OPB Dumps Performance Today for More Talk

Submitted by LynnS on Fri, 12/01/2006 - 4:44pm.

You close your RSS feed reader for a day and what happens? PAC blogs that OPB is getting rid of Performance Today in favor of two more news/talk shows:

Starting in January "PT" will move to the all-classical KBPS-FM (89.9).

KOPB, meanwhile, will fill the time with two shows: "Here and Now," a Boston-produced news magazine, and "World, Have Your Say," a live, global talk show produced by the BBC.

Also, OPB will bump "The Writer's Almanac" down to its website (opb.org).

Calling in from a Corporation for Public Broadcasting meeting in Washington, D.C., OPB chief Steve Bass said the station is still working hard to nail down funding for a new, locally-produced daily call-in show. Assuming the money comes together, he expects the new local show to debut sometime in mid-2007.

Here's OPB's statement.

OPB has been trying to ditch PT for years now; last time that I remember it was under former radio head Virgina Breen. I'm trying to swear less around here, but the only term that adequately describes what happened next is "shit storm." Sorry, Mom.

Back then the transition from mostly music to mostly news was a little too abrupt; this time it may go more smoothly. Listeners have had more of a chance to adjust to a more modern mission for OPB. PT is a much, much better fit for KBPS anyway. It's good to know that native son, former OPBer and current PT host Fred Child will still be on the air around here somewheres. :)

David Christensen and Steven Cantor, watch your backs; you're next.

Like this post? Add it to del.icio.us!
LynnS's blog | quote
( topics: )
Format Consistency
Submitted by Anonymous Source (not verified) on Fri, 12/01/2006 - 8:29pm.

This move just makes sense in terms of format consistency. I've frequently tuned from OPB to KPOJ when Performance Today comes on. That said, I can hardly stand call-in shows, as radio show callers are from another planet. I don't care how high-minded the programs are, insane people are listening to them with their thumbs on their dialpads.

reply | quote
Writers Almanac
Submitted by Rufus on Fri, 12/01/2006 - 9:24pm.

I will miss the Writers Almanac. Yes I know I can get it on the web, but it's not the same as turning on the radio with my newspaper and morning coffee, sitting back in my easy chair and hearing a bit of poetry, and a few interesting tidbits about culture. It is such a small little segment, you'd think they could squeeze it in somewhere. I really hate all the reruns - (reruns of radio shows? yes - even some of the news shows).

reply | quote
Dumping PT
Submitted by Anonymous Source (not verified) on Fri, 12/01/2006 - 10:42pm.

Hooray! I loved Performance Today, but after I found KBPS that's about all I listen to at work and at home -- when I'm not grokking right wing radio shows.

It definitely is a better fit - the KBPS announcers: all live, all local, are informal and friendly and well-informed. They like each other, the audience and the music they play. It's on 89.9 on your FM dial.

Ever since they got off the public dole (Ptld Public Schools dumped them a few years ago) they've just gotten better and better. Their fundraising is always hugely successful and they just got a new transmitter.

What I liked about PT was that they had some live performances (KBPS does, too) and introduced me to many new composers like Michael Torke - whatever happened to him?, John Adams, John Corigliano, Gorecki, Hovhaness (he wrote Mt. St. Helens - very cool!), Tan Dun (Flying Tigers, Hidden Dragon and now the opera The First Emperor, which will be on KBPS as the Metropolitan Opera brings the world premiere radio broadcast) and many others.

PT's Fred Child will fit perfectly with the KBPS announcers. Does anyone know where he will be stationed? I always thought they were broadcasting from Wash. DC or somewhere back East.

reply | quote
Fred
Submitted by LynnS on Sat, 12/02/2006 - 2:33am.

Fred is a native Portlander, and worked at OPB way back when (how long ago? *I* was there). But he does PT out of Washington, DC.

-----
Lynn Siprelle * Fairy Blogmother

reply | quote
NC
Submitted by mfrk on Sat, 12/02/2006 - 2:53pm.

I heard from an NPR source that PT may move from the DC studios to one in North Carolina.

reply | quote
KBPS on the public dole
Submitted by Anonymous Source (not verified) on Mon, 12/04/2006 - 5:14pm.

I want to clarify that PPS did not dump us, we rescued ourselves by buying the FCC broadcast license to keep classical music on the radio for all of portland metro. We were not on the dole either !! At least not since Measure 5 at which point All CLassical 89.9's board became responsible for all the station's financial needs and PPS provided the building for operations that the All CLassical board built for them. But you are correct that things are getting better and better over here --- freedom tends to do that for anyone, anything -- and its just going to continue to go up and up. Thank you for listening. We are proud of being all local, all live, all day, every day wherever you can listen. Sarah Shelley, Executive Director

reply | quote
Finally!
Submitted by Anonymous Source (not verified) on Sat, 12/02/2006 - 12:43am.

Steve Bass makes his first move and it's a courageous one.

