Klarinet Archive - Posting 000608.txt from 2001/03

From: Richard Bush <rbushidioglot@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Pulling the plug on classical music.
Date: Fri, 23 Mar 2001 08:55:05 -0500

George,

Your report is somewhat encouraging. I know that people actually picketed the
KUER studio facilities with signs and an outcry about dropping classical music. I
think that come voting time "pledge programming" those who are objecting will
make their feeling loud and clear with their pocketbooks (not giving money). You
know the old saying, "Money talks and BS walks."

I've sent several cries of outrage to various people at the station. Got one
response from the fellow who is in charge of jazz programming. In my email to
him, I suggested that he might be the next to go. I sure hope not.

Events such as this take months to shake down. I'll keep the group informed if
some of you are interested, and I'm assuming you might be.

George Kidder wrote:

> And now for the good news. As of yesterday, MPBN has changed their schedule
> again, restoring the Met, adding a "Opera in Maine" program once a week,
> restoring "Pipe Dreams" and some other classical music shows, instituting a
> mixed classical, country and jazz program, removing some of the more
> objectionable talk programs (but not all of them!) and otherwise showing that
> they are not immune to pressure. I have not been able to sample most of the
> changes, but that is what the newspaper reports under the headline "The Fat
> Lady Sings!" More important, they act as if they realize that it is
> counterproductive to make such changes in an arbitrary way, without input from
> their Citizens Advisory Board or anyone else outside of their own staff. And
> now that the listeners are stirred up, we know how we have to react in the
> future when they try this sort of thing - as I'm sure they will.
>
> At 03:35 PM 03/20/2001 -0500, I wrote:
> >A similar problem has attacked classical music on the Maine Public
> >Broadcasting Network. They changed the schedule (just AFTER a pledge
> >drive) so that for a solid 7 hours during the day, there are nothing but
> >blab shows. As a final insult, they canned the Met opera on Saturday
> >afternoons - not that I personally was ever a fan of it, but for those who
> >were, it was the only way to get it in most of the state. And indeed,
> >there has been a stink, and it is not at all sure at this point who will
> >win. Some have demanded their pledges back - with success. Others of us
> >intend to pledge $1 each time, in protest, until some satisfactory
> >resolution is achieved. (Some of the more militant say they will pledge $1
> >by credit card, leaving the system with a net 20 cents.) Having attended
> >the public protest meetings with the managers, it is clear that they are
> >not interested in education, but only in fund raising. If they won't
> >listen to reason, they may have to be forced. I hope we can do it.
> >
> >
> >
> > At 12:01 3/20/01 -0700, you wrote:
> >>After forty years of broadcasting GREAT classical music from KUER,
> >>University of Utah, Gene Pack, host of four hours of classical music
> >>programming has been told to hit the road.
> >>
> >>Jazz is still on in the evenings, but if one form of music for the
> >>enlightened is eliminated, that other form of music that appeals to a
> >>similarly enlightened listening audience can't be long for this world.
> >>The bean counters are winning.
> >>
> >>I'm sad. I'm outraged. KUER was my link with music culture. I have let
> >>them know. I don't think this decision will go by without a huge stink

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