soLong, Wfmr. I'm Broken Hearted.

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

WFMR has been broadcasting classical music in the Milwaukee market for over 50 years. Granted, it is a niche market, but a niche with a very loyal listener base.As of midnight tonight, WFMR is dumping the classical format and will start playing "smooth jazz."It is the purpose of any radio station to make money, and a format that attracts the most listeners allows the station to charge more money for advertising due to advertisers getting more listeners.Let's face it, classical programming is a dog in the marketplace, and even though it is a small market, it is a loyal one. What happened was that the smooth jazz station dumped the format (just what the market needs, yet another rocker) so the classical station is dumping classical to get that huge smooth jazz audience - all three or four more listeners than classical had.Wisconsin has two public radio networks, one plays classical music and the other offers the "progressive talk" that has been all the rage to talk about the last few days. Milwaukee does not have an outlet for the classical network, but has two stations (one owned by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) that sound so much alike you can't tell when you're listening to one and not the other.Bottom line: It's a sad day for Milwaukee radio listeners.

 

[raebates]

I'm sorry for your loss, KG. I know you were a loyal listener.

 

[Teresa Lynn]

I'm sorry. go read JE # 13 it will brighten your night!!

 

[dianevill]

We're very sad, too. My 6 year old daughter LOVES classical music...

Here was my husband's response: "Great, now we have no culture in Milwaukee. There's more culture in yogurt".

 

[chefann]

We're very sad, too. My 6 year old daughter LOVES classical music...

Here was my husband's response: "Great, now we have no culture in Milwaukee. There's more culture in yogurt".

I love that response!

The same thing happened in Detroit in 1998, and we have a (relatively) new classical station that started up in 2005. They stream on the internet, if you're looking for a source: www.wrcj909fm.org.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

You can lead a horticulture but you can't make her think.

 

[katie0128]

Classical Music in CincinnatiI really like our classical music station... WGUC 90.9. They stream as well...

http://www.wguc.org

 

[chefann]

ooohhhh...... both are 90.9. Freaky!

 

[katie0128]

Great classical minds think alike!

 

[janetupnorth]

Awww...another bit of the old going away...I'm liking that I moved up north more and more...

Although I actually do miss playing in the Racine Municipal Band. We have a community band up here, but it isn't the same...

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Harold Hill made it to Rhinelander, too?

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Well, it's gone. No fanfare, no farewell, just a midnight station ID and the next thing I know, my radio was playing elevator music.Third floor - ladies' lingerie, Spanx, going UP.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

ooohhhh...... both are 90.9. Freaky!

Great classical minds think alike!

More like a limited number of frequencies for public radio.

 

[chefann]

You're right on that, KG. Although, luckily WRCJ, while public, isn't an NPR station (many of their features just get on my nerves). I'm proud to say that I support them. Mostly because I hated that bad time when there was no classical radio in town (I had to listen to *gasp* CANADIAN radio!)

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

While I was in your area, I stumbled into that "C" station a couple of times.I tried your station last night, and apparently, they play jazz overnight. That wasn't what I wanted last night, so right now, I'm connected to the classical station in Boston.I'll try yours and the Cinci station later today, too.

 

[chefann]

WRCJ switches to Jazz at 7 pm. They make a point of saying "traditional jazz" to distinguish themselves from the other jazz stations in the area. That's when I find another station, or turn on my iPod. On the weekend, they have some interesting shows, especially DSO Unmasked, in which they speak to members of the DSO, Film Classics, etc. But even on the weekend, at 7:00 it switches. (The call letters theoretically stand for We Are Classical and Jazz.)

 

[chefann]

At Noon (Eastern) weekdays, they have the "Mid-Day Entree" that ties a recipe to a piece of classical music. I'm usually at work, so I don't hear it (no speakers on the computer, and it would disturb folks anyway), but they get pretty creative with the associations.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

I think I'm going to contact the Center for American Progress because there is obviously a structural problem in radio, with rock and roll dominating the FM airwaves and not enough classical music broadcasting.Perhaps they can create the same kind of mind-numbing report they released last week, demonsrating the statistical imbalance of rock and roll's dominance of the airwaves. Maybe some kind of government initiative could be created to force classical music into each marketplace.

