Karl Miller:

>When it comes to the broadcasting of classical music...I believe much
>of what I have heard from NPR and PBS do more harm than good.  As for
>this CM lover, I gave up on them years ago.  It seems to me that if PBS
>wanted to do something good for classical music they might try rebroadcasting
>Bernstein's Omnibus programs, or the Young People's Concerts, or Copland's
>series on Music from the 20s, etc.

They might even try something new.  Why reruns?  Why not something that
talks to young people in this century?  Why not foster young talent
instead of dreadful "Live from the Kennedy Center" nonsense?

>...  They sold Public Radio on the bizarre notion that a station had
>to be dedicated soley to public affairs, news, NPR chit-chat on the one
>hand or music on the other, but not both.  And they know that we are too
>easily satisfied, grateful for any tiny musical morsels.  More important,
>the audience is aging and shrinking, or so they say.

The public broadcasting establishment has clearly made a conscious
decision that classical music is marginal to mainstream listener's tastes.
Of course when a powerful cultural establishment takes that attitude the
decision tends to be self fulfilling.  Furthermore Public Radio promotes
a lot of pop and rock, plays it, has stories about it, then sells it on
their web site.  A private network would be in deep trouble for this,
no?

And then there is us.  Outreach is way beneath our dignity.  We would
much rather argue the merits of the latest recording of Blatavsky's
Concerto for kazoo and horse than figure out how to get more people
interested about this wonderful stuff we all love.  Not that its easy.

Bernard Chasan