I'd like to add my thoughts to the on-going discussion of NPR stations.

Long ago, I remember that listener-sponsorsed stations played a lot
of Classical Music.  I remember hearing the Tubin 4th symphony on a
listener-sponsored station in Florida - and it got me started collecting
his symphonies.  It seemed no classical work was too obscure, or demanded
too much concentration for a listener sponsored station to program it.

Today, as we know and are discussing, this is not the case.  Broadcasting
realities have greatly changed - not the least of which is the money has
dried up.  The same stations that plugged along year after year as
'listener sponsored' are having to fight for their lives on the same
battleground as other stations fight.

But the recorded media situation has also changed.  20 years ago we were
still spinning black discs, and meticulously cleaning those stupid grooves
of every mite of dust.  And available composers and works were considerably
smaller than today's choices..

So, for myself, I don't lament the shift of these stations from classical
to whatever appeals to the infamous 18-34 age group - because my personal
listening experience is more rich and varied - and personal than it ever
was when the NPR station was happily spinning classical discs.

Recording and playback technology has evolved beyond what was my fondest
dream 20 or more years ago.  I manage my own music library, I'm my own
music programmer, I don't allow any commercials, and I serve my own
listening interests better than any NPR station could.

I have listened to "Performance Today" - and as long as I don't have
to listen to Corba Coleman or Bonny Grice cloying their way through the
program I'll listen - although I don't like it's habit of playing pieces
of pieces.

As for ATC and Morning Edition, it's a crapshoot from day to day if I'll
learn anything useful.  I'm tired of hearing Carl Castle talking past his
dentures on meaningless news "headlines", Stanberg drives me nuts.  I like
Weekend Edition though, it seems to be quieter and more thoughtful.

Dave Harman
El Paso, TX