When OPB changed to its mostly-all-news-&-info format it caught hell from listeners. This is a win-win decision as Performance Today remains on the air. KBPS is a far more appropriate home for a classical music show.

This decision makes a lot of sense - and I'm glad we'll finally get some BBC programming on at an hour when people will actually hear it.

Great decision!

reply | quote
KBPS is awesome
Submitted by Anonymous Source (not verified) on Sat, 12/02/2006 - 10:05am.

I just love it when Edmund Stone says in his dulcet tone, "- thanks for that request from Tigard. And now, by request from a listener in Stockholm..."

KBPS is located within the Benson High School campus which opens to visitors annually for the Benson Tech Show - see http://159.191.25.10/techshow/index.htm. Take yourself on a tour of KBPS - it's a tidy little studio with a great collection - and shoulder to shoulder with the kids spinning their big brother's record collection in the studio next door. Lot's of radio nerds got their start at Benson!

reply | quote
Edmund Stone
Submitted by Anonymous Source (not verified) on Sat, 12/02/2006 - 11:13pm.

Yes, and Edmund is the only person on radio with an English accent who doesn't sound phony! Even the BBC broadcasters sound phony. Having met some English folks while I was living in Switzerland for a few years I know why. A gorgeous young women with a vedddy plummy accent was a jewelry designer. Her brother, leather-jacketed, sounded like Eliza Doolittle before Prof. Henry Higgins gets to her.

What's up? I asked. The jeweler (jeweless?) said, I had to learn to talk this way to be able to sell to the rich folks who buy my expensive pieces. Many people change their accents to get ahead.

But, I say, you can usually tell whether one was born with an accent or created it. I don't think any actual humans ever talked in the BBC way - that's why the Monty Python's had so much fun with their many broadcaster skits.

reply | quote
with Air America's future in doubt
Submitted by tvprintradio on Sat, 12/02/2006 - 5:41pm.

it's a smart move by OPB. If (when) Al Franken leaves to run for the Senate, Air America will have Randi Rhodes and not much else. He is the face of Air America. Will KPOJ run Ed Shultz @ 9am when he moves his time slot? Would be interesting to see what happens with Thom Hartman if Franken leaves. Thom, though very much informed and thorough, is the opposite of funny.
Maybe the KPOJ management can finally do some local progamming in other dayparts. That station could use an entertaining evening local talk show. Sam Seder reruns just do not make it.

reply | quote
Can't run Schultz any earlier
Submitted by LynnS on Sat, 12/02/2006 - 7:36pm.

Schultz is live at noon.

-----
Lynn Siprelle * Fairy Blogmother

reply | quote
he's moving
Submitted by tvprintradio on Sun, 12/03/2006 - 12:12pm.

to 12n ET

reply | quote
Interesting move
Submitted by rmarcham on Sat, 12/02/2006 - 11:22pm.

Interesting move by OPB. My first instinctive thought is that they are becoming just like KUOW in Seattle, which is mainly a talk station these days. However, if they can get a good local show going, that will fill a badly needed niche.

PT will fit in very well at KBPS. As long as the funding is still there, it should do great.

I just wonder...with the number of good public radio programs available, would it be time for a thought by OPB for (funding willing) an internet station, like what KPLU & KUOW operate? I think the interest just might be there. Writer's Almanac would be a good program for that.

reply | quote
thumbs on their dialpads.
Submitted by rocky on Sun, 12/03/2006 - 7:07am.

How true. I do like talk radio when the program have speakers on and most of show is dedicated to the speaker's view and call-ins to that subject. Eclectic doesn't make it, in my book.
You Portlanders are so luck to have choice..we at the coast are stuck with one PBS repeater station that fails often.

reply | quote
Rocky: Its not just y'all
Submitted by Cablenut on Sun, 12/03/2006 - 11:04pm.

Rocky:

Its not just y'all on the coast. They have been up and down all afternoon, into this evening.

I think they are having trouble with their microwave feeds.

Seems to be going around. I was seeing problems in Comcasts feeds earlier today.

-------------------------------------------
DISCLAIMER: my opinions are my own, not those of OMI or any employer.

reply | quote
While I loved PT (I'm a
Submitted by Anonymous Source (not verified) on Mon, 12/04/2006 - 2:17pm.

While I loved PT (I'm a classical music guy), I can get KWAX anywhere in the state, and OPB radio is a bit sketchy at of my office.

reply | quote
PT
Submitted by Anonymous Source (not verified) on Mon, 01/15/2007 - 11:00am.

There was something so civilzed about PT in the mornings. Now more talk all the time. Bah Humbug. And did we have to lose Writer's Almanac too?
What's left for us old timers? terry

reply | quote
You called it ...
Submitted by Anonymous Source (not verified) on Sun, 04/08/2007 - 11:07pm.

Steven Cantor got dumped on 4/1 -- you called it. OPB wants to compete with ... what? AM Radio?

reply | quote

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • You may quote other posts using [quote] tags.
  • Voting controls can be added to this post.
  • Web and e-mail addresses are automatically converted into links.
More information about formatting options