John Wiser wrote:

>Donald Satz writes:
>
>>John Wiser responded to Karl Miller:
>>
... I guess I still think that public broadcasting should explore
things not likely to be offered on commercial stations.
>>>
>>>I guess I agree with you up to a point, but do you think that  public
>>>broadcasting should be strictly confined to such things?
>>
>>I hope Karl answers in the affirmative; I do.  Otherwise, what's the point
>>of having public broadcasting? To duplicate what already exists? Perform a
>>supplemental service?
>
>I am compelled to ask:
>
>Where _what_ exists?
>Supplemental to _what_?

I have to agree with Mr. Wiser.  In the Northern part of the Central Valley
of California there is exactly one CM radio station.  It is a public radio
station associated with California State University, Sacramento.  It's not
perfect, and perhaps it plays Shcherazade, Pictures at an Exhibition and
the Hungarian Rhapsodies rather more often than ideal, but it also plays
Performance Today for two hours, five days a week, The Record Shelf, The
Metropolitan Opera broadcasts (which I personally don't listen to), San
Francisco Symphony Orchestra concerts and a host of other CM programming.
I would guess the population of the areas of Northern California and Nevada
to be within range of one of its four transmitters to be about 4,000,000
people.  How many of them listen, 100,000?  50,000?  How many would listen
to a station whose staples were music written since 1950, 1000?  500?  How
long would a station with 1000 listeners last?

It is often lamented on this list that the young are no longer exposed
to CM.  Here at least is an opportunity for young people to listen to what
to them represents a fresh new listening experience.  If that station was
playing a steady diet of late 20th Century composers, how many would be
turned on to CM, 10? 5? Many of the members of this list have more CDs than
the population of some small countries (or so it seems).  Is that typical
of the average CM listener? Many of the members of this list go to more
live concerts than there are weeks in the year (or so it seems).  Is that
typical of the average CM concertgoer?

The erudition, tastes and expertise of the members of this list are
beyond question.  They are also beyond the ken of the average CM listener
(who is him/herself musically more aware than at least 95% of the general
population).  If the most of the ideas on CM programming I've seen
suggested on this thread were put into practice, there would soon be no
CM on the radio anywhere.  I don't see how that would benefit anyone.

Mike Cole