No more classical radio for South Florida
mainMinnesota-based American Public Media is selling their Classical South Florida radio stations to Education Media Foundation, a California religious broadcaster for $21.7 million, according to reports from Current, a public radio and media news website, and WLRN, Miami’s public radio news station.
That will leave Miami and the Florida Keys without any relief from pop, rap and talk radio.
More here on South Florida Classical Review.
This is extremely unfortunate, as the classical station for South Florida, WLRN, happens to be one of the best stations of its kind in the entire United States. Not only I feel that way, but many guests of mine comment on what excellent programming and great announcers they have, when they discover the station while we are out driving around. It is also a loss for Miami, as the city has made great strides in developing the city as a cultural center, with a lot going on musically, in addition to the Cleveland Orchestra having a residency, but also the New World Symphony and so many visiting ensembles and soloists.
This is a disaster for classical music fans. The only alternative is Sirius Xm radio which is not bad but too expensive and the DJ’s on WPBI were often better playing more Baroque music than XM. South Florida does not need another Christian radio station. It will be sadly missed.
It is tragic’and we need a classical station!!!!!
SXM dropped Classic POPS a year ago. All they have is Symphony Hall which is all full works. Not very good for car use.
Try 89.1 FM. It’s not the same as our dear old 88.7 but it’s still got some great music and should help us survive the otherwise hellish backwater of local radio in SW FL. Aloha!
Sad
Unless one has a very good internet radio connection, it is indeed dire to endure life in Florida. I haven’t even mentioned the heat, humidity, and bugs…
Not to mention the sinkholes, feral hogs, and Burmese pythons.
“…without any relief from pop, rap and talk radio”
Well, yippee ki-ya! There’s always country!
But seriously, where I live, for many years we had a religious station that changed to classical at 6:00 pm until midnight. Saturdays they surrendered time for the Met opera. Classical music and religion SHOULD support each other, although these days who knows?
Sad in Florida, this is not regarding WLRN. WLRN news reported on the story. This is regarding WKCP in southeast Florida, which serves Dade and Broward Counties/ The Miami-Ft Lauderdale metropolitan area. The same station broadcasts in southwest Florida and in the Palm Beaches with different call letters. This is a HUGE loss for South Florida as the area has been bringing more and more classical music options. But there was no support $$$$ and they were losing more monies with every year.
So instead you get another station that will be urging people to vote for Jeb. All the born-agains want to complete The Unholy Trinity.
I have been an enthusiastic supporter of your station for several years and was very disappointed that your station is not continuing in the original context. We know that several years ago we lost WXEL in South Florida when they were making some progress. Music takes time to develop, not only from the standpoint of fundraising, but also the time it takes to gain listener support and listener understanding of what music is all about. Especially Classical Music. Your Broadcasters have done an excellent job in providing that to all of us. On several occasions, I have referred to recordings that you played on the radio for our listening experience to our Flute and String quartet, which was very helpful. You all should be Congratulated for the many colorful comments you have provided us in understanding this Art form and for extending Classical to other forms of Music, as well.
This week was the first time I heard about the stations situation. I suppose no one is sure this collaboration will work, however what other alternatives could be made? Hopefully, this will somehow be positive. And, Yes, Miami and South Florida do need a wonderful Classical station.
Thank You for all your knowledge you have extended to us. D’ette K. Matthews
The only classical music station on the dial here in Miami
and it gets sold to a church…?,, I turned on my stereo
this morning to hear my classical music but instead get the
puke inducing sounds of christian contemporary rock or what
ever it is, IT SUCKS, BIG TIME….!
ROT IN HELL STUPID IDIOTS WITH YOUR MENTALLY RETARDED JESUS
JUNKY MUSIC,,, I HATE THEM….!
I am heart broken. I had radios tuned in at work, car and home 24/7. I have 5 large rescue dogs at my warehouse that behaved like angels with classical music to calm them down. Now, they are acting up and starting to rip stuff up and are no longer potty trained like before. It made a huge difference for them!!! Then there’s the fact that I donated $100 a month indefinitely to Classical South Florida. Guess I’ll have to call my credit card and cut the new buyers off. So sad!!
I am still in shock!!!! So sad and disappointed. It’s a travesty!!
We desperately need a classical music station without screaming ads. It was so calming to listen to when traveling in the car or working at home. So relaxing. It will certainly be missed and I hope that someone will start up another classical music station soon!!!
This is my son’s favorite radio station. He has autism, when the music changed we looked for classical music for 20 minutes; we finally realized it was gone. He said, full of sadness “Mom, my classical music is gone!” I will bring my classical music cd’s in my car now. But for him it was an every day routine to get in car and say “channel 6 mom, classical music please!”. I will forever treasure that we sang to opera, played the imaginary piano, guitar, violin, flute…we had so much fun!!! This is very sad.
South Florida radio is TERRIBLE! It is inundated with crappy Latin, hip-hop, and pop stations that all play the same garbage! No rock stations, one classic rock station and a bunch of mediocre stuff in-between. Even the country music stations play the same ole redundant music all day. Absolutely no culture, individuality, or innovation. I used to play the classical music for my toddler son while he was sleeping, it was very relaxing and great to listen to. Gave your mind some freedom and introspection. So sad. Our children will have nothing to learn from other than mass media bullcrap!!
Without Classical South Florida, my radio is empty. I have nothing to listen to. I am very sad.
It was such a relief listening this beautiful music early in the morning and begin the day inspired and with a sense of purpose. Big, big loss. We are going backwards dear human fellows…
Returned from a magical trip to Iceland with the most gorgeous landscapes on the planet and upon entering my home, turned on my radio tuned into my favorite classical music station to find the soft, soothing, relaxing, beautiful music missing!!!! DARN!!!!! HOW SAD!!!!
Siento mucho quedarnos huérfanos nuevamente de nuestra siempre bien ponderada música clásica.
Ni siquiera nuestras continuas contribuciones económicas ayudaran a sostener la emisora.
Esperemos que pronto alguien recoja el batón.
We need classical musicon south Florida radio.
Another example of the right wing conspiracy reducing personal choice.
Shame on South Florida. Not one classical music radio station remains. A total cultural desert. Very sad.
Just what we need, more ‘Praise the Lord and send money!’
What a disappointment for this snowbird. I arrived in florida last week, and no radio station. It might have been courteous of the owners to have told us this last season when they were collecting donations.
The classical music station here in Colorado Springs is in its unprecedented fifth week of a fundraiser, when in the past their goal was fulfilled in no more than two weeks. Giving to non-profits is down across the board. I would donate to the station, but when I learned 4/5 of their donations go to salary, I changed my mind.
How devastating it is to learn that South Florida lost it’s only classical music channel. I’ve been in Chicagoland for the past 7 months listening to WFMT, a superb channel. Now I’m in the VOID! I shall miss the intelligent, soul-lifting and heart filling effect of listening to classical music.
It tells a lot about a city when it does not offer one single classical music station. Were its citizen more musically cultured the station would have strived. The unrelenting fund raising they needed to do in order to keep afloat caused many listeners, including myself, to complain about these events frequency and turn them off when they lasted for too long. I lived in San Francisco where we had classical music with no need to make donations. That is the way it should be in a city that claims itself a cultural center.
I totally agree with you. What a sad commentary for a city like Miami not to have at least one classical music station! 🙁