Bernard Chasan wrote:

>It is well documented that NPR would, rather than classical music,
>broadcast the audio equivalent of test patterns, as anyone can confirm
>by tuning in on weekend afternoons.  And they have the consultants to
>"prove" that locally originating classical music is a disasterous financial
>choice for NPR stations.  It makes you think - maybe these folks are not
>that good at news either.

The program director at Austin's (what was at one time a) classical
station is a dedicated NPR type.  When I was critical of his programming,
I was given the boot after 17 years of employment..  We now how programming
by movement and formula...muzak...sour grapes...well, he even showed me
his formula for programming.

Of course classical music is a disasterous financial choice, especially
when you have a program director and general manager salaries in excess
of $50,000 each.  I'm not saying you shouldn't pay these folks, but our
PD has no formal training in music, but he is good reading the arbitrons.
He said to me, in all seriousness, "the arbitrons are our god." It is
tragic.

This is on my mind a bit more than usual today, as two nights ago a
volunteer, a person new to the station, called wondering why I hadn't
donated to the station!  He said the typical things...the audience for
classical music is getting older, we need younger listeners...blah blah
blah...and then we need to attract as many listeners as possible to pay
the bills...blah blah blah...

I said...how can you say you are attracting listeners to classical music
when all you play is Rhapsody in blue and Pachelbel's canon...Dittersdorf
etc.  There is more to classical music than that...and then look at the
300% increase in salaries over the last few years...and then I went on
to suggest that they did not deserve tax exempt status as they were no
longer an educational, fine arts organization.

For some reason, those not in the arts seem to have this notion that
unless you are paid a relatively high salary, you aren't any good at
what you do.  Musicians rarely go into music to get rich...if they did,
they would be stupid.  It seems funny to me, but it isn't musicians that
make it possible for a Barenboim to make a small fortune for each concert,
its the Board members, usually all business people, who measure worth
in $.

I wonder if it all doesn't come from human nature and a need to quanitfy
everything, including human creativity. I guess if one pianist is paid
more than another, they must be better. I guess I see the sad part that
those that do appreciate art music end up either turning off the radio or
supporting what little classical music they might encounter only because
they fear it will all go away otherwise.

And then...what classical music is going to attract a young person today?

Karl (ranting and raving again)