KUSC

More Classical in CA, Republican Irony, and Sirius XM Filing Bankruptcy?

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Where shall I start?  There’s so much news!

Let’s start with the Republican hypocrisy irony,  since the Stimulus Bill is on everyone’s mind.  Someone can correct me if I’m wrong, but the final bill apparently really does cut the hoped-for $50 million in NEA funding.

UPDATE 2-12-09: A press release just sent out by the RNCC claims:

Democrats said they would fight for fiscal responsibility in Washington, but went back on their promise by voting for $335 million in STD prevention, $75 million for smoking cessation and even $50 million for the National Endowment of the Arts.

Does this mean the NEA funding is back in?  Stay tuned.

The author of that cut in the Senate was Tom Coburn (R – Oklahoma), whose daughter Sarah, ironically, is a top-notch opera singer.  The LA Times just ran this story about her.  He considers museums, theaters and arts centers “wasteful and non-stimulative projects.”

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KUSC, The Bold

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More from KUSC.  Instead of narrowing its playlist and pandering to casual listeners, KUSC continues to be broadminded, even to the extent of playing new music.   Producer Brian Lauritzen writes about a new series beginning tomorrow:

KUSC is adding the solo recital series Piano Spheres to its broadcast schedule.  The full-length concert broadcasts will air at 10:00 pm the first Saturday of each month, beginning in November, as part of KUSC’s contemporary music program Modern Times.  Each broadcast features an interview with the artist at the piano.

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Great News From KUSC

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KUSC in Los Angeles continues to move forward in audience service.  The station just completed a very successful fund drive, despite the rotten economy.  And now this, from LAradio.com:

Classical KUSC/fm 91.5, the most listened to public radio station in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, will expand its service to include the Central Coast in early 2009, according to station President Brenda Barnes. Barnes said that KUSC, which is licensed to the University of Southern California, was approached by Public Radio Capital recently regarding the possibility of purchasing KGDP/fm 90.5, which airs from Santa Maria.

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