Boston-area radio fans: Has WCRB's SQ taken a dive recently?

mhardy6647

Lunatic Member
Decided to switch on some easy FM listenin' last night for dinner -- tuned in WCRB-FM on the Sherwood and it sounded really nasty: sort of flat, lifeless, no HF. Checked neighboring stations and a few of the the "low end" stations and they all sounded fine (well, normal). Now, this is a mono tuner... has the in-band digital stuff struck me, or was it just a bad night for WCRB, or... ?

Thanks for your attention!
 
I haven't noticed much of a change out here in Metrowest. Seems the signal varies by the weather more than anything, with, oddly enough, low clouds providing the best signal. Sorry to hear that the station had been sold. Not providing enough advertising dollars I would guess.
 
Mrh,

I'll try to remember to listen tonight. I'll report back to you- but due to my lack of outdoor antenna hookup, I'm running off an indoor terk which really doesn't do it for me. I'll try though.

Ovenmaster, that's horrible news. Is nothing sacred?
 
WCRB not playing classical?! I grew up with that station and it was the intro to classical for me. No way, next you'll tell me the world is flat. It will be the end of civilization as we know it. Really, this will be a sad changeover in format for me since I really did grow up with it and it was a core listening source for me with some wonderful systems, friends and times including Saul Marantz, Frank McIntosh, Avery Fisher, HH Scott, George Colt, Art Janszen and others. Sort of the death of another old time friend though we have not been together in some years. If it happens, please on the night before the change hold an Irsh wake for the passing and host a brew for me.
 
thedelihaus said:
Mrh,

I'll try to remember to listen tonight. I'll report back to you- but due to my lack of outdoor antenna hookup, I'm running off an indoor terk which really doesn't do it for me. I'll try though.

Ovenmaster, that's horrible news. Is nothing sacred?
Like the story says, there are fewer than 27 classical commercial stations in the U.S., maybe less. Classical just doesn't bring in the audiences with lots of cash to spend, so now most classical is on public/college stations.
No, nothing's sacred where money's involved:(
Tom
 
MRH,

Listened to WCRB last night, the night before, and a bit today. I did have to move my terk indoor antenna to improve the signal- the usual position results in static. I canot however tell if this is due to our odd weather (like today's snow), or a degradation in signal. so my answer will have to be a possibly/maybe.

But if so, it appears to be slight on my end. Note- from Harvard mass to Waltham's Moody street, it's about 27.5 miles. From the same spot to abington, it's 32.5 miles.
 
From this morning's NorthEast Radio Watch at http://www.fybush.com/nerw.html

"Did WCRB's classical format almost end up on Emerson College's WERS (88.9 Boston)? That's what Globe business columnist Steve Bailey says. Bailey reports that Greater Media CEO Peter Smyth, who serves on Emerson's board, brought the college a proposal under which Greater would have LMA'd WERS (at a reported $10 million/year), replacing the current student-programmed blocks of folk, jazz, hip-hop, reggae and rock with the classical music that Greater Media hopes to displace from WCRB's 102.5 signal if and when it reaches a deal to buy the station.

Emerson, however, rejected the offer out of hand. Despite the substantial sum of money involved, the school's officials say the important instructional role that WERS plays in their communications program is too important to give up.

Is Greater Media having trouble putting together a deal for WCRB that will pass muster with Charles River Broadcasting, and with the trust established by the station's late founder, Rev. Theodore Jones, that (reportedly) required classical programming to somehow be preserved until late into the century? We're hearing from within WCRB that staffers remain in limbo - but that they now expect to continue doing classical until at least sometime this fall."

Tom
 
This is quite frustrating. I wish they'd take a few of the crap commercial stations from the top end of the Boston dial and change their format to classical.
 
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