 

[janetupnorth]

Harold Hill made it to Rhinelander, too?

Actually, last year...a local group did the Music Man. They did very well!

No, I just brought my boat load of instruments when I moved up north. I have a piano, organ, antique pump organ, full-size keyboard, flute, clarinet, French Horn, mellophone, trumpet, guitar, accordian...

Hubby has an electric bass.

Quite a bit for a 2 bedroom house with 2 adults, 2 kids, 2 dogs and a cat! ...oh, and fish...

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

I got a thank you note from 106.9 WFMR with the new elevator music logo and some other crap on it, and the note thanked me for my feedback. I replied, telling them I never sent them any feedback but as long as they were accusing me of it, I let them know what I thought of switching from classical to elevator music under the cover of darkness, and also chastised them for ruining the call letters that have meant classical music in Milwaukee since 1955.I don't think I'll hear back from them.Meanwhile, WFMR, when it was a good station, belonged to a classical music satellite network feed. With some effort (google is your friend) I found the home page of the network. I also found another network station that uses the feed and streams to the internet.Listening to WCRI is like it used to be listening to WFMR, except the commericals are all for things in Rhode Island.But that's okay - now if I could figure out how to get it in my car...

 

[katie0128]

This might give you some hope...

My 8yo has decided that his favorite thing to listen to at night when going to bed is WGUC! My mom very often has the station on at her house (she watches my kids a couple days a week when I work) and it has now been dubbed "Ma Pat" music... but regardless, he has decided that he loves classical music!

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

When I was a kid, I played an album with the Nutcracker Suite all the time - in fact, I replayed the Trepak so many times, I'm surprised my mother didn't hide the record. It had to have driven her nuts.To this day, Tchaikovsky is one of my favoirtes and I have several recordings of The Nutcracker by various orchestras.BTW - Saturday mornings at 10 eastern, this network plays the Kids' Classical Hour - you should try to find an internet feed for him to hear it.

 

[katie0128]

When I was a kid, I played an album with the Nutcracker Suite all the time - in fact, I replayed the Trepak so many times, I'm surprised my mother didn't hide the record. It had to have driven her nuts.

To this day, Tchaikovsky is one of my favoirtes and I have several recordings of The Nutcracker by various orchestras.

BTW - Saturday mornings at 10 eastern, this network plays the Kids' Classical Hour - you should try to find an internet feed for him to hear it.

He might love classical music, but he is still an 8yo BOY and at 10a on Saturdays Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is on... That of course completely crushes classical music!

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Well, at least he's being exposed to classical art!

 

[katie0128]

ALL my children will be exposed to music... I did piano lessons for about 10 years and voice for another 6 or so... It is part of who I am and couldn't imagine raising my kids and NOT exposing them to music. My biggest goal right now it to audition for the May Fesitval Chorus in Cincinnati... I'm nowhere near ready for it, but think I will be in a year or so!

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

I think it's great that kids are exposed to lots of music, not just what's hot in the popular culture this week. There is such a smorgasbord of music out there, to just be tied into one type is almost criminal, IMHO.I even like opera - that's really rare in this day and age. That said, I find it interesting that Les Miserables is one of the most successful "musicals" ever produced. If it had been marketed for what it is, an opera, I doubt it would ever have achieved that commercial success that it has.

 

[katie0128]

I love opera... just watched The Barber of Seville on PBS the other day... still have problems reading subtitles and watching the acting, but it is so funny, it's worth it.

 

[raebates]

My son has thanked me many times for exposing him to a wide variety of music, literature, television, and movies. He's able to converse with people of all ages and all tastes, which has helped him become a much more well-rounded person than his peers.No, he's not round because he eats too much. He's tall and athletic. His mom, however, is a different story.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

I'm well rounded from trying different kinds of food from around the world.Mostly from Hamburg, Frankfurt, France and Atlanta, though.

