According to an article in the Washington Post, DC public radio station WETA 90.9 FM has doubled its audience and significantly increased donations since switching from an all-news format to classical music programming in January. WGMS was once the classical voice in our nation’s capitol; recently bought by Redskins owner Dan Snyder (a bad sign right there), it is now a gospel station.
WETA has also beefed up its web site with a number of features that provide additional information on local happenings and classical music recordings. “Out and About with 90.9″, a mini-web site accessible through WETA’s home page, covers the local arts scene. Jens Laurson writes CD reviews on the “Blog for Classical Music Lovers.” The homepage prominently displays what is playing at the moment and includes a “buy now” button to classical music online retailer Arkivmusic.com. The full playlist is easily accessible and, as with other stations, online listening is available.
For record labels such as Naxos, it is great news that a classical music station in one of the country’s largest cities is doing so well and their added online commitment to promoting CDs is certainly welcome. Creating visibility for new releases–and playing recordings that are actually in print–helps sell CDs, no doubt, but it also demonstrates how vibrant the world of classical music is right now.
Of course, WETA appears to be sticking with the standards: I just finished listening to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony followed by some random Baroque music. Hopefully, the programming will get a little more adventurous; the station should at least play some of the lesser-known repertoire Laurson reviews on his blog. There’s a lot of great, tasty stuff on record–not only from Naxos–that deserves to be on the radio.
Other stations and programmers around the country are doing great things and I’d be interested in hearing what people like–or don’t–about their local classical music station.
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