Classical KDFC drops 2 on-air personalities
Phil Keller
From the San Francisco Peninsula Press Club.Classical
KDFC drops 2 on-air personalities
A week after KKSF flipped from jazz to classic rock, there's word of cut
backs at classical station KDFC 102.1, a station owned by the Entercom
chain out of Philadelphia. John Evans (pictured) is out after seven
years in the afternoon drive-time slot, and 30 years in the market. Also
gone is morning news woman Betsy O'Connor. Instead of hiring a new
afternoon personality, morning man Hoyt Smith is now doing his show from
6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and midday host Dianne Nicolini is on from 1 to 7.
Program Director Bill Lueth's only comment to us was "KDFC is a special
radio station in a special city." No doubt the station's fans hope it
stays that way.
John Higdon
Phil Keller <p-ke...@pacbell.net> wrote:
And the orchestra continues to play as the ship slides under the waves.
I wouldn't worry too much about the details of the personality lineup at
KDFC at this point.
--
John Higdon
+1 408 ANdrews 6-4400
David Kaye
>
> KDFC drops 2 on-air personalities
None too soon. Sorry about that. I listen to KDFC from time to time,
and even though I'm into music deeply, I really really really don't
want to hear that Joseph Schmuck composed a symphony in D at age 9 and
went on to win a scholarship to the University of Rattenberg. I also
don't want to hear KDFC DJs tell me that they're going to play 90
minutes of commercial-free music 5 hours from now. KDFC is terribly
cluttered and doesn't need to be, and they talk about things that most
people in the audience have no interest in hearing about.
The Ed Davis formula was simple: Play the music, say the composer,
title, and orchestra, do the ID, play a spot, go back to music. It
served him well, for, what, 45 years? And KDFC had ratings.
spamtr...@gmail.com
> In article <UgxUl.30928$yr3.19...@nlpi068.nbdc.sbc.com>,
> Phil Keller <p-kel...@pacbell.net> wrote:
>
> > From the San Francisco Peninsula Press Club.Classical
>
> > KDFC drops 2 on-air personalities
>
> > A week after KKSF flipped from jazz to classic rock, there's word of cut
> > backs at classical station KDFC 102.1, a station owned by the Entercom
> > chain out of Philadelphia.
...
>
> And the orchestra continues to play as the ship slides under the waves.
>
> I wouldn't worry too much about the details of the personality lineup at
> KDFC at this point.
>
Hey, Citadel's financials make Entercom look good.
Is anyone making money in radio? Bonneville?
John Higdon
<73cf5456-a71b-49fe...@37g2000yqp.googlegroups.com>,
spamtr...@gmail.com wrote:
> Hey, Citadel's financials make Entercom look good.
Financials have nothing to do with it. Entercom has been quite
forthcoming about how it would like to scuttle the classical format. At
least Farid pays lip service to maintaining the formats his stations run.
I get the distinct impression that Entercom would like to purchase a 55
gallon drum of Standard Format to put on KDFC and get rid of all that
classical crap.
> Is anyone making money in radio? Bonneville?
The stations I work for are making money.
David Kaye
> Financials have nothing to do with it. Entercom has been quite
> forthcoming about how it would like to scuttle the classical format. At
> least Farid pays lip service to maintaining the formats his stations run.
This might be the time for KALW or KUSF to go classical, at least for
some large blocks. It seems that in nearly every other market in the
country classical and jazz are on the non-comms, not on commercial
stations. We used to pride ourselves in being different, but that was
during a time when there were local owners, not megachains.
spamtr...@gmail.com
Classical music would be a step backwards even for non-comms. KQED
didn't begin its march towards market dominance till it started
running Morning Edition three times a day. I like the eclecticism of
KALW. KUSF's signal coverage is small, and their programming should
focus on what their students want. Do they even teach classical music?
Are there any slots available in SF for a new station? The SF
Conservatory of Music would be a natural owner of a classical music
station.
