support for WUMB

[Roger Conant]

UMASS Boston" WUMB is considering buying WPNI 1430, a station that
has been fully a folk station for 2 years. They are looking to see what
kind of support there is for folk music in the valley, and are looking
for people to fill out a survey.
The link is http://www.wumb.org/amherst.

-----------
This comes from Julie Bermant <ju...@jbermant.com> who may be able to
provide more up-to-date information.

[notlob]

As a one-time WMB member and former volunteer who left due to the folk
to AAA format change, I must register my opinion that WUMB is NOT a
"full time folk station". On the advice of high-priced consultants,
it changed format from folk to AAA (WUMB music mix it calls itself)
about two years ago. One can read reactions posted by members of a
Boston-area folk discussion group, specifically:

Confirmed: WUMB laid off its weekend staff in February -
http://notlobmusic.blogspot.com/2009/03/confirmed-wumb-has-laid-off-its-weekend.html

Alleluia, The Great Storm Is Over! - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NorthEastFolknRoots/message/6827

Folk goes "pop-driven acoustic" goes top 40 -
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NorthEastFolknRoots/message/5602

"Folk Radio" WUMB replaced by "WUMB Music Mix" -
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NorthEastFolknRoots/message/6368

John Laurenti new music director at WUMB -
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NorthEastFolknRoots/message/5250
WUMB certainly was not the only radio station in the area playing folk
music, what set it apart was that it played more hours per week than
any other station, and veterans Marilyn Rae Beyer, Brian Quinn, Dave
Palmeter and Dick Pleasants were some of the area's longest serving
and most knowledgeable hosts. Marilyn saw the change coming and left
in August 2007. The remaining long-timers' roles were reduced from
DJ's who produced/programmed their own shows to automaton "on-air
personalities". After two or three decent folk songs are aired, I
cringe each time I hear Dave forced to say something kind about a
schmaltzy commercial-sounding klinker. After the shift from folk to
AAA, station management brought in a music director from a AAA rock
station and "on air personalities" who could not pronounce folk
musicians' names, and whose knowledge of the music was limited to
reading liner notes.

And if you think Amherstians will be invoved in "community" decisions,
read "WUMB's "big project with the CPB" meetings exclude
hinterlanders" - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NorthEastFolknRoots/message/4234

Before blindly jumping into bed with WUMB, know who is already
sleeping there. Determine for yourself if WUMB is "folk" or "AAA".

On Jun 22, 6:39 pm, Roger Conant <con...@ecs.umass.edu> wrote:
> UMASS Boston" WUMB is considering buying WPNI 1430, a station that
> has been fully a folk station for 2 years. They are looking to see what
> kind of support there is for folk music in the valley, and are looking
> for people to fill out a survey.

> The link ishttp://www.wumb.org/amherst.