Author Archive for Marty Ronish
Marty Ronish is an independent producer of radio programs, mostly of classical and world music. She currently produces the BP Chicago Symphony Orchestra broadcasts that air 52 weeks a year on some 250 stations and online at www.cso.org. She also produces programs for La Jolla Music Society Summerfest and a variety of specials.
KFUO Sale Revisited
A great example of collaborative, cumulative journalism –
From radio-info.com this morning: Senators Claire McCaskill and Kit Bond of Missouri have now joined House reps John Shimkus and Lacy Clay in examining the shady dealings surrounding the sale of St. Louis’s only classical station to religious broadcasters — this from an article in stltoday.com, written by Sarah Bryan [...]
KUSC – You’re the Top, You’re a Hot Tamale
With apologies to Cole Porter, L.A.’s public station KUSC continues to lead in the nation’s public radio ratings.
Brenda Barnes is the President of KUSC. You can catch an interview with her about the ongoing good news, printed yesterday in the online journal LAdowntownnews.com.
WQUB in Quincy, IL Losing its Local Hosts
From Mick Freeman at WQUB, via the AMPPR listserv:
Sadly WQUB is taking an unusual step on June 1st and firing all on-air staff…
Quincy is in the bottom left corner of Illinois, close to Missouri. An article in the Quincy Herald-Whig says that WGEM (news and sports) will handle the programming.
“We’re doing this to lower costs,” [...]
How Many Are Listening to Radio? Who’s Making Money?
Some surprising statistics from a Jan. 19 post in radio-info.com. Look carefully at where the real revenue is. I would say radio is not dead yet!
WUGA in Georgia Threatened by Budget Cuts
Radio-info.com this morning reports that dual-format station WUGA in Athens and northern Georgia is on the cutting block by the University of Georgia. This is just a proposed budget so far, but University officials are recommending layoffs of 1,400 staff members, reduction in student enrollment by 1,500, and elimination of WUGA from the budget altogether.
Stay [...]
Music Personnel Conference in NYC
The Association of Music Personnel in Public Radio (AMPPR) holds its annual meeting in NYC April 21-23. A partial agenda and more information are posted on the website now.
Here are some highlights from AMPPR President David Duff:
Fred Child, host of Performance Today will be leading an air talent “super-session”. Come and improve your on-air performance [...]
Sandow to the MPC
David Duff, President of the Association of Music Personnel in Public Radio (AMPPR) writes to say
Greg Sandow, former critic for The Village Voice, Wall Street Journal, and the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, will speak at this year’s MPC. His upcoming book will be titled “Rebirth: The Future of Classical Music.” Greg will address the reasons he thinks classical [...]
Brooklyn Rider, and Hope Springs Atonal
When my grandfather was in his 80s, he would go every two weeks to get a vitamin B-12 shot. For about two days he would be energized and full of the dickens. Well, a great concert or a fascinating piece of music can do the same thing for you.
WUOL in Louisville, For Example
Those of us in the biz have studied at length how classical radio can survive, or even thrive, when its main proponents are in serious decline. Alex Ross posts a scary graph in his Feb. 3rd article in the New Yorker.
Every classical organization in America should print out this graph, pin it on the bulletin board, and ponder what is to be [...]
All-Music (But Not Classical) at WKNU
After the bad news about WETS dropping most of its music in favor of talk, David Duff, President of the Association of Music Personnel in Public Radio, writes:
WNKU–which serves the Cincinnati market–is changing their format to go all music. WNKU is a AAA station, but Cincinnati is already served by WGUC, a 24-hour classical outlet, and [...]