John Higdon
<aafc0351-af9f-4ec9...@f19g2000yqh.googlegroups.com>,
spamtr...@gmail.com wrote:
> Are there any slots available in SF for a new station? The SF
> Conservatory of Music would be a natural owner of a classical music
> station.
If there were, do you think KNGY would be still suffering with a channel
that shouldn't even exist?
Eric C. Weaver
> Are there any slots available in SF for a new station? The SF
> Conservatory of Music would be a natural owner of a classical music
> station.
Maybe e THEY can buy that 89.3 on Montara Mountain!
spamtr...@gmail.com
>
> spamtrap1...@gmail.com wrote:
> > Are there any slots available in SF for a new station? The SF
> > Conservatory of Music would be a natural owner of a classical music
> > station.
>
> If there were, do you think KNGY would be still suffering with a channel
> that shouldn't even exist?
>
Maybe te conservatory could take over St. Francis High School, and
move the transmitter to SF a la KNTV.
John Higdon
<7fc8dfcd-f6fc-4db6...@h28g2000yqd.googlegroups.com>,
spamtr...@gmail.com wrote:
> Maybe te conservatory could take over St. Francis High School, and
> move the transmitter to SF a la KNTV.
I doubt very many licensees other than GE could pull something like that
and get away with it.
Stratum101
> On Jun 1, 11:14 pm, John Higdon <hi...@kome.com> wrote:
>
> > Financials have nothing to do with it. Entercom has been quite
> > forthcoming about how it would like to scuttle the classical format. At
> > least Farid pays lip service to maintaining the formats his stations run.
>
> This might be the time for KALW or KUSF to go classical, at least for
> some large blocks.
KALW does broadcast classical in blocks, most notably
on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights. For my
money, the quality of the presentations rank with
biggies in the genre, notably BBC3, KUSC, and
WQXR.
Stratum101
> On May 31, 8:22 am, Phil Keller <p-kel...@pacbell.net> wrote:
>
>
>
> > KDFC drops 2 on-air personalities
>
> None too soon. Sorry about that. I listen to KDFC from time to time,
> and even though I'm into music deeply, I really really really don't
> want to hear that Joseph Schmuck composed a symphony in D at age 9 and
> went on to win a scholarship to the University of Rattenberg. I also
> don't want to hear KDFC DJs tell me that they're going to play 90
> minutes of commercial-free music 5 hours from now. KDFC is terribly
> cluttered and doesn't need to be, and they talk about things that most
> people in the audience have no interest in hearing about.
What would you do with Callas's beautiful aria, "In quelle trine
morbide" without a little explication?
David Kaye
> Classical music would be a step backwards even for non-comms. KQED
> didn't begin its march towards market dominance till it started
> running Morning Edition three times a day.
It's not about market dominance (or shouldn't be). It's about serving
listener interests.
> I like the eclecticism of
> KALW. KUSF's signal coverage is small, and their programming should
> focus on what their students want. Do they even teach classical music?
Uh, no. A station is licensed to serve a community, not a student
body. I believe there was even an FCC ruling to that effect.
As for teaching classical music, all I can say is that I put on a
weekly live music show in a theater, and at least half the musicians I
book have played classical music at one time or other. They may have
moved on to jazz (most do) or country, or whatever, but many, if not
most of them are rooted in classical.
> Are there any slots available in SF for a new station? The SF
> Conservatory of Music would be a natural owner of a classical music
> station.
Not only are there no FM slots available, the ones that exist are way
overused.
David Kaye
> KALW does broadcast classical in blocks, most notably
> on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights. For my
> money, the quality of the presentations rank with
> biggies in the genre, notably BBC3, KUSC, and
> WQXR.
I've never said otherwise. However, would the market be served better
with no classical station at all or with one that spends a chunk of
its time playing the classics? KALW already has one classical show.
David Kaye
> What would you do with Callas's beautiful aria, "In quelle trine
> morbide" without a little explication?
