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Post by jrhoburton on May 31, 2015 14:57:56 GMT -6
So, jazz is leaving along with Steve Williams when he retires soon. The program will be replaced with news and storytelling. KUER says that Steve can't be replaced. They couldn't replace Walter Cronkite either, but they didn't quit doing news. I wonder how hard they tried to keep jazz going before they gave up? Probably not very.
John
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Post by seattlefollower on Jun 1, 2015 10:21:47 GMT -6
This is the most depressing news I've heard in recent radio memory. I've always enjoyed Williams choices and most of his on-air delivery. I will say I've never cared as much for the weekend host, were he to ascend to the M-F timeslot.
I am shocked that KUER is going to leave the state free of jazz programming. I know that audience has aged (according to the ratings/qualitative), but the same is true for classical, another public radio mainstay. However, I also know KUER has done a few pledge drives during "Nighttime Jazz" and obviously the numbers / audience research say that people would rather have more 'off the bird' NPR/PRI content. :-|
I actually stream KUER in evenings despite having access to a full-time jazz station here.
Does UPR air any jazz programming?
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Post by egnlsn on Jun 1, 2015 16:32:47 GMT -6
KWBR in St. George is a Smooth Jazz station. 105.7 on the F.M. dial, they're also online at www.smoothjazzutah.com/ or on RadioSure or TuneIn (as well as others, I'm sure). |
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Post by seattlefollower on Jun 1, 2015 19:05:44 GMT -6
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Post by David on Jun 2, 2015 1:34:00 GMT -6
KUER dumping jazz reminds me of the listener furor about 15 years ago when the station dropped classical music in the morning drive slot in favor of NPR programming. A lot of listeners fussed and fumed when the classical music was dropped, but they seemed to mellow out when KUER sold off its collection of classical LP's and CD's at rock bottom prices a few months later. I wonder if KUER will follow Steve Williams' departure by selling off the station's collection of jazz LP's and CD's?
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Post by friendlee on Jun 2, 2015 7:33:51 GMT -6
No jazz on UPR but there is world music and folk/celtic on Friday and Saturday evenings. upr.org/schedule/week (note that Sunday is the last column on the right) |
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Post by jrhoburton on Jun 2, 2015 19:34:04 GMT -6
David, KBYU has classical covered pretty well. Performance Today. Exploring Music. Classical Guitar Alive. Pipe Dreams. The Score. Highway 89 (locally recorded with nice quality). Local hosts like Peggy Woodruff and Peter VanDegraff (sp?).
Who will do jazz here? There has been a symbiosis with Williams, the GAM Foundation, and the local jazz community. The internet can't replace that.
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Post by CAwasinNJ on Jun 2, 2015 22:02:47 GMT -6
egnlsn, smooth jazz is to jazz as rubber band is to orchestra. Similar name but not the same thing at all.
jrhoburton is absolutely right that the internet is not a replacement. Streaming is not a replacement for broadcast radio in general and even less so for a local show. I have to wonder how economically viable a commercial jazz station might be. Going by Radio Locator there are 3 in the entire country and only 1 is even on FM, so I'm thinking the answer is "not very." Someone who was particularly ambitious (or crazy) might try grabbing one of the multitude of signals that either are or are about to be available and see about running it as a listener supported station, but that could be tough. On the other hand there are more signals than formats so who knows.
I didn't listen to the KUER jazz programming much, but it's still a loss to the market. Is it odd that they didn't even try to make a go of getting a replacement and just added more talk? It feels to me like they wanted to do this anyway but didn't want the backlash. Anyone else getting that sense?
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