 

[chefann]

Ahhh... the international combo meal.

 

[katie0128]

Quit talking about food... I missed breakfast this AM and am SOOOOO hungry, but the cafeteria doesn't start serving lunch until noon... AFTER all the patients are fed (darn patients!)

 

[chefann]

I also skipped breakfast this morning. And practically skipped dinner yesterday, too (had a bowl of Pops cereal). Come to think of it, the only real meal I ate yesterday was lunch (no breakfast at all).

Now I'm really hungry, but our cafe opened 23 minutes ago. So I can head down now to grab a bowl of soup or something.

 

[chefann]

Let's see... today's menu:

Soup: Wild Mushroom Bisque, Chicken Noodle, Vegetarian Vegetable, Chili
Grill: Traditional Buffalo Wings, Hickory BBQ Burger
Carvery: Tuscan Flank Steak
Deli: Southwestern Roast Beef Wrap
Wild Greens: Crispy Honey Chicken Salad

Looks like salad day....

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

I also skipped breakfast this morning. And practically skipped dinner yesterday, too (had a bowl of Pops cereal). Come to think of it, the only real meal I ate yesterday was lunch (no breakfast at all).

Now I'm really hungry, but our cafe opened 23 minutes ago. So I can head down now to grab a bowl of soup or something.

I bet your hood is still missing, too.

 

[chefann]

Yep- hood's still missing. That's a 3-person job, Dan tells me.

Well, they didn't have the crispy chicken for the salads when I went downstairs. So I ended up with the "One Pot" meal from the pizza station: cavatappi pasta, chicken and mixed veg with alfredo sauce and a garlic breadstick.

 

[katie0128]

I got a grilled turkey wrap, SunChips and a water that I dumped in a Crystal Lite peach tea packet.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Yep- hood's still missing. That's a 3-person job, Dan tells me.

Well, they didn't have the crispy chicken for the salads when I went downstairs. So I ended up with the "One Pot" meal from the pizza station: cavatappi pasta, chicken and mixed veg with alfredo sauce and a garlic breadstick.

And not for the faint of heart.

I'm talking about the hood, not the salad.

 

[chefann]

The car's so loud without the hood, too. Ugh!

But it didn't overheat in the parade.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

The car? Or the salad?

 

[chefann]

The car.

I didn't have salad for lunch. The cafe was out of the crispy chicken. So I had pasta with chicken and alfredo sauce.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Good. There's nothing worse than overcooked salad.

 

[chefann]

Of course, I have no idea what to make for dinner.


Other than reservations.

Wait a minute! Dan's home all day today. HE can make dinner!

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Does he have the 800 number for Domino's?

 

[katie0128]

We have a Domino's, LaRosa's (Cincinnati pizza place), Subway, Wild Mikes (chicken wings place) and a Chinese restaurant within walking distance of our house! My favorite is when Domino's does a $5 cash-n-cary large pep or cheese pizza deal... you just walk up, hand them $5 and walk away with your pizza... no need to call ahead... there are LOTS of pizza ready and waiting!

 

[chefann]

Little Caesar's has that $5 deal all the time here. For an extra buck, you can get it deep-dish.

But we had that for dinner Thursday (the last day Dan was in charge of dinner), and pizza at friends' on Saturday. So no pizza.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Wanna bet?

 

[chefann]

Dan's usually pretty good about not eating one thing several times in a short period. I should probably call him and tell him that he's in charge.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

<looks into crystal ball> I see several little square, white boxes in your future.

 

[chefann]

Pizza, or White Castle? Chinese carry-out? Thai carry-out?

I used Dan's usual dinner on one of my days to cook last week: grilled cheese and tomato soup.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

<homer voice> Mmmmmmmm....Sliders! </homer voice>