buying stations with cash. They must be doing something correct.
I can think of a decent Atlanta commercial FM signal that would be a candidate to be sold to a non commercial outfit.
I can think of a decent Atlanta commercial FM signal that would be a candidate to be sold to a non commercial outfit.
FYI Classical is not available in market #6 either. And it's only part-time in market #4 (shared with jazz at night).
The local NPR station in #6 attempted to do full time classical, but it didn't make enough money to pay the bills, and they ended up selling the station to religion.
KDFC plays Jazz? News to me.
Classical manages to keep afloat, if barely, in many major markets, but the demographics of Houston may have hastened the demise of classical. Less of a hyper-educated population compared to DC, more conservative/religious market yet more first generation immigrants from Mexico. Combine these factors and there you go.
Also, the KUHA of old had a spotty signal in more affluent, hyper-educated parts of Houston (River Oaks, West University Place, Bellaire, etc.) and places like Uptown and the Energy Corridor. Also, indoor radios in Sugar Land, Mission Bend, and Cinco Ranch are a non-factor for the station. Having less optimal reception for indoor radios did not help with in-office listening.
My mistake, market #9, Philadelphia. WRTI splits its day between classical & jazz.
Here is the list of Top 20 Markets. Four have no Classical station. A couple have part time Classical outlets.
1. NYC...105.9 WQXR
2. Los Angeles...91.5 KUSC (with simulcast stations in Santa Barbara and Ventura.)
3. Chicago...98.7 WFMT
4. San Francisco...90.3 KDFC (with simulcast stations in San Jose and Napa Valley.)
5. Dallas...101.1 WRR (Still a commercial station, owned by the City of Dallas.)
6. Houston...No station. (91.7 KUHA was sold to a religious broadcaster.)
7. Atlanta...No station. (90.1 WABE once played some Classical music but is now NPR News and Info.)
8. Washington...90.9 WETA-FM (Often in the Top 10.)
9. Philadelphia...90.1 WRTI (Classical by day/Jazz at night, plus all-Classical WWFM in the suburbs.)
10. Boston...99.5 WCRB
11. Miami...no station (93.1 WTMI used to be a fulltime commercial classical outlet.)
12. Seattle...98.1 KING (Recently made the transition from commercial to listener-supported.)
13. Phoenix...89.5 KBAQ
14. Detroit...90.9 WRCJ (Classical by day/Jazz at night, plus CBE-FM in Windsor has some Classical programming.)
15. Minneapolis...99.5 KSJN
16. San Diego...No station. (104.9 XHLNC Tijuana once served both cities with automated classical. All announcements were in both English and Spanish. That ended when its owner died a few years ago.)
17. Tampa...89.1 WSMR (from Sarasota, with a Tampa translator.)
18. Puerto Rico...91.3 WIPR-FM (Spanish)
19. Denver...88.1 KVOD
20. Long Island...105.9 WQXR (from New York. The signal only covers part of L.I.)
In Canada, Toronto and Montreal have full time commercial classical stations. Toronto's CFMZ 96.3 is sometimes in the Top 5 stations. In Montreal, 99.5 CJPX is French Classical. The CBC has two FM networks, one English, one French, with some Classical hours, "CBC Music" and "SRC Ici Musique."
1. NYC...105.9 WQXR
2. Los Angeles...91.5 KUSC (with simulcast stations in Santa Barbara and Ventura.)
3. Chicago...98.7 WFMT
4. San Francisco...90.3 KDFC (with simulcast stations in San Jose and Napa Valley.)
5. Dallas...101.1 WRR (Still a commercial station, owned by the City of Dallas.)
6. Houston...No station. (91.7 KUHA was sold to a religious broadcaster.)
7. Atlanta...No station. (90.1 WABE once played some Classical music but is now NPR News and Info.)
8. Washington...90.9 WETA-FM (Often in the Top 10.)
9. Philadelphia...90.1 WRTI (Classical by day/Jazz at night, plus all-Classical WWFM in the suburbs.)
10. Boston...99.5 WCRB
11. Miami...no station (93.1 WTMI used to be a fulltime commercial classical outlet.)
12. Seattle...98.1 KING (Recently made the transition from commercial to listener-supported.)
13. Phoenix...89.5 KBAQ
14. Detroit...90.9 WRCJ (Classical by day/Jazz at night, plus CBE-FM in Windsor has some Classical programming.)
15. Minneapolis...99.5 KSJN
16. San Diego...No station. (104.9 XHLNC Tijuana once served both cities with automated classical. All announcements were in both English and Spanish. That ended when its owner died a few years ago.)
17. Tampa...89.1 WSMR (from Sarasota, with a Tampa translator.)
18. Puerto Rico...91.3 WIPR-FM (Spanish)
19. Denver...88.1 KVOD
20. Long Island...105.9 WQXR (from New York. The signal only covers part of L.I.)
In Canada, Toronto and Montreal have full time commercial classical stations. Toronto's CFMZ 96.3 is sometimes in the Top 5 stations. In Montreal, 99.5 CJPX is French Classical. The CBC has two FM networks, one English, one French, with some Classical hours, "CBC Music" and "SRC Ici Musique."
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Not sure how long it will remain commercial. The city recently signed North Texas Public Radio to manage the station. They have agreed to retain the classical format.
The real story here is that classical is moving to public radio. The future of the format depends on the listeners to the station contributing money. Most of them are used to that by now. Just as local symphonies are dependent on their subscribers.
News/Talk is more popular on public radio than ever before.
That's what I prefer, but I don't have it 24 hours a day on my NPR station, WLRN as it still carries Jazz Monday-Saturday nights (despite having a full-timer doing that on 88.9 WDNA), folk music on Sundays, and old big band and swing on Sunday nights.
I don't have that 24-hour news and info option that WGCU Fort Myers, WMFE Orlando, and a few others across the state still have.
That's what I prefer, but I don't have it 24 hours a day on my NPR station, WLRN as it still carries Jazz Monday-Saturday nights (despite having a full-timer doing that on 88.9 WDNA), folk music on Sundays, and old big band and swing on Sunday nights.
I don't have that 24-hour news and info option that WGCU Fort Myers, WMFE Orlando, and a few others across the state still have.
Yes, the #1 market has WQXR, but it's on a much diminished signal on 105.9 with approximately a tenth of the wattage that it had on 96.3. And it's owned and operated by New York Public Radio. The WQXR calls became legendary when it was "the station of the New York Times."
WQXR is on the same tower as 96.3. I believe it covers NYC's 5 boroughs with 60DB. We have a similar situation in Atlanta. 106.7 and 104.7 are on the same tower with 106.7 having a power advantage but in the last 10 years, 104.7 has beat 106.7 6+ ever since 106.7 dropped county.
Meanwhile, here in Cleveland,the Classical station got a bump to the stronger 90.3 signal, which actually decreased the NPR station’s coverage in parts of the metro when Ideastream and WKSU merged earlier this year. WCLV does play Jazz in overnights.
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