I think a "Top 40" would be just awful.  A large number (probably more than
70 percent) of the classical music stations in North America subscribe to
a system of Top 100 known works...  and after a while it is mind numbing.
The University of Arizona does this Top 100.  They do play with it by
adjusting the performances (orchestra, conductor, label, etc.) but it
quickly becomes predictable....  and boring.

There are way too many great works to have just a Top 40 or a Top 100
unless some very good thinking goes into the program rotation, and some
very clever, thoughtful, informative commentary introduces what goes on
the air...  without sounding like a music 101 lecture each time.

If a classical station is broadcasting a lot of music that is perceived
as "obscure", they are not doing their job.  They are short changing
themselves and their listeners.  Many classical music stations subscribe
to dull stuff as filler.  They download it via satellite from Seattle, LA,
Chicago, or New York.  Much of those selections have an economic reason
behind them.  Either nobody wants to pay the on-air programmer, or they get
the dull stuff free, or worse yet, they get paid to broadcast some of the
obscure stuff.  Worst of all, programmers may not even know what they are
playing, but are given a box of CD's and told to play them while they do
other work...  I know two stations who use Rock or Country Western
programmers who will do this "boring classical stuff" so they can get
on-air hours of experience as credit toward a chance in Rock or Alternative
or whatever.

I believe broadcasters should have about 40 percent Top 100 (certainly
never Top 40) but scheduled in an unpredictable manner, announced by
knowledgeable programmers who really know what they are talking about while
having great on-air personalities and voices.  The choices should include
some historical performances, some HIP, some standard "best of" and the
most exciting of the new releases.

By the way, did you know that broadcasters get all their Rock, Country,
Alternative, New Age, and other CD's free, but have to pay extremely large
fees to get classical releases?

If you give classical CD's away, check out your local classical music
station to see if they have the security system and the library system
that makes you feel good about giving some of your CD's to your favorite
station.  I always be sure the stations to which I donate (tax deductible,
by the way) use Classicat or something similar, and have very well
controlled inventory systems so the good stuff doesn't walk out at the
end of a shift.

Ray Bayles