In Wednesday’s (3/24) New York Times, Joseph Plambeck reports, “KING-FM, a longtime classical music station in Seattle, announced on Tuesday that it would switch to a listener-supported public model in the summer of 2011. The board that oversees the station, which operates as part of a nonprofit organization, had been studying possible changes for a couple of years. The move continues a decade-long trend among classical stations. Last year, WQXR in New York and WCRB in Boston were sold to public radio operators. (WQXR was sold by The New York Times Company.) Besides KING-FM, there are only 18 commercial classical radio stations in the United States. Marc Hand, an industry consultant at Public Radio Capital, said classical stations tended to have older listeners than other formats; those listeners, he said, were less appealing to advertisers but more apt to be the kind of dedicated, passionate supporters who give money to public radio. ‘I think this move really makes for a station that’s more economically viable,’ he said.”
Posted March 26, 2010