Opera is boring. KDFC was wise to not program it for years. I don't
put opera into the same genre as "classical". To me, opera is foreign
language showtunes. I hate showtunes.
I would not listen to a station that programmed significant amounts of
opera. Others wouldn't either. This is why opera broadcasts, if
they're carried at all, are put into weird time slots.
Stratum101
Actually, KALW has six or seven classical shows.
Bill Z.
> On Jun 2, 12:24 pm, Stratum101 <j.coll...@cross-comp.com> wrote:
>
>> What would you do with Callas's beautiful aria, "In quelle trine
>> morbide" without a little explication?
>
> Opera is boring. KDFC was wise to not program it for years. I don't
> put opera into the same genre as "classical". To me, opera is foreign
> language showtunes. I hate showtunes.
"Foreign language showtunes"? Hardly in general.
Example 1. Birgit Nilsson singing the Liebestod from Tristan und
Isolde: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mOA8pZ_I4M>.
Example 2. the last scene from die Walkuere:
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNPBclhziXE&feature=related>
followed by <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sB_-rxMtAM>.
Example 3. Tosca (Maria Callas):
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-Xo9s9jMoI&NR=1>,
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vOj9SWJdyQ&NR=1>,
and <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-QA2ndeQWk&NR=1>
(which features Tosca's boyfriend being tortured off stage, Tosca
asking how this could happen when she has been so devout, and finally
Tosca killing Scarpia to avoid the proverbial fate worse than death
after his offer to spare her boyfriend in exchange for sexual favors).
BTW, you can see Tosca for free this Friday at AT&T Park:
<http://sfopera.com/spact/tosca_att_signup.asp>.
--
My real name backwards: nemuaZ lliB
Phil Kane
<sfdavi...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>As for teaching classical music, all I can say is that I put on a
>weekly live music show in a theater, and at least half the musicians I
>book have played classical music at one time or other. They may have
>moved on to jazz (most do) or country, or whatever, but many, if not
>most of them are rooted in classical.
As was Frank Zappa (may he rest in peace).
--
Phil Kane
Beaverton, OR
Phil Kane
<sfdavi...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Opera is boring. KDFC was wise to not program it for years. I don't
>put opera into the same genre as "classical". To me, opera is foreign
>language showtunes. I hate showtunes.
Opera is secular liturgy. When I hear Richard Tucker sing liturgical
music, I hear "opera". When I hear him sing opera, I hear "cantor"
(which he was, at my synagogue no less, before he joined the Met). But
then again I've been trained in cantorial liturgy.....
Maybe my interest in operatic styles stems from my college girlfriend
who was an opera buff...
Ciccio
> On Jun 2, 12:24 pm, Stratum101 <j.coll...@cross-comp.com> wrote:
>
> > What would you do with Callas's beautiful aria, "In quelle trine
> > morbide" without a little explication?
>
> Opera is boring.
To you, but not to many. Indeed, I find it to be the most stimulating
of the classical music subgenres. It can't help to be, as it
encompasses more skill sets and art forms than do the other classical
genres.
> KDFC was wise to not program it for years. I don't
> put opera into the same genre as "classical".
Of course opera is "classical." It may not be "instrumental" or "a
symphony" or "chamber music,"etc., but it is classical music.
> To me, opera is foreign language showtunes. I hate showtunes.
Heh. I am not too fond of show tunes/musicals either. I do, however,
really like opera.
Ciccio
chris319
format just waiting to be tried. Move over, Bill Drake. Boy, now I
feel like a Radio Programming Genius!
"Ahora aquí está la quinta sinfonía por señor Beethoven."
Jimmy Riibitt
"Phil Keller" <p-ke...@pacbell.net> wrote in message
news:UgxUl.30928$yr3....@nlpi068.nbdc.sbc.com...
Maybe Entercom is paving the way for 102.1 to become a
'90s station. I see "102.1 The Buzz" coming to San Francisco.
I would not be surprised if 102.1 flipped formats and became
a '90s format.