Seattle's KING-FM moving from commercial to listener support

[The Big Ben]

The fishwrap this morning describes the move of KING-FM, Seattle's commercial classical radio station since 1948, to a listener supported model:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/l ... fm24m.html" target="_blank

KING-FM was founded in 1948 as kind of a plaything for Mrs. Dorothy Stimson Bullitt, the founder of KING-TV 5 in Seattle in the same time frame. She was wealthy before she started the broadcasting endeavors and, by the time she passed away in 1990, she was one of the wealthiest women in the country, owning three TV stations, a number of radio stations and production facilities which were used by her own companies and others. She liked classical music and wanted to hear it in her home on one of the new FM radios that offered higher fidelity than AM. In 1948, she had to provide it for herself and kept it running over the years. It actually was in the top 10 of Seattle stations most of its history.

Upon her death, her heirs sold the company to various organizations but gave KING-FM to a arts corporation named "Beethoven, Inc." This is a non-profit organization to keep KING-FM true to its roots and to use the profits of the commercial radio station to fund the arts in Seattle, including the Seattle Symphony and Seattle Opera. Until the last few years, the station was able to raise a few millions per year to be used for the arts. Due to a general downturn of the economy and a different measure of listeners, the contributions to the arts will be very low this year.

Compounded with the iPod which can be stuffed with hours of your favorite tunes and other sources such as XM radio, KING-FM has suffered. It is hoped that by becoming listener supported and more responsive to listener desires for programming, hence enticing more listener contributions, the station can survive....

KING-FM has always been good but, after listening to stations such as Chicago's WFMT, I can see how KING-FM's programming could be improved in the future. There are four 'popular' public radio stations in the market, begging for funds every six months. We'll just have to wait and see how it goes...


Jeff "Planning to join" Benedict

[bort]

I hope it works out for them!

The classical station in Baltimore, WBJC, is also quite good (to me). It's member-supported, and their pledge drives have always seen to be well done and as unobtrusive as possible. A small price to pay to 1) not hear stupid radio commercials and 2) hear *full pieces* [nothing worse than hearing only 1 movement of a symphony]. Haha, and also, as they should, they pronounce Ralph Vaughn Williams' first name correctly ("Rafe"). That's worth a few bucks right there!

[scottw]

I hope it works out for them!

The classical station in Baltimore, WBJC, is also quite good (to me). It's member-supported, and their pledge drives have always seen to be well done and as unobtrusive as possible. A small price to pay to 1) not hear stupid radio commercials and 2) hear *full pieces* [nothing worse than hearing only 1 movement of a symphony]. Haha, and also, as they should, they pronounce Ralph Vaughn Williams' first name correctly ("Rafe"). That's worth a few bucks right there!

As a matter of fact, we are heading down to Harford County in a few minutes, where I always enjoy WBJC on the ride. It is so much better than the half-time classical station in Philly, WRTI, which plays jazz the other 12 hours a day.You seldom get a whole symphony from them! WBJC is among the best of it's type I've ever found----here's one for downtrodden Baltimore.

[Steve Marcus]

WFMT-FM in Chicago, which still accepts commercial ads (announcer-read only, thank goodness no raucous recorded ads) along with its listener supported programming (via membership in its "Fine Arts Circle"), is arguably the best classical station in the country. (I won't say the world because I'm amazed at the quality and variety of classical programming offered/archived by BBC3). Its announcers are intelligent, well-informed, articulate musicians with a sense that they are talking directly to you as a human being, not automatons without personality nor college geeks who can't pronounce "Khachaturian."

Historically, WFMT has been at the forefront for decades, both musically and technically. They've always programmed an intelligent variety of all genres of classical music, unafraid to feature 20th/21st century compositions, vocal, choral, and opera, as well as music by small ensembles (including brass quintet). They've never restricted themselves to the "top 100 greatest hits" classical programming. Technically, they've frequently led the way with new broadcast technology, even if it didn't ultimately result in an industry standard. For instance, they pioneered true discrete quadraphonic broadcasts (on one frequency) in the early 1970s. The terms "quadraphonic" and "4-channel" have disappeared, but surround sound is now the preferred way for some to enjoy recorded music (let's not get into a 2-channel purist vs. surround sound diatribe).

The really special aspect of WFMT is the huge commitment to live recording--some on-site, some at the WFMT studios in a fine performance room equipped with a 9-foot Steinway grand piano. Chicago-area ensembles and soloists are the primary beneficiaries of a medium through which their performances can be heard by a wide and diverse audience (not just in the Chicago market, but also all over the world via live streaming). WFMT also produces many nationally syndicated programs such as Bill McGloughlin's "Exploring Music" and the weekly NYPO broadcasts with Alec Baldwin as announcer. The local artists perform on WFMT on regularly scheduled programs such as "Introductions"--similar to Chris O'Riley's "From the Top" but featuring primarily Chicago-area pre-collegiate soloists and ensembles sans the humor/skits, the Dame Myra Hess weekly 12:15 Wednesday recitals, etc. Also, WFMT will have artists perform on the air without much prior notice, thus calling the program "Impromptus."

WFMT has been a treasure for Chicago audiences for decades. Now, via streaming from http://www.wfmt.com, listeners all over the world can enjoy its intelligent and varied classical (and jazz "Live from Lincoln Center," "Piano Jazz with Marion McPartland," and folk on Saturday evenings) music.

[The Big Ben]

Yes, WFMT is the model I'm hoping the new KING-FM will try to emulate...

Here's hoping.

[bort]

WBJC is among the best of it's type I've ever found----here's one for downtrodden Baltimore.

I used to drive past their studio every day on the way to work. If you ever saw the neighborhood it's in, you'd be even more surprised! Glad to hear I'm not the only one who likes the station!

[toobaa]

That's interesting...maybe the start of a (tiny) trend nationwide. WCRB commercial classical in boston did a similar thing in december, sold out to wgbh, the local pbs station, and now plays commercial free classical 24x7. They no longer play just top 100 -- maybe now top 200 -- they also depart from previous practice by occasionally playing whole works.